Shankaracharya

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

Shankaracharya (Template:Langx, Template:IAST3, "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 "teacher of the way of Shankara".[1]

Establishment of the tradition

Adi Shankara, known as Adi Shankaracharya, set up four monasteries known as Mathas or Peethams, in the North, South, East and West of India, to be administered by realised men who would be known as Shankaracharyas. They would take on the role of teacher and could be consulted by anyone with sincere queries of a spiritual nature and they would guide the humanity in times of trouble and provide solace.[2][3] Another monastery Kanchi Kamkoti Peetham in south India also derives its establishment and tradition to Adi Shankara. The table below gives an overview of the four main Shankaracharya Amnaya Mathas reputedly founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.[4]

Shishya
(lineage)
Direction Script error: No such module "lang". Script error: No such module "lang". Veda Script error: No such module "lang". Present Shankaracharya
Script error: No such module "lang". East Script error: No such module "lang". Script error: No such module "lang". Rig Veda Bhogavala Swami Nischalananda Saraswati
Script error: No such module "lang". South Script error: No such module "lang". Script error: No such module "lang". Yajur Veda Bhurivala Sri Bharati Tirtha
Script error: No such module "lang". West Script error: No such module "lang". Script error: No such module "lang". Sama Veda Kitavala Swami Sadanand Saraswati[5]
Script error: No such module "lang". North Script error: No such module "lang". Script error: No such module "lang". Atharva Veda Nandavala Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati (disputed)[6]

Further reading

See also

References

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External links

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