Ubhayabhaarati
Ubhayabhaarati is the wife of Mandana Misra, who went on to become one of the four disciples of Adi Sankara, and one of the foremost proponents of the Weltanschauung (world view) or Darshana known as Advaita Vedanta. But such was not the case when Sankara first met Mandana Misra in a debate, which was presided and moderated by Ubhayabhaarati. We take up this fascinating story at this point
"Acharya now requested the two sages to
function as judges to the debate. Both of them knew very well that Mandana's
wife Ubhayabhaarati was the very incarnation of Saraswati, the Goddess of
learning. Therefore, they suggested, " Let Mandana's wife be the judge of
the debate". Mandana expressed assent and agreed to follow the suggestion
of the sages and let his own wife be the judge. Then he asked the revered
Acharya, " Kindly condescend to stay and take rest in the guest-house this
day. We shall start the debate early in the morning of tomorrow".
Mandana then directed the doorkeeper to lead Acharya to the guest- house and
look to his convenience with all respect. Next morning the Acharya finished his
morning ablutions and arrived at Mandana's residence accompanied by a few of
his disciples. Many scholars had by then assembled at the place. Al of them
realized the importance f the debate and had gathered there in great curiosity
and wonder. Mandana made the necessary preparations for the debate and invited
the Acharya to the fray. Everyone had taken their seats in the hall of the
debate and it was filled to the capacity. Only the judge's seat had still to be
occupied. The Acharya said, " Bhattapada also told me that a right
judgment could be ensured only if your wife, who is none other than Devi
Saraswati adorns the judge's seat. Please ask her to listen to our arguments
and meditate". Ubhayabhaarati came forward to do her duty without any fear
or favor. With no pride and with no airs of any kind, but with a modesty and a
bashfulness, that so became her, she occupied the judge's seat. The condition
of the debate was made known to all; it was that the vanquished should go over
to the victor's side, accept his views and propagate his faith.
When the stage was thus set, Ubhayabhaarati invited the two contestants,
each to state his proposition to the other. Then Mandana remarked, " It is
the Acharya who has come here seeking a debate. Since his is the initiative,
let him state his case first. When he has finished, I shall present the other
side".
Acharya agreed that the suggestion was a proper one. And he put forth his point
of view with clarity and conviction. He said, “The only sense, the only
significance of the Veda is the knowledge of the non- dual Brahman. Work or
worship is only a means, a special means for cleansing and purification of the
Chitta or the mind-stuff. Therefore it is out of question that there can ever
be a linking or assembling together of knowledge and worship. Their natures
cannot coalesce. A person desiring liberation need not at one and the same time
take to both knowledge and work (karma) or to knowledge and worship. Through
work and worship, the cleansing of mind is effected. And by the true
realization of ` I am Brahman', or of ` Brahman is Truth, Wisdom and Infinity',
by such steady knowledge of the non-dual Brahman-atman in the purified mind is
the liberation of the soul affected. There is no return, no coming back to
relative existence. There is no more rebirth. It is, therefore impossible to
attain directly or solely through Karma or worship". Acharya's basic stand
was that while the performance of good deeds and adoration and prayer aided
much and cleared the way, they were not directly capable of leading to
liberation which could be the outcome only of full and complete knowledge. The
open sesame to Moksha was Jnana and not mere Karma.
Mandana
would not subscribe to the supremacy of knowledge. He said, " The sense,
the significance of the Veda is Karma or action or work. And as the fruit of
action comes liberation in the form of everlasting paradise. The teaching in
the Veda about the identity of Brahman and the Atman is for the purpose of
establishing the perfection, the all completeness of karma. There are several
Vedic assertions which emphasize and reveal the power of karma. By the
performance of work, eternal heaven can be attained".
It
is worthy to note that Ubhayabhaarati, though gifted beyond measure and united
in wedlock to one who was very well to do in life, considered the performance
of her household tasks the foremost duty. The touching loyalty to the little
tasks of day-to-day living, this deep concern for the demands of wife's duty,
is in tune with the Indian genius. …
Ubhayabhaarati then put garlands of flowers on the necks of both and then
declared, " He whose garland fades first will be taken to be the party
vanquished in the debate. You may, therefore proceed with the debate
comfortably"
After many
hours of debate, which would have exhausted lesser mortals,, Mandana Misra
concedes defeat when faced with the superior wisdom of the boy Acharya.
While being a
fair judge, Ubhayabhaarati would not accept the loss of her husband during the
debate lightly and goes on to debate Adi Sankara himself. Ubhayabhaarati
embodied all the qualities that are valued even today among women -
courage, learning, wifely devotion and loyalty to her husband, apart from being a
fair judge and a conscientious hostess.