Author: Shankarasampradayakosh

Q: What is the reason for the disagreement regarding the date of Sankaracharya?

A: Sri Sankaracharya appeared in 509 B.C. Hundreds of Acharyas have arisen since then in the march of time. The line of world teachers started from the Adi Acharya has not become extinct, it is living even now. So there is nothing wrong in holding that many Acharyas appeared in 44 B.C. or 800 A.D.; there were Sankaracharyas during all these periods.

The error is in the vehement assertion that there is only one Sankaracharya and that His period is only what they say; It sounds like the faith of the Semetics who hold that there is only one Prophet in the world and He is theirs.

It is this Semetic Attitude and ignorance of Indian National Traditions on the part of modern scholars that has given rise to unnecessary disputes over the Date of Bhashyakara Sankaracharya.”

– Sakhyananda

Q: In which year did an Acharya of an Advaita Matha belonging to Karnataka region attempt to tour the South for the first time?

A: The Karnataka region was divided into a number of diocese for purposes of spiritual as also fiscal administration of the Matha benefices.

The West Karnataka was under the jurisdiction of Kudali Sringeri Matha and East Karnataka, under the sway of Puspagiri Sringeri Matha, South Karnataka, comprising modern Kolar under the jurisdiction of the Amani (Avani) Sringeri Matha and North Karnataka under Sankheswara Sringeri Matha.

South India, including Chola, Pandya, Chera countries and Tondaimandalam has always been under the jurisdiction of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitha. In 1816, Babu Rao, the agent of Col. Mackenzie was informed by the then Sri Sankaracharya of the Kamakoti Pitha that Their jurisdiction extended over the districts enumerated above.

About 1792, when Tippu Sultan had annexed Coimbatore and Salem districts, the Acharya of Amani Sringeri toured these districts and recruited Sishyas. But, when He attempted to recruit disciples in the Akhanda Caveri region of Karur and Trichinopoly region, such attempts were firmly resisted. He was firmly told that, that region was not under His spiritual jurisdiction, and that, if at all he wanted to tour the districts, it should be on the distinct undertaking that He would not attempt recruiting any Sishyas. He gave the undertaking that He would thereafter desist from recruiting disciples. This original document of undertaking given by the Amani Acharya evidencing the spiritual authority of the Kanchi matha in the region was also filed as an evidence in the 1844 Tatanka Pratishta case.

This was the first occasion when an Acharya of an Advaita Matha belonging to the Karnataka region attempted to tour the South.

(Source: The Traditional Age of Sri Sankaracharya and His Mathas By A.Nataraja Aiyer and S.Lakshmi narasimha Sastri, M.A.L.T.)