Shankaracharya

Shankaracharya, (IAST: "Śankarāchārya") is a commonly used title of heads of maţhas (monasteries) in the Advaita tradition. The title derives from Adi Shankara, a theologian of Hinduism, who established four maţhas in four regions of India. The four mathas established by Ādi Śankara are:
* the "Uttarāmnāya matha", or northern matha at Joshimath
* the "Pūrvāmnāya matha" or eastern matha, the Govardhana matha, at Puri
* the "Dakshināmnāya matha", or the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the southern matha, at Shringeri
* the "Paśchimāmnāya matha", or the Dwaraka Pitha, the western matha, at Dwarka .

The heads of these four institutions are considered the principal Shankaracharyas in India today.

External links

* [http://www.shankaracharya.org Works & Biography of Shankaracharya]
* [http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/shankaracharya.htm Adi Shankaracharya]
* [http://www.hindupedia.com/en/index.php?title=Adi_Shankaracharya Adi Shankaracharya]