Śāṅkara Sampradaya Kośaḥ

Question: According to the Mathamnayas, which matha holds the distinction of being the very first one to have been founded?

Answer: According to all the Mathmnayas, Dwaraka matha is the first of the four mathas to have been founded. Sarada pitha, at Dwaraka is the “first amnaya matha”- “prathamaḥ paścimamnayaḥ śāradāmaṭha ucyate”.

However, Anandagiri, a follower of the Kanchi Tradition, along with his followers Cidvilasa and Kasi Lakshmana Sastri, the author of GVK, both adherents of the Tunga Sringeri matha, assert in their works that Tungabhadra Sringeri was the site where the first matha was founded.

Further research on this subject is warranted due to the disagreement between mathamnaya texts and hagiographies on whether the first founded matha was Dwaraka or Tungabhadra Sringeri.

Question: Why do Mathamnaya theorists consider Cidvilasa Sankaravijaya to be exceptionally unique and significant and could you specify the exact location where Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada ascended the Sarvajna Peetha according to this historical account?

Answer: Cidvilasa is an adherent of the Tunga Sringeri Matha, presents a unique perspective in his Sankaravijaya by claiming that the Acharya established four mathas. Cidvilasa clearly asserts that Sri Sankaracharya ascended the Sarvajna Peetha exclusively at Kanchipuram.

Image: 19th Century Palm-leaf Tamil manuscript of Cidvilasa Sankaravijaya – Translation of the Skt. original text from the Tunga Sringeri matha, evidencing Sri Sankaracharya’s Sarvajna Peetharohanam at Kanchipuram.

First Printed Edition of “Mathamnaya“

Question: When and where was the first printed edition of “Mathamnaya” published, and who was the publisher?

Answer: In 1894, the first printed edition of “Mathamnaya” in the Sanskrit Grantha script was published at Srividya Mudraksharasala, Kumbhakonam. The publisher of this edition was Brahmasri Guruswami Sastri, hailing from Kalpattu village.

Images: Cover page (original) & Foreword by the Publisher in Tamil (Reprint)

Q: Until when did the adherents of the Tunga Sringeri Matha of Mysore State believe that Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya was born in the first century B.C.E.?

A: Sri Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Swami, Head of the Tunga Srirgeri Matha of Mysore State (from 1868 C.E. to 1912 C.E.) constructed a temple for Sri Sankaracharya at Kaladi in Kerala. The consecrations of this temple and also of the newly erected adjacent temple of Sri Saradambal, took place in 1910, in the immediate presence of and under the directions of the Swami.

The Swami also caused to set up a stone plaque, containing an inscription of 18 Sanskrit verses, on one of the walls of the Sri Saradambal temple. The inscription was seen at the spot till about 1970.

Though the plaque with the inscription is not to be found at present in the temple, luckily, the text of the inscription, containing 18 verses in Sanskrit, has been published in the work ‘Kalady’ edited by Prof. K.R Venkatraman, and published by P.S. Narayanan of Palghat – 1966, with a message of blessings from Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Swami of the Tunga Sringeri Matha, dated 8.1.1966.

The first three verses of this inscription are as given below:

कालटीकुम्भाभिषेकवृत्तान्तबोधनाय

श्रीशारदामन्दिरे प्रतिष्ठापितशिलालिखिताः

इमे श्लोकाः ॥

प्रायशो वर्षसाहस्रद्वितयात्प्राक्सदाशिवः ।

दृष्ट्वाऽधर्मेण धर्मस्य ग्लानिं सर्वत्र भूतले ॥१॥

कालट्यां केरले श्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यसंज्ञया ।

प्राप्य जन्म स्वप्रतिज्ञापालनार्थीमिवादरात् ॥२॥

विजित्य सर्वान् वादेन दुर्मताविष्टचेतसः I

आविष्कृत्यासमन्ताद्वै वैदिकं धर्ममुत्तमम् ॥३॥

The preamble of the inscription states that the verse inscribed below are in memory of the consecration of the Sri Sankaracharya temple at Kaladi and for having a knowledge of the details about the Kumbhabhishekam of the temples.

The first two verses of the inscription purport to say that on seeing the weakening of Dharma in the world, Sadasiva, as if in accordance with his resolve, was born at Kalady, in Kerala, some 2000 years ago. (i.e., 1910–2000 = 90 B.C.) as Sri Sankaracharya.

From the above it is to be understood that till1966, the adherents of the Tunga Sringeri of Mysore State have held that Sri Sankaracharya was born in the first century B.C.E.

(Source: Sri Sankara Bhaktha Jana Sabha, 91, Salai Street Kanchipuram-2 Publication)

Q: Is Mathamnaya authored by Sankaracharya, or is it the creation of someone else entirely?

A: In ‘Sankara Granthavali’ printed at the Vani Vilas Press, Sirangam and published in 1910 C. E. in commemoration of the consecration of Sri Sankaracharya murti at Kaladi, in Kerala, under the personal directions of the then Sringeri Acharya, the Mathamnaya Stotra has not been included. This clearly indicates that the Mathamnaya is not a work of Sankaracharya.