Editing Shankaracharya

{{Short description|Religious title in the Advaita tradition}}
{{about|a title used in the Advaita traditions|the philosopher|Adi Shankara}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
[[File:Raja Ravi Varma - Sankaracharya.jpg|thumb|alt=Adi shankara| Adi Shankaracharya with his four disciples - [[Padmapadacharya]], [[Sureshwaracharya]], [[Hastamalakacharya]] and [[Totakacharya]].]]

'''Shankaracharya''' ({{langx|sa|शङ्कराचार्य}}, {{IAST3|Śaṅkarācārya}}, "[[Adi Shankara|Shankara]]-''[[acharya]]''") is a religious title used by the heads of [[amnaya]] monasteries called [[matha]]s 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 [[Adi Shankara|Shankara]]".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Snow, Michael J. |title=Mindful philosophy |date=October 2018 |isbn=9781546292388 |location=Milton Keynes |oclc=1063750429}}</ref>
== 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 [[moksha|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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The book of one : the ancient wisdom of Advaita|last=Waite, Dennis, 1948-|date=2010|publisher=O Books|isbn=9781846943478|edition=[2nd ed.]|location=Winchester, UK|oclc=573397586}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/newbelieverssurv00barr|title=The new believers : a survey of sects, cults, and alternative religions|last=Barrett, David V.|date=2001|publisher=Cassell|others=Barrett, David V.|isbn=0304355925|location=London|oclc=44933824|url-access=registration}}</ref> Another monastery [[Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham|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.<ref name="web">{{cite web|url=http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/html/History/amnaya.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626233820/http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/html/History/amnaya.html|archive-date=26 June 2006 |title=Adi Shankara's four Amnaya Peethams |access-date= 2006-08-20}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
![[Guru-shishya tradition|Shishya]]<br>(lineage)
![[Relative direction|Direction]]
![[Matha|{{IAST|Maṭha}}]]
!{{IAST|[[Mahāvākya]]}}
![[Veda]]
!{{IAST|[[Sampradaya]]}}
!Present Shankaracharya
|-
|{{IAST|[[Padmapāda]]}}
!East
|{{IAST|[[Govardhan Math|Puri Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ]]}}
|{{IAST|Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman)}}
|[[Rig Veda]]
|Bhogavala
|[[Nischalananda Saraswati|Swami Nischalananda Saraswati]]
|-
|{{IAST|[[Sureśvara]]}}
!South
|{{IAST|[[Sringeri Sharada Peetham|Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ]]}}
|{{IAST|Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman)}}
|[[Yajur Veda]]
|Bhurivala
|[[Bharathi Tirtha|Sri Bharati Tirtha]]
|-
|{{IAST|[[Hastamalakacharya|Hastāmalakācārya]] }}
!West
|{{IAST|[[Dwarka Sharada Peetham|Dvāraka Sharada Pīṭhaṃ]]}}
|{{IAST|Tattvamasi (That thou art)}}
|[[Sama Veda]]
|Kitavala
|Swami Sadanand Saraswati<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's successors: TWO Shankaracharyas of two different Peeths now - DETAILS here |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/swami-swaroopanand-saraswati-s-successors-two-shankaracharyas-of-two-different-peeths-now-details-here-2509089.html |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Zee News |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|{{IAST|[[Totakacharya|Toṭakācārya]]}}
!North
|{{IAST|[[Jyotir Math|Badari Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ]]}}
|{{IAST|Ayamātmānam brahma (This Atman is Brahman)}}
|[[Atharva Veda]]
|Nandavala
|Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati ''<small>(disputed)</small>''<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2022-10-15 |title=SC stops the coronation of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, next hearing on October 18 |url=https://theprint.in/india/sc-stops-the-coronation-of-swami-avimukteshwaranand-saraswati-next-hearing-on-october-18/1169772/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>
|}

==Further reading==
* Mukhyananda, Swami (2006) ''Sri Shankaracharya: life and philosophy: An elucidative and reconciliatory interpretation'', 4th ed.; {{OCLC|426914596}}; Kolkata; Advaita Ashrama
* [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']] by A.P. Sinnett, pp 81 {{ISBN|1438503652}}

== See also ==
*[[Adi Shankara]]
*[[Kalady|Kalady, Kerala]] - Birthplace of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya
*[[Govardhan Math|Govardhan Peetham (East), Puri, Odisha]]
*[[Dwarka Sharada Peetham|Dwarka Sharada Peetham (West), Dwarka, Gujarat]]
*[[Jyotir Math|Jyotirmaya Peetham (North), Joshimath, Uttarakhand]]
*[[Sringeri Sharada Peetham|Sringeri Sharada Peetham (South), Sringeri, Karnataka]]
*[[Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham|Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu]]
*[[Sri Jayendra Saraswathi]], Shankaracharya of Kanchi
*[[Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha|Swami Abhinava Vidya Tīrtha]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Sri Bharati Tirtha|Swami Bharati Tīrtha]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Bharati Krishna Tirthaji|Swami Bharatikrishna Tīrtha]], scholar; mathematician; first Sankaracharya to visit the West
*[[Brahmananda Saraswati|Swami Brahmananda Sarasvati]], Srividya Siddh Sankaracharya of Jyotirmaya Pitha, Shankara Matha, Badrinath
*[[Shantanand Saraswati|Swami Shantanand Saraswati]], Shankaracharya of Jyotirmaya Pitha
*[[Swaroopanand Saraswati|Swami Swarupananda Sarasvati]], Shankaracharya of Jyotirmaya Pitha, Sankara Matha, Badrinath
*[[Chandrasekhara Bharati III|Swami Candrasekhara Bharati]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I|Swami Saccidananda Bharati]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Sri Sacchidananda Bharati III|Swami Sacchidananda Bharati]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati|Swami Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nṛusimha Bharati]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Vidyaranya|Swami Vidyaranya Tīrtha]], Shankaracharya of Sringeri
*[[Raghaveshwara Bharathi|Sri Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati]], Jagadguru of Ramachandrapura Matha

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Shankaracharya|display=Shankaracharya|wikt=no|v=no|voy=no|n=no|b=no|author=no|d=Q376730}} 
* [http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/ad-today.html Advaita-Vedanta.org  "Dasanami Sampradaya - The Monastic Tradition", an account of the four amnaya mathas, and the "Dashanamī parampāra"]
* [https://sringeri.net/history/sri-adi-shankaracharya  "History of Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada",  "Biography of Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya"]
* [https://www.amazon.in/Drig-Drishya-Viveka-Shankaracharya-Hindi/dp/9381464928 Drig Drishya Viveka by Sri Adi Shankaracharya] by [https://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anandmurti_Guruma&stable=1 Anandmurti Gurumaa.]
* [https://www.amazon.in/Brahma-Jnanavali-Mala-Adi-Shankaracharya-ebook/dp/B0BSMTV6X4 Brahma Jnanavali Mala of Adi Shankaracharya] 


{{Shankara mathas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charya, Shankara}}
[[Category:Titles and occupations in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Religious leadership roles]]
[[Category:Shankaracharyas| ]]