Know About This Renowned Vedic Scholar Who Immolated Himself For Betraying His Buddhist Guru

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Kumarila Bhatta, is well-known amongst the ardent readers of Sanskrit and Sanskrit literature. An erudite scholarly pundit from Assam, Kumarila Bhatta was a leading expert in Purva Mimamsa whose tenets even Adi Shankara was curious to know about. He was a contemporary of Adi Shankara and possessed an unbeatable scholarship and an authority on Sanskrit studies. How did Adi Shankara and Kumarila Bhatta meet?

Unfortunately, when Shankara reached his Ashram, to meet him, he saw Kumarila engaged in self immolation. Shocked, Shankara asked him the reason. Kumarila answers in one line- Gurudroha. He had betrayed a Buddhist guru from the Nalanda.

How Kumarila Got In Touch With The Buddhist Guru

It is an interesting story how Kumarila came into contact with his Buddhist Guru Dharma Keerthi. Kumarila was so enraged with certain aspects of Buddhist Philosophy that were directly against Hinduism and its principles. But Buddhism was a rage at that time, and hence Kumarila decided to rescue Vedic culture from the criticism of Buddhists. So in order to defeat their logic and arguments, he realised that he had to learn their precepts under their guru. So, he learnt Buddhism from a Guru called Dharmakeerthi.

How Kumarila Bhatta Survived The Test Of His Integrity

Once day, during a discourse, Dharma Keerthi, in a rage, rebuked hindu scholars and Hinduism, which left Kumarila with tears in his eyes. This was noticed by Dharmakeerthi who interrogated Kumarila and found out his identity. So the Disciples of Dharmakeerthi challenged Kumarila to jump from top of Nalanda university building which had seven stories, in order to prove the greatness of vedas. If he remained unharmed from the fall, they would accept the greatness of Hindusim. Kumarila proclaimed on the top of the building before jumping, " If Vedas are true, I will remain unharmed even after the fall." He jumped promptly, and was not injured in anyway except that he lost an eye. they asked him to prove the greatness of the Vedas by jumping from a cliff. The losing of the eye was due to the small suspicion he nursed in his deeper self about the fallibility of Vedas which was the reason why he uttered " IF vedas are true....."

Kumarila Wins The Debates With Buddhists

So Kumarila later took part in debates with Buddhist and beat them hollow as he knew their weak points. But heart of hearts he was numb with grief and guilt that he had betrayed his Buddhist Guru. He was so adherent to truth and he held it so important that he became ready to give up his life as a punishment for betraying some one in the status of a Guru. Such was the respect given to the guru sthana during those times. No one used to lie to Guru nor laugh at him or ridicule him like we do now to our teachers. Guru was treated like God and that is how we got the adage going. " Acharya Devo Bhava"

The Tushanala Experience

It was at this time that Shankara requested him for alms, which was nothing but a hearty debate and not clothes or food. Kumarila's disciple Mandana Mishra became the first Shankaracharya of Shringeri. But Kumarila had sat on the Tushanala, the kind of Fire that burns very slowly but very painfully at the same time.Death by Tushanala was the deadliest ever known during those days. It was a kind of death which was caused by a husk or straw wrapped on the body which was then set on fire. It was the most painful death ever but Kumarila willingly decided to go through that as he felt a sinful deed deserved punishment and it was a gurudroha where he had betrayed the trust of his Buddhist Guru. He redirected him to Mandana Mishra who later came to be known as Sureswara, the first seer of Shringeri Math established by Adi Shankara.

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