Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s6.16

c6.s6.16

There are interesting accounts of the debates between Jaina *ācāryas* and the Buddhists in Prabhācandrasūri’s *Prabhāvakacarita* (thirteenth century CE).¹⁶⁵ *Jalpakalpalatā* gives an account of the historical event of the fierce debate between Māṇikya Sūri and a Naiyāyika from Varanasi, named Śaṅkara. The author, Ratnamaṇḍana, was a disciple of Nandīratna. Māṇikya Sūri, the respondent in the debate, was a disciple of Devasūrin. Deva Sūri was a renowned ascetic and a contemporary of Hemacandra. He had defeated Kumudacandra, a Digambara ascetic, in a famous debate held in the court of the King Siddharāj. Kumudacandra himself is described as a ferocious debater, and is said to have defeated as many as eighty-four adversaries. The masterly skills of Deva Sūri in debate have been described in *Mudritakumudacandra*, a play (see Chap. 7) as well as in some other medieval works.¹⁶⁶ His disciples Ratnaprabha, Māṇikyamuni and Mahendrasiṁha were also adept in debates.