Shankar – Shashtrarth (Purvardh) / शंकर-शास्त्रार्थ (पूर्वार्द्ध) : द्वितीय संस्करण / Dvitiya Sanskaran

<p>Shankar-Shastrarth the most important novel among all the novels written by Manishi Pdt. Janardan Rai Nagar is based on the life of Jagadguru Shankaracharya. Only after his victory over Mandan Mishra in the Shastrarth he became famous as Jagadguru. The declamation of Shankaracharya was “Brahm Satyam Jagat Mithya” i.e. the world is an illusion and only God is real. Mandan Mishra on the contrary proclaimed “Jagat Satyam Brahma Mithya” i.e. only the world is real and God is an illusion. It was ordained that if Mandan Mishra lost the debate he will have to adopt the life of an ascetic and if Shankaracharya lost he shall have to adopt a worldly life. In the Shastrarth Mandan Mishra claims that the world and the living beings are real. Shankar argues that the world is not constant as it keeps changing.</p><p>Whatever is grand shall be lost in oblivion soon. Therefore the world is temporal. Having heard numerous logic Mandan Mishra started asking himself: “The world is a dream of Kaal-Ratri the night of destruction?” Shankar says “Vats dear Mandan the time and the movement of Karma (Action) is very intense and delightful… but time is a serpent… Karmas are deadly desires. The soul wants nectar-Amrit! Come let us look towards Truth from Untruth let us get pulled towards the light from the darkness. Now surely dear friend.” In the end Mandan accepts that this world is unnecessary bondage and decides to become a monk.</p>