Ubhay Bharati

Ubhaya Bharati was an Indian female scholar and philosopher from the Mithila region in India during the 8th century CE. She was the wife of the Mimansa scholar Mandana Mishra. She served as the umpire for the philosophical debates between the two eminent scholars Mandana Mishra and Adi Shankaracharya.

Early life Ubhay Bharati was born in a Maithil Brahmin family at Bhatpura village of the Mithila region in India. Her father was a Jyotishacharya. She was taught primary education by her own father in his guidance at home. She excelled in Sanskrit literature at her childhood. Impressed by her erudition, people of the village also referred to her as Saraswati. Her other name was Sharda Devi. According to legend, Ubhay Bharati is believed to be the incarnation of the Goddess Saraswati in Hinduism. In the text Śaṅkaradigvijaya, there is a story that once the Vedic sage Durvaasa was chanting Vedic Mantras but mistakenly his tongue slipped at some phrases of the Vedic mantras during utterance. Then the Goddess Saraswati laughed on his utterance. After that the sage Durvaasa became angry and cursed her to take birth in the form of human being on the earth.

Later life According to some literary sources, it is said that Ubhay Bharati was Bhaginī (either sister or niece) of Kumarila Bhatta. Mandana Mishra in student life came to Bhatpura village to learn Mimansa Shastra from the eminent teacher Kumarila Bhatta of Mimansa Shastra. In the Bhatpura village, there is historical place called as Kumarila Bhatta Dih, where Mandana Mishra learnt Mimansa Shastra from his Acharya Kumarila Bhatta. After the completion of the education of Mandana Mishra, it is said that Kumarila Bhatta put proposal for marriage of his disciple Mandan Mishra to his Bhaginī Ubhay Bharati. After the agreement on the proposal among Mandana Mishra, Ubhay Bharati and her father, Ubhay Bharati was married to the Mimansa scholar Mandan Mishra from the Mahishi village of the Saharsa district in the Mithila region of Bihar.

Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra Shastrartha Adi Shankaracharya was directed by Kumarila Bhatta to visit the hermitage of his disciple Mandan Mishra for a philosophical debate with him to prove and establish his works on Advaita Vedanta. Then Adi Shankaracharya reached at the village Mahishi in the Mithila region where Mandana Mishra was residing. The historical place where Mandana Mishra with his wife Ubhaya Bharati was living is presently known as Mandan Bharati Dham. There Adi Shankaracharya asked Mandana Mishra for a philosophical debate between them.

According to some scholars, it is said that after accepting Adi Shankaracharya as the greatest scholar, Ubhaya Bharati left her physical body on the earth and went to her original destination Brahmaloka. Her husband Mandana Mishra became the disciple of the Guru Adi Shankaracharya with a new name Sureshvara. In Southern India, Mandana Mishra is recognised by his name Sureshvara.