Shankaracharya mathas

Also called: Four mathas · Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries"

Meaning

The Shankaracharya mathas are four monasteries and centres of learning. Tradition says Adi Shankaracharya founded them at the four corners of India. Shankara taught advaita vedanta, the idea that the soul and the supreme reality (Brahman) are one. Each matha is headed by a teacher who holds the title "Shankaracharya". The mathas helped spread his teaching and tied different regions into one shared map of sacred places.

Example

The four mathas are Sringeri in Karnataka (south), Dwarka in Gujarat (west), Puri in Odisha (east) and Jyotirmath near Badrinath in Uttarakhand (north). Pilgrims and scholars still visit them today.

Don't confuse with

• Satras: these are the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam, founded by Shankaradeva in the late 15th century to spread devotion to Vishnu. They were not part of Shankara's advaita tradition.
• Ramanuja's vishishtadvaita: Ramanuja (c. 11th century) challenged Shankara's advaita. He taught that the world and individual souls are real, and that bhakti leads to liberation.

Related concepts

• Adi Shankaracharya
• Advaita Vedanta
• Ramanuja
• Vishishtadvaita
• Madhvacharya
• Haridasa movement
• Purandara Dasa
• Kanaka Dasa
• Annamacharya
• Basavanna

Read more

• Reforming the south: Ramanuja and the Virashaiva tradition