(Special article commemorating the Maha Kumbhabhishekam of Shri Sureshvaracharya Adhishtanam Shrine at Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Shrimatham, Kanchipuram on 03-5-2024.)

Shri Shankaracharya visited Mahishmati as part of His digvijayam. There, He defeated Mandana mishra. According to the Punyashlokamanjari, Mandanamishra was a Gauda brahmana, born in Kashmira and a disciple of Shri Kumarila Bhatta. After his defeat, he accepts Sannyasa from Shankaracharya and becomes Shri Sureshvaracharya. Shri Sureshvaracharya wrote the varttika on the Taittiriya Upanishad bhashya and Brhadaranyaka Upanishad bhashya of Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada. He also has written texts such as Naishkarmya siddhi with an admixture of prose and verse with many examples that are modelled on Shri Bhagavatpada’s Updadeshasahasri. In addition, there are a few other works such as Manasollasa commentary to the Dakshinamurti Stotra. Shri Sureshvaracharya’s impact can also be felt in many other writers such as Vachaspati Mishra.

Shri Sureshvaracharya and Kanchipuram

According to the 65th Prakarana of Anandagiriya Shankara Vijayam, titled Shrichakra Pratishta and Yogalingasthapanam, Shri Shankaracharya comes to Kanchipuram and first. consecrates a Shrichakra there. He establishes a matha fit for his own residence there and then asks Shri Sureshvaracharya to worship the Yogalingam and asks him to stay on in Kamakoti Pitham.

तत्रैव निजवासयोग्यं मठमपि परिकल्प्य तत्र निजसिद्धान्तपद्धतिम् अद्वैतं प्रकाशयितुम् अन्तेवासिनं सुरेश्वरमाहूय योगनामकं लिङ्गं पूजयेति तस्मै दत्वा त्वमत्र कामकोटिपीठमवधिवस इति व्यवस्थाप्य शिष्यजनैः परिपूज्यमानः श्रीपरमगुरुः सुखमास। (आनन्दगिरीये श्रीचक्रप्रतिष्ठा योगलिङ्ङ्गस्थापनं नाम पञ्चषष्टिकं प्रकरणम्)