Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s6.t1.5

c6.s6.t1.5

Veṅkaṭādhvarin in his *Viśvaguṇādarśacampūḥ* (see Chap. 6) describes Vedāntadeśika as a great debater who could explain most difficult propositions in the debates and repeal the intoxication of the opponents.¹⁶⁸ Veṅkaṭādhvarin devotes as many as twelve verses to Vedāntadeśika (CE 1289–1300) with some very succinct prose passages. Unable to tolerate the praise showered on Vedāntadeśika, Kṛśānu, the reviler, asks his opponent Kṛśāśva in *Viśvaguṇādarśacampūḥ* — how can the words of a poet tender like the *campaka* flowers decorating the head of Goddess Sarasvatī be able to break the hearts of opponents in debates hard like stones?¹⁶⁹ Viśvāvasu, the protagonist, replies that the speech of the master of Vedānta is as tender as flowers and pleases the noble, but it is able to break the hearts of the enemies (the opponents in debate) like the tender foot of child Kṛṣṇa, the touch of which delighted Nandin and it could become as hard as a diamond in killing the demon Śakaṭāsura.¹⁷⁰