Shankaracharya

Adi shankara
Adi Shankaracharya with his four disciples - Padmapadacharya, Sureshwaracharya, Hastamalakacharya and Totakacharya.

Shankaracharya (Sanskrit: शङ्कराचार्य, IAST: Śaṅkarācārya, "Shankara-acharya") is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism. The title derives from Adi Shankara; teachers from the successive line of teachers retrospectively dated back to him are known as Shankaracharyas.

Etymology

The word Shankaracharya is composed of two parts, Shankara and Acharya. Acharya is a Sanskrit word meaning "teacher", so Shankaracharya means a "teacher in the tradition of Shankara".

Establishment of the tradition

Adi Shankara, the first Shankaracharya, set up four monasteries, known as Mathas or Peethams, in the North, South, East and West of India, to be headed by Self-realised men who would be known as Shankaracharyas. They would take on the role of teacher and could be consulted by anyone with sincere spiritual inquiries, and they would guide humanity in times of trouble and give solace. Apart from the four, another monastery, Kanchi Kamkoti Peetham in South India, is also believed to have been established by Adi Shankara. The table below gives an overview of the four main Shankaracharya Amnaya Mathas famously founded by Adi Shankara.

Shishya
(lineage)		 Direction Maṭha Mahāvākya Veda Sampradaya Present Shankaracharya
Padmapāda East Puri Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) Rig Veda Bhogavala Swami Nischalananda Saraswati
Sureśvara South Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) Yajur Veda Bhurivala Sri Bharati Tirtha
Hastāmalakācārya West Dvāraka Sharada Pīṭhaṃ Tattvamasi (That thou art) Sama Veda Kitavala Swami Sadanand Saraswati
Toṭakācārya North Badari Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ Ayamātmānam brahma (This Atman is Brahman) Atharva Veda Nandavala Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati (disputed)

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ↑ Snow, Michael J. (October 2018). Mindful philosophy. Milton Keynes. ISBN 9781546292388. OCLC 1063750429.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Waite, Dennis, 1948- (2010). The book of one : the ancient wisdom of Advaita ([2nd ed.] ed.). Winchester, UK: O Books. ISBN 9781846943478. OCLC 573397586.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Barrett, David V. (2001). The new believers : a survey of sects, cults, and alternative religions. Barrett, David V. London: Cassell. ISBN 0304355925. OCLC 44933824.
  4. ↑ "Adi Shankara's four Amnaya Peethams". Archived from the original on 26 June 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
  5. ↑ "India has four Shankaracharyas. Here's who they are and what they do". India Today. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's successors: TWO Shankaracharyas of two different Peeths now - DETAILS here". Zee News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  7. ↑ ANI (15 October 2022). "SC stops the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, next hearing on October 18". ThePrint. Retrieved 23 January 2025.