Sri Adi Sankaracharya

Birth of Sri Adi Sankaracharya

A Pious Kerala Couple were childless and on the advice of an astrologer, this Kerala couple decided to spend one mandalam (40 days) in deep prayers at Vadukanathar Shiva temple, Trichur, Kerala. Towards the end of their time period, the lady got a ream wherein Lord Shiva said He is pleased with their austerities and now ready to bestow them with a child. On being asked whether they want a very special and extraordinary child but with a very short life (Alpa Ayu) or a normal child with a long life span (Dheerga Ayu), the lady chose the former. Lord Shiva said he himself will be born as their child.

The child was named “Sankara” (another name for Lord Shiva) and was born at her maternal home (customary for the eldest Hindu child to be born at their mother’s residence) presently named “Melpazhur Mana” at Veliyanad, Near Ernakulam, Kerala. This house is presently being excellently maintained by “Chinmaya International Foundation” (CIF)

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Birth Year 509 BCE - SCIENTIFICALLY PROVED

Scientific Methods to arrive at the birth year of Sri Adi Sankaracharya:
Thus, it has become extremely important to adopt universally acceptable scientific methods like Carbon Dating, to determine the age of Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

One such innovative and ingenious attempt was done about 100 years back successfully by the 68th Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamiji.

One day a very senior Indian Govt recognised Geologist visited the Kanchi Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamiji and in the course of their discussion, the swamiji explained the following incident in the life of Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

As a young boy, Sri Adi Sankara found his aging mother still struggling to go to the River Poorna to take bath. Not bearing to see her plight, the young Sri Adi Sankara requested the River Poorna to divert her course of flow to come near his house and then go back to the mainstream. The River asked him for directions for which Sri Adi Sankara asked him to follow his footsteps (Kal - Foot, Adi - Steps) to his house. The river diverted course and came to his house and then re-diverted back to attach itself to the mainstream.

The Kanchi Sankaracharya asked the Geologist to take river sand samples at two places to do Scientific Carbon dating.

• At the point - where the River Poorna Enters Kerala State
• At Kaladi - where the River got diverted (as per the traditional story)

The Geologist conducted river bed sampling at both the places and got the scientific test results which he placed in front of the Kanchi Sankaracharya

Results:
At the point where the River Poorna enters Kerala State, the age of the River sand was found to be several Lakhs years old, whereas the River Sand age at Kaladi where the diverted river flowed was found to be about 2,500 years old.

Conclusion:
These results proved that such a miracle of the River Poorna getting diverted was true and that this happened 2,500 years back (when Sri Adi Sankaracharya was born), as traditionally believed. This proves that Sri Adi Sankaracharya was born 2,500 years ago.

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Guru Parampara & Advaitic Mutts

All the main advaitic mutts like the Dwarka Mutt, Govardhan Mutt, Kudali Sringeri Mutt and the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt have more than 70 pontiffs in their respective Guru Parampara to prove that their Adi Guru was born around 500 BCE.

Guru Parampara:
Sri Sankara created an effective system of "Guru Parampara" so that the knowledge that he imparted to his disciples was carried forward for generations to come. Thus he established various advaitic branches all over India. Sri Sankara appointed dasanami "Dandi sanyasi" to head each branch calling themselves Sankaracharyas and instructed them to create a Guru Parampara for themselves thereby ensuring these Sankaracharyas continue to propagate our Sanathana Dharma throughout these several centuries.

Sri Sankara successfully ensured the installation of various primary advaitic mutts like the Dwarka Mutt, Badrikashrama Mutt, Kudali Sringeri Mutt, Govardhan (Puri) Mutt and finally established the Moolamnaya Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt at Kanchipuram.

Apart from the above, the above primary mutts established Advaitic Upa - Mutts during the course of time like the Edaneer Mutt, Sivaganga Mutt, Avani Mutt, Virupakshi Mutt, Karveer Mutt, Pushpagiri Mutt, Sakatapuram Mutt,Tunga Sringeri Mutt, Avichinna Sringeri Mutt, the four kerala advaitic mutts like the Tekke madam, Naduvil Madam, Idayil madham and Vadakke Madham. Apart from the above there have been more than 500 small Advaitic institutions which survived for a few centuries in both North India and South India and then later expired due to lack of leadership and continuity.

All the above institutions have been successfully responsible for not only educating / guiding the masses on Sanathana Dharma but also preserving our rich Sanatana culture through their respective Advaitic Guru Parampara.

Sri Sankara knew the importance and preservation of the temples and its various rituals, in binding the masses together and thus prescribed the various strict pooja rituals to be performed in these temples which till today many temples like the Badri Narayan temple near Kedarnath and Guruvayur temple, in Kerala still follow.

Sri Sankara also knew the importance of cross mingling of our Hindu culture within these temples spread wide within India and thus appointed Kerala Namboodiris from the South to take care of Nithya Poojas at Badri Narayan temple in the North of India and similarly appointing Marathi Bhramins to take care of Rameshwaram temple in South India.

Sri Sankara is credited to have installed "Sri Yantras" in over 500 devi temples all over India. The most famous being the "Dhana Akarshana Yantra" at Tirupati.

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Birth Year 509 BCE and Manipulated Manuscripts

Due to lack of original manuscripts and abundance of manipulated data over the last several thousand years, we have been found saddled with conflicting theories in arriving at the exact period of Sri Adi Sankara's birth.

Many original manuscripts like Prachina Sankara Vijayam, Brhat Sankara Vijayam, etc. don't exist anymore while we have recently learnt confidently that some advaitic mutt are in possession of them and is now busy rewriting this manuscript to suit their future narrative of the life of Sri Adi Sankaracharya.

Another example of manipulated data of "Madhaviya Sankara Vijayam" by Dr W R Antharkar:

According to Dr.W.R.Antarkar, in the Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam (which many of the Upa-mutts follow), out of the 1848 stanzas about 1086 stanzas are found to be copied from the following four other works:

• Vyasachala’s Sankaravijaya — 475
• Tirumala Dikishta’s Sankarabhyudaya — 475
• Rajachudamani Dikshita’s Sankarabhyudaya — 125
• Ramabhadra Dikshita’s Patanjalivijaya — 11

Total 1086 stanzas

ii) Veda adhyahana (Gurukul) and Father passing away

Sankara showed exceptional signs of learning very early in life and so the parents decided to admit him into a local Gurukul Veda Patashala by the age of Five Years but had to perform Upanayanam (Thread ceremony) to Sankara, before admission into a Veda Patashala. Suddenly, his Father Shivaguru passed away.

As per our traditional Dharma shastras, if the father passed away, the eldest son (in this case the only son “Sankara”) had to perform the final rites for his father — as his birth right.

Dharma Shastra Rules for performing Final rites by the only eldest son:
Once the father passes away, the son can perform the 11 day aparakriya rituals for his father without a upavitham (thread). The 12th day ritual (Sapandi Karnam) can be performed, only with Upavidhi, any day but within the 27th day. So the four day long Upanayanam is conducted between the 12th day and the 15th day. On the 16th day – the 12th day apara kriya rituals are done with a proper Upavithi in place and on the 17th day, the 13th Shubha Sweekaram is performed. Accordingly, Sankara performed the final rites of his father till the 11th day and then got his Upanayanam done from the 12th day till the 15th day of his father’s death. After the Upanayanam was completed on the 15th day, Sankara performed the 12th day ritual and the 13th day aparakriya ritual on the 16th and the 17th day respectively. Later he was admitted into a local Vedapatashala to study the vedas which he completed by the age of eight years.

Protection of the Vedas:
Sanatana Dharma is the only one universally accepted Hindu system which allows a person to practice whatever margam he wishes, to reach the ultimate goal of "Nirvana" or "Salvation" under the strict guidance of a Guru or a Teacher. Sri Sankara realised the need to preserve the tenets of our Sanathana Dharma and its roots i.e. VEDAS. The Vedas have originated itself through the breath of Lord Brahma from time immemorial. The Rishis absorbed the Veda mantras from space during meditation and passed it on through the Veda Patasala students from generation to generation. The Vedas contain the secret of everything present in the whole Universe and thus the need to preserve it by supporting the Veda Patasalas were one of the key priorities of the Sankaracharyas.

Vedic Mathematics and Vedas:
The Vedas contain all the workings of the Universe except we need extremely intelligent humans to interpret it properly.

One of the earlier Sankaracharya of Govardhan Mutt (Puri) decided to dedicate his life to Interpret the Vedas and derive all the mathematical formulas ever present. His efforts of over 60 years resulted in him writing over 20 volumes of detailed mathematical principles and formulas as explained in the Vedas. A month after completing this huge monumental task, He found all the volumes getting stolen and could not be traced. After much persuasion by his devotees, he wrote a concise volume which was later published for everyone's benefit.

iii) Kanakadhara Stotram

The notable incident was that of Sri Sankara when he was a brahmacharya and had to go to various houses to beg for food. When he visited a particular house for bhiksha, the lady lamented that she did not have anything to offer as her husband himself had gone in search of food for her family. All she could find was a dry gooseberry (Amla or Nellikai) which she had reserved for herself and her husband, in case her husband was unable to secure food that night — which she offered to the boy.

Sri Adi Sankara, moved by the lady's plight and the selfless act of offering the last food item in her house, prayed the Kanakadhara Stotram to Goddess Mahalakshmi asking her to shower grace on the family. The Goddess was pleased and bestowed her blessings upon them.

There is an ancient monument preserved at the very place inside Swarnatha Mana, where Goddess Mahalakshmi is said to have appeared. The present family continues the tradition of lighting a lamp there every day — a practice their ancestors have observed for some 2,500 years.

iv) Entering into Sanyas Ashram

Sri Adi Sankara knew the broader purpose of his incarnation in this birth:

• a) To propagate the truth about Advaita Philosophy, which had become weak and neglected due to the rise of other philosophies such as Buddhism and Jainism — both of which rejected the sanctity and existence of the Vedas — along with more than seventy crude forms of Tantric philosophies prevailing at that time.
• b) Another major goal was to rekindle the studies of the Vedas and re-establish their supremacy. Sri Sankara sought to organise and preserve the Vedas by convincing Kings and Rulers of their importance and encouraging them to set up Veda Patashalas. He also persuaded parents to send their children for Vedic education, thereby ensuring the preservation of this sacred knowledge. He knew these goals could only be achieved once he entered the Sanyas Ashram.

Being the only child of his mother, he tried repeatedly to persuade her to allow him to take Sanyas, but she refused, wishing instead for him to marry and lead a householder’s life (Grihasthashram).

One day, while bathing in the river, a crocodile caught hold of his leg and began to drag him under. Sri Sankara cried out to his mother, explaining that unless she granted permission for him to embrace Sanyas, the crocodile would kill him. Overcome with fear and unable to bear seeing her son die, Mother Aryamba consented to his renunciation — a moment known as Abhath Sanyas, meaning “Sanyas given under extreme duress.” Upon receiving her approval, the crocodile immediately released him.

After this divine incident, Sri Sankara sought his mother’s formal permission to leave home in search of a Guru who could initiate him into Sanyas. He promised her two solemn vows: first, that he would return whenever she required his presence, and second, that he would personally perform her last rites as her only son.

Thus, Sri Sankara left Kaladi in search of his Guru, who would grant him Sanyas Diksha — the sacred initiation into the renounced order of life.

v) Story of Rishi Patanjali, the 1,000 Headed Snake Teacher of Grammar and Advaita

Rishi Patanjali, the thousand-headed snake teacher — an incarnation of Adisesha — lived in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, the sacred abode of Lord Nataraja, who performed the cosmic dance. Rishi Patanjali gifted humanity with various profound sciences — Vyakarana (Grammar) through his work Maha Bhashyam, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Ayurveda known as Athreya Samhita, and the medical text Varthikam.

Many students from distant lands, hearing of his unparalleled scholarship, came to Chidambaram to study under him. To manage the large number of disciples, Rishi Patanjali decided to limit his class size to one thousand. He instructed all students to gather inside a huge pandal (hall) where he would teach them from behind a cloth curtain. He cautioned them strictly never to leave the class or remove the curtain, for no human could withstand the vision of his true divine form — that of a blazing thousand-hooded serpent.

Rishi Patanjali began teaching, using each of his thousand heads to instruct each student individually — giving them personal attention and divine wisdom. However, one student left the class to relieve himself, and another, driven by curiosity, lifted the curtain. Instantly, the fiery energy from the sage’s divine form incinerated all the remaining students who could not withstand his brilliance.

Heartbroken at their loss, Rishi Patanjali was relieved to see the student who had left return unharmed. Though saddened by his disobedience, Rishi Patanjali decided to impart his wisdom to the boy but first cursed him to become a Brahmarakshasa (a cursed spirit) for violating the command not to leave the class. As the boy was dull and slow in grasping knowledge, the sage transmitted his teachings to him through Sparsha Diksha — a sacred initiation by touch — and declared that the boy’s curse would end only when he met a student capable of answering his questions.

The Brahmarakshasa, now named Gaudapada, perched himself on a tree and began asking deep philosophical questions to travelers. When they failed to answer, he devoured them. Seeing this tragedy unfold, Rishi Patanjali realized that none could answer Gaudapada’s questions except himself. Thus, he took rebirth as Sri Govindabhagavadpadacharya. In this new incarnation, he confronted the Brahmarakshasa, answered all his profound questions, and thereby freed him from the terrible curse.

vi) Young Sri Sankara Meeting with His Guru Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya

The sage Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya lived in a cave on the banks of the River Narmada in Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh. After years of deep meditation, he felt his time on earth was over and stepped into the river to relinquish his body. At that moment, a divine voice from the heavens instructed him to return — for a young seeker would soon arrive, whom he must accept as his disciple and initiate into Sanyas Ashram. Rishi Vyasa himself is said to have visited Govindabhagvadpadacharya, hinting at the arrival of this extraordinary boy and the divine purpose of his initiation.

One day, while the river was in spate and the sage was meditating inside his cave, a young boy approached and placed his kamandalu (water pot) at the cave entrance. Miraculously, the overflowing waters of the River Narmada were contained within the vessel. Seeing this divine act, the sage arose from his meditation and embraced the boy, knowing this was the disciple foretold to him — the young Sri Adi Sankara.

Sri Sankara explained to his Guru the promise he had made to his mother, Aryamba — that he would return to perform her final rites when she passed away. Since the Sanyasa Dharma forbade a renunciant from performing such rituals, he sought his Guru’s special permission in advance. With great compassion, Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya granted this exception.

The sacred cave where the Guru lived and initiated Sri Sankara into Sanyas Diksha has been identified and verified by the 68th Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamiji, and officially confirmed by the office of the late President Dr. R. Venkataraman, who later inaugurated the site formally. Sri Sankara trained under his Guru for over four years before beginning his Digvijaya Yatra — a spiritual journey to preserve the Vedas and spread the Advaita philosophy across India.

Instances of Sri Sankara’s Guru Bhakti (Devotion to His Teacher)

• When his Guru took him to meet Gaudapadacharya at the Badrinarayan Temple, Sri Sankara created a hot water spring so his aged Guru could bathe comfortably despite the freezing climate of Badrinath.
• When Sri Sankara composed the Bhaja Govindam, it was to remind the world to sing praises of his Guru — “Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam…” — declaring that such devotion alone leads to salvation.
• In his Gurushtakam (Eight Verses), he declared the futility of worldly riches, beauty, and scholarship when one forgets surrender at the feet of the Guru — the true path to Moksha or liberation.
• When his Guru attained Samadhi at Omkareshwar, Sri Sankara replaced the existing Jyotir Lingam with his Guru’s Samadhi, revering it as the true Jyotirlingam of Omkareshwar.

Years later, while on his Digvijaya tour, Sri Sankara intuitively sensed his Guru was nearing the end of his earthly life. He rushed to Omkareshwar to be by his side, reported his conquests and spiritual works, and was present when his Guru took Mahasamadhi on Kartik Pournima. Sri Sankara then built the Samadhi and installed a Shiv Lingam over it, naming it the Jyotirlingam of Omkareshwar. Even today, thousands of devotees flock to Omkareshwar each Kartik Pournima to celebrate the Aradhana of Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya.

Guru Parampara at Omkareshwar Cave

One of Sri Adi Sankara’s greatest legacies was the emphasis on an unbroken Guru Parampara — a spiritual lineage ensuring the continuous communication of Advaita philosophy through generations. Recognizing this importance, the Kalavai Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati Sankaracharya Trust undertook the sacred task of installing the following idols and relics inside the Omkareshwar cave:

Sri Patanjali Rishi

• Sri Patanjali Rishi — the Vyakarana Guru of Sri Gaudapadacharya, who later reincarnated as Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya to release Gaudapadacharya from his Brahmarakshasa curse.
• Installation of Four Spatika Padukas — one below the other, belonging respectively to:
  • Top Paduka — Sri Sukhar Maharishi
  • Next Paduka — Sri Gaudapadacharya
  • Next Paduka — Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya
  • Bottom-most Paduka — Sri Adi Sankaracharya

vii) Mother Aryamba’s Demise

One day, Sri Adi Sankara was at Badrinath, engaged in retrieving the idols of Lord Badrinarayan from the River Alaknanda, when a relative named Agnisarma arrived with a bag of gold and ornaments from his mother, Aryamba, conveying that she was seriously ill and wished to see him.

Sri Sankara had already dived into the Alaknanda River several times and successfully retrieved the idol of Lord Badrinarayan. Using his mother’s gold ornaments, he organised the construction of a grand temple for the Lord, following the detailed temple design he had personally conceived.

Afterwards, Sri Adi Sankara rushed to Kaladi via Vayu Margam (aerial route). Upon his arrival, he lovingly narrated to his mother the story of his travels since leaving home at the age of eight — including his special permission from his Guru, Sri Govindabhagvadpadacharya, allowing him, as a Sanyasi, to perform her final rites when the time came, thus fulfilling the promise he had made before leaving.

He also spoke about establishing the Four Amnaya Mutts in the four corners of India, each led by one of his principal disciples, to spread the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta through an unbroken Guru Parampara. Deeply moved, Mother Aryamba requested that he replicate the same four Advaitic Mutts in Kerala — her Janmabhoomi — under his four major disciples, to which he agreed.

When Sri Sankara tried to explain the concept of Advaitam to his mother, she gently replied that she could not comprehend it. She expressed her only wish — to behold their Kula Deivam (family deity) Lord Krishna and be taken to His abode. Sri Sankara prayed earnestly to Lord Krishna, who manifested in a golden chariot and took her soul away in divine glory. At that moment, Sri Sankara composed and recited the Matrukapanchakam, an impromptu set of five verses glorifying his mother Aryamba.

Thereafter, Sri Sankara informed the local Kaladi Namboodiris of his intent to perform his mother’s last rites — a duty he had promised and had special permission from his Guru to fulfill. The Namboodiris objected vehemently, arguing that a Sanyasi could not perform funeral rituals. Sri Sankara explained that with his Guru’s explicit sanction, his actions could not be considered Adharmic (unrighteous).

Seven of the Kaladi Namboodiri families revolted against Sri Sankara’s decision, while three supported him and helped perform the rites:

• The family that lifted her head portion became known as the Thalai-attupuli Namboodiris.
• The family that lifted her legs became known as the Kal-kattu Namboodiris.
• The family that lifted her hands became known as the Kai-kattu Namboodiris.

Together, they placed her body upon the funeral pyre, and Sri Adi Sankara personally performed all the final rites. Afterward, he cursed the seven Namboodiri families who had refused to assist, proclaiming that no Dandi Sanyasi would ever accept bhiksha (alms) in Kaladi again. This tradition continues even today — the Kanchi Mutt Dandi Sanyasis visit Kaladi only on Ekadashi, when they traditionally abstain from taking bhiksha.

viii) Presence of Mother Aryamba’s Samadhi at Kaladi

The traditional Namboodiri families customarily preserve the ashes of their departed family members in an earthen urn, which is buried at the base of an Ashoka Tree for one year. During this period, an oil lamp is lit every day beside the urn, symbolizing continuous remembrance and reverence. After one year, the kartha (performer of the rites) returns to immerse the ashes in the river, completing the ritual cycle.

In the case of Sri Adi Sankara, after performing the final rites for his mother Aryamba, he was unable to return to Kaladi after the prescribed one-year period. Consequently, her ashes remained permanently beneath the Ashoka Tree at Kaladi.

The land containing this sacred Ashoka Tree was owned by Tekke Madam, Kerala. About 500 years ago, when the tree withered naturally, the then Swamiyar of Tekke Madam installed a stone lamp at the exact spot, inscribing that this lamp had been continuously lit for over 2,000 years in memory of Mother Aryamba, whose ashes rested below.

Later, one of the Advaitic Upa Mutts — the Tunga Sringeri Mutt — leased this land from Tekke Madam for a significant sum. They built a proper Samadhi structure over the site of cremation and enshrined it as Mother Aryamba’s Samadhi.

Subsequently, the Tunga Sringeri authorities removed the stone lamp, which had been inscribed to state that it had been burning for 2,000 years. Since Tunga Sringeri’s Guru Parampara recognizes a lineage of 32 Sankaracharyas and follows the belief that Sri Adi Sankara was born in 788 CE, the inscription suggesting a 2,000-year tradition conflicted with their accepted chronology. To align with their timeline, they removed the inscribed stone lamp from Mother Aryamba’s Samadhi.

ix) Presence of Four Advaitic Mutts in Kerala

As mentioned earlier, Mother Aryamba — being deeply attached to her Janmabhoomi (birthplace) Kerala — made a heartfelt request to her son, Sri Adi Sankara, during her final days. She wished that he replicate the establishment of the Four Amnaya Mutts in Kerala as well, entrusting them to his principal disciples, just as he had done across India. Sri Sankara lovingly agreed to fulfill her wish.

After performing his mother’s final rites at Kaladi, Sri Sankara returned and instructed his four primary disciples to assume charge of these newly established Kerala Advaitic Mutts, thereby extending the spiritual lineage of Advaita Vedanta into his homeland.

The four mutts were assigned as follows:

• Idayil Mattam — Entrusted to Sri Totakacharya
• Naduvil Mattam — Entrusted to Sri Sureshwaracharya
• Vadake Mattam — Entrusted to Sri Hastamalakacharya
• Tekke Mattam — Entrusted to Sri Padmapadacharya

The Tekke Mattam stands out for its ancient heritage, boasting a Guru Parampara of 84 Sankaracharyas, proudly tracing its unbroken lineage for nearly 2,500 years, much like the other three Kerala Advaitic Mutts.

x) Establishment of Kudali Sringeri Mutt

It is said that Sarasavani requested Sri Adi Sankara to walk ahead of her without turning back. She followed him, and through the gentle jingling of her anklets, he knew she was behind. As they reached the confluence of the Rivers Tunga and Bhadra near Kudali Sringeri, Sri Sankara, out of curiosity and compassion, looked back. At that very instant, Sarasavani froze into an idol at that sacred spot.

Recognizing the divine significance of this event, Sri Adi Sankara established a new Advaitic Mutt there and entrusted its care to his disciple Sri Sureshwaracharya. This Mutt came to be known as the Kudali Sringeri Mutt, also referred to as Tunga-Bhadra Theeravasi, meaning "the one situated at the confluence of the Rivers Tunga and Bhadra."

The Kudali Sringeri Mutt holds an unbroken Guru Parampara of 72 Acharyas, with a preserved lineage list of the various Sankaracharyas who have adorned this sacred Peetam for the past 2,500 years.

Over time, Kudali Sringeri faced certain internal developments, resulting in some Acharyas branching out to establish their own lineages and Guru Paramparas, while still maintaining reverence to the original Advaitic teachings of Sri Adi Sankara.

xi) Sri Adi Sankara’s Visit to Meet Kumarila Bhatta — A Great Mimamsaka

Sri Adi Sankara, during his philosophical mission to engage with various schools of thought and revive the essence of Advaita Vedanta, travelled to Prayagraj to meet the renowned philosopher and Mimamsaka, Sri Kumarila Bhatta.

Upon reaching there, Sri Sankara found Kumarila Bhatta seated upon a heap of burning husks, voluntarily undergoing penance to atone for what he regarded as Guru Droham — an act of disloyalty to his teacher. Despite being engulfed in flames, Sri Kumarila Bhatta remained calm and radiant, immersed in repentance and divine reflection.

Recognizing Sri Sankara’s spiritual brilliance and mission, Kumarila Bhatta acknowledged that his life was nearing its end. Before departing, he directed Sri Adi Sankara to proceed to Varanasi and meet his contemporary and another eminent scholar — Sri Mandana Misra — to engage in a deeper philosophical debate.

xii) Sri Adi Sankara’s Visit to Meet Sri Mandala Mishra / Parakayapravesham

Sri Adi Sankara met Sri Mandala Mishra — considered an incarnation of Lord Brahma — to engage in a profound philosophical debate contrasting the doctrines of Advaita Vedanta and Purva Mimamsa. The debate lasted for several days, observed by learned scholars and spiritual seekers from across the region.

The adjudicator of this monumental discourse was Sarasavani, also known as Ubhaya Bharathi — believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Saraswati. She placed garlands around both philosophers’ necks and declared that the one whose garland faded first would be considered the loser of the debate. Furthermore, the wager stipulated that the defeated philosopher would become a disciple of the victor.

After days of intense deliberation, Sri Mandala Mishra’s garland withered first, signifying his defeat. True to the terms, Sarasavani declared Sri Adi Sankara the victor, though she did so with reluctance. Sri Adi Sankara then initiated the humbled scholar into Sanyas Ashram, bestowing upon him the monastic name Sureshwaracharya.

Deeply saddened and angered by her husband’s defeat, Sarasavani resolved to ascend to heaven, feeling her purpose on earth was over after her husband’s renunciation. However, Sri Adi Sankara invoked the Vanadurga Mantram to restrain her, urging her to remain on earth for the spiritual upliftment of mankind.

As the wife is traditionally regarded as the “better half” of her husband, Sarasavani demanded a debate of her own. Sri Adi Sankara accepted, and their dialogue extended across multiple fields of knowledge. Finally, she challenged him on matters concerning the Kama Shastra — subjects of physical and emotional intimacy. Being a renunciant and celibate, Sri Sankara found himself unable to answer such questions through personal experience.

At this juncture, Sri Adi Sankara requested Sarasavani for a brief respite to prepare his response. During this time, a local king had just passed away. Sri Sankara instructed his disciples to guard his Stula Sharira (gross physical body) and performed the mystical act of Parakayapravesham — entering another body. His soul entered the deceased king’s body, reviving it instantly.

Living as the king for a short time, Sri Sankara gained firsthand knowledge of worldly pleasures, including intimate relations with the queen. Having completed this divine experiment, he departed from the king’s body and re-entered his own physical form, reuniting with his disciples.

Through divine intuition, Sarasavani realized the truth of Sri Adi Sankara’s Parakayapravesham and accepted defeat with humility. She agreed to remain on earth for the benefit of humankind, thus fulfilling the divine purpose ordained for her.

xiii) Origin of Tunga Sringeri Mutt

Around the year 1300 CE, the Kudali Sringeri Sankaracharya embarked on a long Dharma Prachara Yatra (religious propagation tour). He did not return to Kudali Sringeri for more than two decades, during which communication was extremely difficult. The local devotees and administrators assumed that the Acharya might have attained Samadhi and, in his absence, decided to appoint a new head for the Mutt.

Accordingly, a Pusthaka Sanyasi (a monk well-versed in scriptures) was chosen as the new Sankaracharya of Kudali Sringeri. However, within a few months, the original Acharya returned to the Mutt headquarters, only to discover that another person had been installed in his place.

After internal discussions, the original Acharya refused to abdicate his rightful position, arguing that the newly appointed Acharya was selected by a local committee and not through the authentic Sankaracharya Guru Parampara. This dispute led to a schism within the institution.

The newly appointed Acharya was therefore requested to relocate upstream along the River Tunga, where he established a new Advaitic seat. This institution came to be known as the Tunga Sringeri Mutt, or simply Sringeri Mutt.

The Tunga Sringeri Mutt maintains a Guru Parampara of about 32 Acharyas and traditionally holds the belief that Sri Adi Sankara was born in 788 CE — approximately 1,265 years after the actual period of his birth as accepted by other ancient Advaitic Mutts.

With time, Sri Adi Sankara’s legacy spread across India through the establishment of four principal Advaitic centers — the Dwarka Mutt in the West, the Govardhan Mutt in Puri (East), and the Jyotir Badrikashram Mutt in the North — alongside the southern centers of Kudali Sringeri and Tunga Sringeri.

xiv) Visit to Lord Guruvayur

During one of his travels through the Vayu Margam (aerial route), Sri Adi Sankara was passing over a small yet immensely powerful temple dedicated to Lord Guruvayurappan in Kerala. Suddenly, he experienced an overwhelming divine force pulling him downward. Unable to resist this magnetic spiritual energy, he descended and landed near the temple grounds.

Upon regaining his composure, Sri Sankara realized that the divine force emanated from none other than Lord Krishna, his Kula Deivam (family deity), whose idol resided at the Guruvayur Temple. Filled with reverence, Sri Sankara set about redesigning and organizing the temple’s structure, establishing the daily, monthly, and yearly rituals — practices that continue to be followed meticulously even after 2,500 years.

At that time, temple priests did not receive a regular income for their dedicated service. Understanding their plight, Sri Adi Sankara instituted a compassionate and sustainable system. He directed that every devotee visiting the temple should offer a small contribution to the Melshanti (chief priest) or Tantri, who would be seated behind the sanctum sanctorum, near the Ganapathi Temple. In return, the priests would offer prayers for the devotee’s wellbeing and distribute prasadam.

This compassionate reform initiated by Sri Adi Sankara remains in practice even today, ensuring the continuity of both the sacred rituals and the livelihood of the priests who serve at Lord Guruvayur’s temple.

xv) Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam

After completing his divine mission of dispelling over seventy-three Dur mathams and setting up four Amnaya Mutts in the four corners of Bharata Desam (including the four Advaitic Kerala Mutts), Sri Adi Sankara decided to come to Kanchipuram, which was a very reputed seat of learning, where Buddhism prevailed. Sri Sankara wiped out Buddhism through his debates with various Buddhist institutions and teachers and converted them to Advaitic philosophy. Even now the Buddhist believe that Zen Buddhism was born in Kanchipuram.

Devi Kamakshi in Kanchipuram had become very malevolent due to the tantric practices performed by the Buddhists in front of the Devi Kamakshi into the Yoni structure created by them in the Temple Sanctum Sanctorum.

Sri Sankara drew a Sri Chakra and placed it inside the Yoni structure and prepared a detailed Pooja Vidhi for the Devi Kamakshi Temple. This slowly reduced her inherent anger and she became soumya or benevolent to the devotees.

When Sri Sankara came to know that his stay on earth was going to be over, He decided to ascend the Sarvagna Peetam, as the final victory for his Advaita Philosophy. Sri Adi Sankara invited all types of questions and was ready to answer any questions (maybe be trivial or highly philosophical) posed by any one. He answered questions posed by the scholars, artisans, Buddhists and Jain students/teachers, Vedic students etc. for a period of over one week.

One young boy posed him philosophical questions which Sri Sankara answered to his satisfaction. Later the boy requested Sri Sankara to take him as his disciple, which he agreed. The location of the Sarvagna Peetam is in the Kamakshi Temple praharam where an idol of Sri Adi Sankara is kept and called the "Sankara Sannidhi"

After successfully and victoriously completing his Sarvagna peetarohanam at Kanchi Kamakshi Temple, Sri Sankara initiated the boy into sanyasa ashram and named him Sri Sarvagnatmendra Saraswati. Sri Sankara handed over the Yoga Lingam to Sri Sarvagyatmendra Saraswati, which Sri Sankara himself was performing pooja daily. The Yoga Lingam was one the five Spatika lingams which Sri Sankara had brought from Mt Kailash. The other four Spatika Lingams were installed by Sri Sankara at Kedarnath Temple, Pashupathinath Temple - Nepal, Chidambaram Temple and handed one to Sureshwaracharya for his nithya pooja at Kudali Sringeri Mutt. The fifth Spatika Lingam "Yoga Lingam" was kept by Sri Sankara himself which he handed over to Sri Sarvagatmendra Saraswati and explained the Chandramouliswara pooja vidhi. Sri Sankara also instructed him to create a Guru Parampara for himself which later was called the Moolamnaya "Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam", the Fifth Amnaya mutt.

Finally after instructing Sureshwaracharya, who was the overall supervisor for all the mutts, Sri Adi Sankara entered into the Sanctum Sanctorum of Devi Kamakshi Temple and sat down meditating in front of the Bilaksham – An opening next to the idol of Devi Kamakshi from where it is believed that the formless Devi Kamakshi came inside the Sanctum Sanctorum and took form. The day was "Krishna Paksha Ekadashi in the month of Aippashi or Thula" when Sri Adi Sankara's sukshma shariram got merged into the formless Devi Kamakshi inside the Bilakasham.

The Sthula shariram of Sri Adi Shankara was brought outside and interred into a samadhi which is presently inside the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram.

When the other major disciples learnt about the samadhi of their Adi Guru Sankara, they all came to Kanchipuram and had darshan of his samadhi. Later when their respective time came to leave this world, each disciple came back to Kanchipuram and took samadhi which has been identified as:

The Kanchi Kamakoti peetam boasts the presence of the samadhi structure of Sri Adi Sankara himself inside their mutt premises.

Daily worship to this samadhi is done in secrecy to avoid outside interference especially during the present Sankaracharya's long absence from the Kanchi Mutt due to travel.

Samadhi of the four main disciples of Sri Adi Sankara at Kanchipuram

• Once the four main disciples came to know about their Adi Guru's samadhi at Kanchipuram, these four disciples rushed to Kanchipuram to pay their respects and later they all took samadhi at Kanchipuram itself to be near to their Adi Guru in their after life too.
• The presence of the samadhi of Sri Sureshwaracharya and that of his disciple Sri Sravagnatmendra Saraswati, next to the samadhi of Sri Adi Sankara within the Kanchi Mutt premises is one such location where daily pooja is conducted.
• The samadhi of Sri Padmapadacharya is identified as Vishnueswarar shiva temple inside the Ekambareshwarar temple, Kanchipuram.
• The samadhi of Sri Hastamalaka is identified as the Malikarjuneswarar shiva temple in Kanchipuram..

The samadhi of Sri Totakacharya is identified as the Tulsi Brindavan structure below the Neem Tree, near to the Durga Temple inside Kamakshi Temple, Kanchipuram.

We now request all the Hindu devotees to plan their trip to visit all the important locations like

• Veliyanad, Near Ernakulam — Birthplace of Sri Sankara
• Swarnatha Mana — Where Sri Sankara recited the Kanakadhara Stotram
• Omkareshwar Cave on the banks of River Narmada — Where Sri Sankara met his Guru Govindabhagavadpadacharya
• Omkareshwar Jyotir Lingam — Samadhi of Sri Sankara's Guru
• Devi Kamakshi Temple, Kanchipuram — Sankara's sannidhi where Sri Sankara Ascended the Sarvagyapeetam
• Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram — Samadhi of Sri Adi Sankara