[Advaita-l] Comments by sriJagannathan Mahadevan (March 19, 2007) on gradations in "AtmaJnana"

[srikanta at nie.ac.in]

This is with reference to Sri Jagannnathan mahadevan on the question of
gradations in Atmajnana.He quotes the story of Sankara's debate with
Visvarupa(or mandanaMishra) at the mahismati nagara.His wife
Bharati,incarnation of Saraswathi, stood as a judge to decide who wins the
debate.at the end of the debate which went on for weeks,Visvarupa accepted
his defeat to become a sannyasi.Before that,his wife Bharati questioned
sankara's knowledge about the kamasastra.sankara took time to experience
the knowledge by making parakayapravesha by entering the dead body of a
king Amaruka. After experiencing,Sankara returned.This story which is
there in Sankara Vijayam has been repeated either for good or bad reasons.
Has any one questioned whether there is truth in the story?Sankara who is
a Brahmajnani,who has freed himself from the body identification,how can
he experience the bodily experience?Can Atma which is a mere saksi
experience the bodily pleasures?Can Atma come out of the body to
experience?Why should Bharati,visvarupa's wife who is a house holder who
had the experience of a Gruhastha be interested in the sannayasi's
experience?
Seeing the entire story,on the whole looks ridiculous and devoid of
truth.what do the protagonists of this story want to establish?They are
doing more discredit to Sankara than glorifying him.
                                                N.Srikanta