Where can I find more details about this debate involving Bhaskararaya?

Question

Bhaskararaya is probably the most well-known Acharya and authoritative figure from modern history about matters related to Shakti worship. My question is about a debate that happened between him and a host of other scholars at Kashi.

Quoting from the article "Bhaskararaya Makhin" hosted@ Kamakotimandali:

If any one deserves special mention in the field of Srividya after Sri Adi Shankaracharya, it is undoubtedly Sri Bhaskaracharya. He descended to earth in the first half of the eighteenth century. He is known to have been such a great philosopher, scholar, commentator and an Upasaka that the only phrase suitable to describe him would be: na bhUto na bhaviShyati'. Though he advocated Tantra, he was a devoted follower of the Shrauta path (the path ordained by the Vedas) and also was as much a Shaiva as a Shakta. Though a householder, his Vairagya and Jnana were greater than any accomplished Sanyasin. His works Saubhagya Bhaskara' and `Setubandha' serve as encyclopedias in the field of mantra Shastra to this day. Though some of his views are not quiet agreable to the ShAnkara Vedanta, his immense respect for Acharya Bhagavatpada displays his final faith in Kevaladvaita.

Sri Bhaskararaya, who needs no introduction, introduces himself (in his work `Saubhagyabhaskara') in the following way:

shriigambhiiravipashchitaH piturabhuudyaH konamaambodare
vidyaaShTaadashakasya marmabhidyaH shriinR^isimhaadguroH |
yashcha shriishivadattashuklacharaNaiH puurNaabhiShikto.abhavat
sa tretaa tripuraa trayiiti manute taameva naathatrayiim ||

To establish Shakta Vidya in its pristine purity, Bhaskaracharya traveled through the length and breadth of the subcontinent and wrote many fine books. Bhaskaracharya was born in the period between the last part of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century. In his own works, we find a mention of his birth date. He is known to have completed his commentary on Sri Lalita Sahasranama in 1728 (Ashwina Shukla Navami) and Setubandha in 1748 (Shivaratri). Though Sri Bhaskaracharya was proficient in all branches of learning, he was essentially a Shakta. Under the leadership of Narayana Bhatta (the grandfather of Kamalakara Bhatta, the author of `Nirnayasindhu'), a large group of scholars assembled in Kashi to defeat and humiliate Bhaskaracharya in a debate. In the debate the ensued, Bhaskaracharya answered all questions of the scholars to their complete satisfaction. A Sanyasin named Kumkumananda, who was present there and who himself was great Upasaka of Sridevi, told the group of scholars that they could never defeat Bhaskaracharya in a religious debate because it was none but Sri Mahatripurasundari who was speaking from his mouth.

Narayana Bhatta refused to accept this truth without a proper proof. He questioned Bhaskaracharya regarding a name `mahAchatuHShaShThikoTiyoginIgaNasevitA' from the Rahasya Sahasranama. He challenged Bhaskaracharya to list the names of the sixty-four crores of Yoginis mentioned in this name. Bhaskaracharya accepted this challenge and began to list the names, seated behind a curtain. The scholars began to write the names that were uttered by him, but soon had to give up the impossible task of writing down sixty-four crore names. Sri Kumkumananda swami suddenly removed the curtain and the scholars were astonished to see Sridevi seated on the shoulders of Bhaskaracharya. Though they were unable to have a complete vision of the form of Sridevi, they were able to see the luminous form of Amba on his shoulders. Accepting their defeat, they fell at the feet of Bhaskaracharya.

My questions about this debate are who were all the scholars who were asking Bhaskararaya questions? What were all the questions and what were Bhaskararaya's responses to those questions? Do we have works/books where these information are recorded in detail?

Answer 1

As per the editor of the Varivasya Rahasyam, the debate between Bhaskararaya and some Pundits of Kashi is a unique mention of Vasudeva Panashikara, the editor of the Saubhagyabhaskara Bhashya on Sri Lalita Sahasranama, published by Nirnaya Sagar Press.

The incident is mentioned in Devanagari script in Sanskrit only and runs through 4 pages which will become too long to quote here. Hence quoting only the main portion of Devi Darshana in Devanagari and then English.

The relevant part is found on Page 10 of the introduction the above mentioned book (Scroll down for English):

ताश्चतुःषष्टिकोटिसंख्याकाः सन्ति परं तासां प्रादुर्भावप्रसङ्गचरितादीन्यष्टादशपुराणेष्वष्टादशोपपुराणेषु च क्वापि नोपवर्णितान्युपलभ्यन्तेऽतस्तान्येव प्रष्टव्यानीति निश्चित्य पप्रच्छुः।.... इत्युक्त्वा एकैकस्या योगिन्याः समग्रं चरितं तेषां पुरतो दिनावसानं यावत्कण्ठीकृतमिवास्खलितमपीपठत्‌। चित्रं ह्येतदत्र लेखका एव श्रान्ता न भास्कररायो लेशेनापि ग्लानो न च चुकुण्ठेति। तदा पुनः कुङ्कुमानन्दस्वामिना नारायणभट्टादय उक्ताः --“भो विद्वांसः, अलमत्रातिप्रसङ्गेन। भवद्भिरालोचितमेवास्य लोकोत्तरं प्रागल्भ्यम्‌। अपरंच क्वाप्यदृष्टश्रुतपूर्वाणि योगिनीचरितानि तदाननादेतावन्ति निःसृतानि श्रीमद्भिः श्रुतानि तान्यप्येवमस्खलितरीत्या नायं ब्रूते किंत्वस्याराध्यदेवतैव तत्तद्योगिनीरूपेण तत्स्कन्धदेशमारुह्य कर्णे कथयति सैव चैतन्मुखाद्ब्रवीतीति। देवीबलान्महानुभावः संपन्नोऽयं कथं कुण्ठीभवेत्। अतो विरमतास्माच्छलव्यापारान्नोचेद्देवताक्षोभेण यूयमेव पराहता भविष्यथे” ति । तच्छ्रुत्वा नारायणभट्टेनोक्तं यदि देवतात्रागत्य वक्ति तर्हि सास्माकं कुतो न दृश्यते। स्वामिनोक्त नह्यल्पतपसामिदं फलं यत्प्रत्यक्षदेव्या दर्शनं, भवादृशैर्देव्याराधनपराङ्मुखैस्तु सुतरामिति। पुनर्नारायणभट्टेनोक्तं भो यतिचूडामणे, मां सकृदपि देव्या दर्शनं कृपया कारयित्वानुगृहाण, नोचेत्प्रायोपवेशेनात्रैव स्थास्ये गृहानपि नेतो व्रजेयेति। ततः स तस्येमं दृढनिर्बन्धमाकलय्य देव्यनाराधकमपि सनातनवैदिकमार्गपरिपोषकं सदाचारसंपन्नं परमसुकृतिनं विशेषतश्व विनीततया शरणं प्रपन्नमत एवाधिकारिणं निश्चित्य भास्कररायविरचितश्रीजगदम्बाभिषेकजलं गृहीत्वा तेन भट्टचक्षुषी आनञ्ज । अञ्जनसंस्कारोत्तराव्यवहितक्षण एव लब्धदिव्यदृष्टिनौरायणभट्टे भास्कररायस्कन्धारूढामखिलदिव्यरूक्षणैरुपलक्षितां जगदम्बां श्रीमत्त्रिपुरसुन्दरीं ददर्श। अथ तदालोचनसमकालमेव गलितदुरभिनिवेशोऽत्यन्तं विनीतः सन्‌ श्रीदेवीं भास्कररायं कुङ्कुमानन्दस्वामिनं चासकृत्प्रणम्य स्वात्मानमपि साक्षात्कारात्कृतार्थ मन्वानः सहागतैरखिलपण्डितैः सह जगाम गृहानिति।

They are 64 crore in number but their origin, story, character, etc are not described in any of the 18 Purāṇas or 18 Upapuranas. They resolved to ask this. ... On being told this, one by one he he began to recite, without faltering, the entire character of all the yoginis till the end of the day, as if he has learnt it by heart. The writer was also tired but not even an ounce was Bhaskararaya fatigued or faltered.

Then again, the following was said by Kunkumanandaswami to Narayana Bhatta and the others, “Oh learned men, enough with the excessive description. This persons’s renown (beyond the world) has been criticised by you. Next, the Yogini character never seen or heard of anywhere before that was spoken from his mouth without faltering and heard by you Srimans, this he doesn’t say but his Aradhya Devata in the form of those those yoginis sitting on his shoulder speaks it in his ears and she is only speaking through his mouth. Endowed with Devi’s strength, how can he falter? Now stop this deceit and accept that you’ll lose due to the devata’s power.”

Narayana Bhatta said that if the devata has come here and is speaking, why are we not able to see her anywhere? The Swami said, this is not a fruit which one with less penance gets that he should see the Devi with his own eyes and people like you are not performing Devi Aradhana.

Again Narayana Bhatta said, “Oh you best of Sannyasis, with your mercy, please make me have darshan of the Devi at once. Then seeing this determination of his, despite him being a non-worshipper of the Devi, and considering him to be a nourished of the Sanatana Vedic way, endowed with manners, excellently skilled, and especially this Sharanagata’s humble request of refuge, (the Swami) took the water prepared by Bhaskararaya for Devi’s Abhishekam and applied it on Narayana Bhatta’s eyes. After application and within a moment, Narayana Bhatta endowed with divine drishti saw on Bhaskararaya’s shoulder, decorated with all divine attributes the Jagadamba Tripurasundari. (Then having realised his mistake?), very humbly he bowed down to Sri Devi (Devi Tripurasundari), Bhaskararaya and Kunkumanandaswami together. Being grateful for his darshan (sakshatkar), he along with the Pundits who had come, went to their homes.

The editor ends by saying there are many such more incidents, and gives a brief introduction of the Bhaskara Vilasa biography.