[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 18

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

111| tatheti sūkte smitaśaṅkareṇa bhaviśyate vādakathā śva eva |
tatsākṣibhāvaṁ vrajataṁ munīndrau ityarthayadbādarajaiminī saḥ ||50||

111. Hearing these well-spoken words, Śaṅkara smiled [in assent]. [Maṇḍana] 
politely said to Bādara [i.e. Vyāsa] and Jaiminī, “the debate shall take place 
tomorrow.  Oh Lords of Sages, please will you take the position of 
observers?”(50)

(Bādara is short for Bādarāyana. This name was explained in my comments on 
śloka 80 but this is the first time I've seen it shortened like this.)

112| vidhāya bhāryāṁ viduṣīṁ sadasyāṁ vidhīyatāṁ vādakathā sudhīndra |
itthaṁ sarasvatyavatāratājñau taddharmapatnyāstamabhāṣiṣātām ||51||

They replied, “Your wife is learned. Let her conduct the debate oh Lord of the 
Intelligent” knowing that Sarasvatī had incarnated for the purpose of being 
his wife.(51)

(Maṇḍana is the incarnation of Brahma and his wife Ubhaya Bhāratī 
Sarasvatī as mentioned in śloka 17 and 18 respectively.)

113| athānumodyābhihitaṁ munibhyāṁ sa maṇḍanāryaḥ prakṛtaṁ cikīrṣuḥ |
ānarca daivopagatānmunīndrānagnīniva trīnmuniśekharāṁstān ||52||

Then agreeing to the suggestion of the sages, the noble Maṇḍana, completed the 
ceremony which he was blessed by his past good deeds to have attended by three 
ornaments amongst sages who were like fire.(52)

(The śrāddha that Maṇḍana was conducting had been interrupted by all this 
controversy.  Now it is being completed.

The three, Vyāsa, Jaiminī, and Śaṅkara are being compared to the three fires
in the Vedic śrauta yajñas.)

114| atha kriyānte kila sūpaviṣṭāḥ trayyantavedyārthavidastrayo'mi |
amantrayaṁścāru parasparaṁ te muhūrtamātraṁ kimapi prahṛṣṭāḥ ||54||

After the completion of the ceremony, the three knowers of the meaning of the 
triple Vedas took sat together for a muhūrta delighted to discuss some topic 
to their mutual satisfaction.(54)

(Some people claim the Vedas are called trayi "triple" because originally there
was only the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda and the Atharvaveda was added later
but a better explanation is that the Vedas have three types of contents, ṛks or
metrical verses, yajus or prose sections, and sāmans or verses set to music.
The atharveda is made up of ṛks so doesn't need to be enumerated separately.)


-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>