Maṇḍana Miśra
8th century CE Indian philosopher
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Maṇḍana Miśhra probably was more influential in the Advaita Vedanta tradition than is usually acknowledged. According to Richard E. King,
Although it is common to find Western scholars and Hindus arguing that Sankaracarya was the most influential and important figure in the history of Hindu intellectual thought, this does not seem to be justified by the historical evidence.
According to King and Roodurmun, until the 10th century Sankara was overshadowed by his older contemporary Maṇḍana Miśhra. In the centuries after Sankara it was Maṇḍana Miśhra who was considered to be the most important representative of Vedanta. His influence was such, that some regard this work to have "set forth a non-Sankaran brand of Advaita." The "theory of error" set forth in the Brahma-siddhi became the normative Advaita Vedanta theory of error. According to Maṇḍana Miśhra, errors are opportunities because they "lead to truth", and full correct knowledge requires that not only should one understand the truth but also examine and understand errors as well as what is not truth.
His student Vachaspati Miśhra, who is believed to have been an incarnation of Shankara to popularize the Advaita view, wrote the Bhamati, a commentary on Shankara's Brahma Sutra Bhashya, and the Brahmatattva-samiksa, a commentary on Mandana Mishra's Brahma-siddhi. His thought was mainly inspired by Mandana Miśhra (he was described as Maṇḍana-pṛṣṭha-sevī, "the faithful follower of Mandana"), and harmonises Shankara's thought with that of Mandana Miśhra.
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Identification with Sureśvara
Maṇḍana Miśhra has often been identified with Sureśvara, based on the hagiographic Shankara Vijayams, which postdate Sgankara by more than five centuries. The hagiographies are filled with legends and fiction, often mutually contradictory. Sureśvara (fl. 800-900 CE) and Maṇḍana Miśhra were contemporaries of Shankara. According to Advaita tradition, Maṇḍana Miśhra, originally a disciple of Kumarila Bhatta, started life as a Mīmāmsaka, became a sannyāsin and an Advaitin after he and his wife Ubhaya Bharati, were defeated by Shankara in a debate. He was given the yogapatta or monastic name Sureshwara. According to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, Suresvaracharya, along with Hastamalaka, Padmapāda, and Totakacharya was one of the four main disciples of Sankara, and was the first head of Sringeri Mutt, one of the four mathas believed in the Advaita Vedanta tradition to be established by Shankara.
According to Kuppuswami Sastri, it is unlikely that Maṇḍana Miśhra, the author of Brahmasiddhi, is identical with Sureśvara, but the tradition is correct in describing Maṇḍana Miśhra and Śankara as contemporaries. Sastri's critical edition of the Brahmasiddhi also notes that the name Maṇḍana Miśhra is both a title and a first name, which is a possible cause for a confusion of personalities. Maṇḍana Miśhra's brand of Advaita differs in certain critical details from that of Śhankara, whereas Sureśvara's thought is very faithful to that of Śhankara.
According to Sharma, Hiriyanna and Kuppuswami Sastra have pointed out that Sureśvara and Maṇḍana Miśra had different views on various doctrinal points:
- The locus of avidya: according to Maṇḍana Miśhra, the individual jiva is the locus of avidya, whereas Suresvara contends that avidya regarding Brahman is located in Brahman. These two different positions are also reflected in the opposing views of the Bhamati school and the Vivarana school.
- Liberation: according to Maṇḍana Miśhra, the knowledge which arises from the Mahavakya is insufficient for liberation. Only the direct realisation of Brahma is liberating, which can only be attained through meditation. According to Suresvara, this knowledge is directly liberating, while meditation is at best a useful aid.
According to R. Balasubramanian there is no conclusive evidence available to identify Maṇḍana, the author of the Brahmasiddhi, with Sureśvara, the author of the Naiṣkarmyasiddhi and the Vārtikas, nor to reject this identification.