Shankaracharya (Sanskrit: शङ्कराचार्य, IAST: Śaṅkarācārya, "Shankara-acharya") is a religious title used by the heads of amnaya monasteries called mathas 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.
According to a tradition developed in the 16th century, Adi Shankara set up four monasteries known as Mathas or Peethams, in the North, South, East and West of India, to be held by 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.[1][2] Another monastery Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth in south India also derives its establishment and tradition to Adi Shankara, however its heads are called "Acharya" or "Jagadguru" instead of "Shankaracharya".
The table below gives an overview of the four main Shankaracharya Amnaya Mathas reputedly founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.[3]
| Shishya (lineage) |
Direction | Maṭha | Mahāvākya | Veda | Sampradaya | Present Shankaracharya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padmapāda | East | Puri Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ | Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) | Rig Veda | Bhogavala | Swami Nischalananda Saraswati |
| Sureśvara | South | Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ | Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) | Yajur Veda | Bhurivala | Sri Bharati Tirtha |
| Hastāmalakācārya | West | Dvāraka Sharada Pīṭhaṃ | Tattvamasi (That thou art) | Sama Veda | Kitavala | Swami Sadanand Saraswati[4] |
| Toṭakācārya | North | Badari Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ | Ayamātmānam brahma (This Atman is Brahman) | Atharva Veda | Nandavala | Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati (contested)/
Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati (disputed)[5] |
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 Shankara".
- **Spiritual Transmission:** Knowledge and spiritual power are transmitted through the practice of sound and vibration, such as in Nada Yoga or other sound-based spiritual disciplines. - **Guru-Shishya Tradition:** The relationship between Guru and disciple is central, with the Guru being regarded as a spiritual parent who imparts wisdom and guidance. - **Focus on Sound:** Practices might include chanting, mantra recitation, and deep listening to internal and external sounds as a means to achieve spiritual growth and enlightenment.
- **Biological Descent:** Lineage is based on genetic inheritance and traditional family structures. - **Natural Birth:** Emphasizes the physical process of birth and biological continuity. - **Conventional Family Lineage:** Involves the passing down of cultural, social, and possibly spiritual traditions through normal familial relationships and inheritance.
This distinction highlights two different modes of lineage: one rooted in spiritual transmission through sound and the Guru-Shishya relationship (Naad Vansh), and the other based on biological and familial inheritance (Bund Vansh).
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