Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Coordinates: 12°50′36″N 79°42′03″E / 12.843214°N 79.700834°E / 12.843214; 79.700834
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Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
TypeReligious
Location
First Jagadguru
Adi Shankara
Present Jagadguru
Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal
AffiliationsHinduism
Websitewww.kamakoti.org

Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, also called the Sri Kanchi Matham or the Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Peetham,[web 1] is a Hindu institution, located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. It is located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple of the Shaktism tradition, along with a shrine for the Advaita Vedanta teacher Adi Shankara.[1]

The matha-tradition attributes its founding to Adi Shankara, but this and the reliability of the matha's succession list has been questioned.[2][3] According to the Sri Kanchi math tradition, the matha was founded at Kanchipuram, and shifted south to the temple city of Kumbakonam in the mid-18th century due to the on-going wars, when there was warfare in the region, and returned to Kanchipuram in the 19th century.[4] Historically, the Kanchi Math was originally established as the Kumbakonam Mutt in 1821 as a branch of the Sringeri Mutt, and became involved with the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram in 1839, "set[ing] up shop in Kanchipuram at the turn of the last [19th] century."[web 2]

The matha is a living tradition, that continues to pursue spiritual scholarship in contemporary times.[5] Since February 2018, the institution has been led by Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal.[web 3]

History[edit]

Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Kanchipuram. 2010

The founding of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam is traditionally attributed by its adherents to Adi Shankara, but this and the reliability of the matha's succession list has been questioned.[2][a] Sringeri matha rejects the claims of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, and does not count it among the mathas established by Shankara.[6] According to Clark, the story of the four cardinal mathas founded by Shankara dates from the 16th century, questioning the founding stories of all those mathas.[3]

According to the Kanchi matha's tradition, Adi Shankara was born in 509 BCE and died in 477 BCE,[7] and founded Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in 482 BCE.[8] According to the Sri Kanchi matha documents, the matha relocated completely to Kumbakonam in the mid-18th century to escape wars and persecution,[4][web 4] returning to Kanchi in the 19th century.[4] According to Jonathan Bader and other scholars, the monastic tradition gives "fear of Muslim atrocities" from Nawab of Arcot, Mysore's Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan as the reason, but the details remain unclear.[9][10][11]

According to T. A. Gopinatha Rao, copperplate inscriptions show that the matha was located at Kanchipuram until 1686 CE,[12] and relocated to Kumbhakonam, Tajore, in the 18th century;[13] Sharma disputes Rao's interpretations of the copper plates, arguing that the dating is doubtfull, and that most plates do not refer to Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.[14] According to Rao, based on the oldest record found in the respective mathas (1291 and 1346 respectively), Kanchipuram matha may be older than Sringeri Pitham.[15]

Historically, the Kanchi Math was originally established as the Kumbakonam Mutt in 1821 by the Maratha king of Tanjore, Serfoji II Bhonsle,[16][web 2] as a branch of the Sringeri Mutt.[web 2] It became an apostate schismatic institution in 1839 when the Kumbakonam Mutt applied for permission to the English Collector of Arcot to perform the "kumbhabhishekham" of the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram.[17] In 1842, the East India Company headquartered at Fort William, Calcutta appointed the head of the mutt as the sole trustee of the Kamakshi temple, despite the protests of the traditional priests of the Kamakshi temple, which are well documented and preserved.[17][18][web 2][web 5] Mohan Guruswamy recalls,

My own ancestral village, Nagavedu, is a few miles from Kanchipuram. I remember my father telling me that his father was a young man when the Kanchi Shankaracharya set up shop in Kanchipuram at the turn of the last century. He also said that his father always referred, and as did others in the area, to this new Shankaracharya as the Kumbakonam Shankaracharya. This is a nice play on the word Kumbakonam for in colloquial Tamil it is also used to refer to a shady deal.[web 2]

The successive heads of the Kanchi and all other major Hindu Advaita tradition monasteries have been called Shankaracharya, leading to confusion, discrepancies and scholarly disputes over the chronology. The chronology stated in Kanchi matha texts recognizes five major Shankaras: Adi, Kripa, Ujjvala, Muka and Abhinava. According to the Kanchi matha tradition, it is "Abhinava Shankara" that western scholarship recognizes as the Advaita scholar Adi Shankara.[7] Scholars such as William Cenkner, Christopher Fuller and David Smith dispute this traditional belief, though they accept that the Kanchi Shankaracharyas are his direct "spiritual descendants".[19]

The Kanchi monastery, along with its sister monasteries across India, has also been an important preserver and source of historic palm leaf manuscripts.[20][21]

Chronological list of Shankaracharyas[edit]

According to the Peetham, the chronological list of Guru Paramapara of the matham is follows:[22][better source needed]

  1. Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada (482 BCE–477 BCE)
  2. Suresvaracharya (477 BCE–407 BCE)
  3. Sarvajnatmanendra Saraswati (407 BCE–367 BCE)[23]
  4. Sri Sathyabodhendra Saraswati (367 BCE–268 BCE)[24]
  5. Sri Jnanandendra Saraswati (268 BCE–205 BCE)
  6. Sri Suddhanandendra Saraswati (205 BCE–124 BCE)
  7. Sri Aanandaghanendra Saraswati (124 BCE–55 BCE)
  8. Sri Kaivalyanandayogendra Saraswati (55 BCE–28 CE)
  9. Sri Krpa Sankarendra Saraswati (28 CE–69 CE)
  10. Sri Sureswara Saraswati (69 CE–127 CE)
  11. Sri Sivananda Chidghanendra Saraswati (127 CE–172 CE)
  12. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (172–235)
  13. Sri Satchidghanendra Saraswati (235–272)
  14. Sri Vidyaghanendra Saraswati (272–317)
  15. Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati (317–329)
  16. Sri Ujjvala Sankarendra Saraswati (329–367)
  17. Sri Sadasivendra Saraswati (367–375)
  18. Sri Shankarananda Saraswati (375–385)
  19. Sri Martanda Vidyaghanendra Saraswati (385–398)
  20. Sri Muka Sankarendra Saraswati (398–437)
  21. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati II (437–447)
  22. Sri Bodhendra Saraswati (447–481)
  23. Sri Satchisukhendra Saraswati (481–512)
  24. Sri Chitsukhendra Saraswati (512–527)
  25. Sri Satchidanandaghanendra Saraswati (527–548)
  26. Sri Prajnaghanendra Saraswati (548–565)
  27. Sri Chidvilasendra Saraswati (565–577)
  28. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati I (577–601)
  29. Sri Purnabhodhendra Saraswati (601–618)
  30. Sri Bhodhendra Saraswati II (618–655)
  31. Sri Brahmanandaghanendra Saraswati (655–668)
  32. Sri Chidanandaghanendra Saraswati (668–672)
  33. Sri Satchidananda Saraswati (672–692)
  34. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati III (692–710)
  35. Sri Chitsukhendra Saraswati (710–737)
  36. Sri Chitsukhanandendra Saraswati (737–758)
  37. Sri Vidyaghanendra Saraswati III (758–788)
  38. Sri Abhinava Sankarendra Saraswati (788–840)
  39. Sri Satchidvilaasendra Saraswati (840–873)
  40. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati II (873–915)
  41. Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati II (915–950)
  42. Sri Brahmanandaghanendra Saraswati (950–978)
  43. Sri Anandaghanendra Saraswati (978–1014)
  44. Sri Purnabhodhendra Saraswati II (1014–1040)
  45. Sri Paramasivendra Saraswati I (1040–1061)
  46. Sri Sandranandabhodhendra Saraswati (1061–1098)
  47. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati IV (1098–1166)
  48. Sri Advaitanandabodhendra Saraswati (1166–1200)
  49. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati III (1200–1247)
  50. Sri Chandrachudendra Saraswati I (1247–1297)
  51. Sri Vidyateerthendra Saraswati (1297–1385)
  52. Sri Sankaranandendra Saraswati (1385–1417)
  53. Purnananda Sadasivendra Saraswati(1417–1498)
  54. Vyasachala Mahadevendra Saraswati (1498–1507)
  55. Chandrachudhendra Saraswati II (1507–1524)
  56. Sri Sarvajna Sadasiva Bhodhendra Saraswati (1524–1539)
  57. Sri Paramasivendra Saraswati II (1539–1586)
  58. Atma Bodhendra Saraswati (1586–1638)
  59. Bodhendra Saraswathi (1638–1692)
  60. Sri Advaitatma Prakasendra Saraswati (1692–1704)
  61. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati IV (1704–1746)
  62. Sri ChandrasekharendraSaraswati V (1746–1783)
  63. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati V (1783–1813)
  64. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati VI (1813–1851)
  65. Sudarsana Mahadevendra Saraswati (1851–1891)
  66. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati VII (1891 – 7 February 1907)
  67. Mahadevendra Saraswathi V (7 February 1907 – 13 February 1907)
  68. Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (20 May 1894 – 8 January 1994)
  69. Jayendra Saraswathi (3 January 1994 – 28 February 2018)
  70. Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati (28 February 2018 – Present)[25][web 6]

Sankararaman murder case[edit]

Main article: Sankararaman murder case

In 2004, Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati were arrested in connection with the Sankararaman murder case on Diwali day.[26] The court said that the complainant failed to support the prosecution and he was given bail. The trial went on till 2013 when he was acquitted by the court.[27]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ See also "Sri Shankaracharya and his connection with Kanchipuram" (PDF).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Krishna 2006, p. 100.
  2. ^ a b Suthren Hirst 2005, p. 25.
  3. ^ a b Clark 2006, p. 224.
  4. ^ a b c Dalal 2010, p. 192.
  5. ^ Cenkner 1995, p. 117–121.
  6. ^ Dalal 2014, "Kanchipuram".
  7. ^ a b Dalal 2010, p. 376.
  8. ^ "The Traditional Age of Sri Sankaracharya and The Mathas | PDF | Indian Religions | Religious Comparison". Scribd. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. ^ Bader 2000, p. 289–290.
  10. ^ Kasturi & Madhavan 2007, pp. 173–174.
  11. ^ Sarasvati & Mahadevan 2003, pp. 436–437.
  12. ^ Rao 1916, p. 2.
  13. ^ Rao 1916, p. 3.
  14. ^ Sharma 1987, p. 59-72.
  15. ^ Rao 1916, p. 6.
  16. ^ Sharma 1987, p. 17.
  17. ^ a b Sharma 1987, p. 18.
  18. ^ Veeramani 1988, p. 217.
  19. ^ Scheifinger 2016, p. 106.
  20. ^ National Mission for Manuscripts (India) (2006). National Mission for Manuscripts: Report of the Third Year, 7 February 2005 - 7 February 2006. National Mission for Manuscripts. pp. 42–43.
  21. ^ Saṃskr̥ta Āyoga (1958). Report of the Sanskrit Commission, 1956-1957. Manager of Publications, Government of India. p. 63.
  22. ^ "History of the Kanchi Sankaracharya Math and Acharaparampara". www.kamakoti.org. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  23. ^ Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies (2006). Advaita Vedānta from 800 to 1200. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 435. ISBN 978-81-208-3061-5.
  24. ^ "Schools of Philosophy". hindupedia.com. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  25. ^ Meena 1974, p. 46.
  26. ^ "Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi, a spiritual colossus till his arrest in 2004, dies - Times of India ►". The Times of India. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  27. ^ "Kanchi seer Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, others acquitted in auditor assault case - Times of India ►". The Times of India. May 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2018.

Sources[edit]

Printed sources
Web-sources
  1. ^ "About the Peetham". www.kamakoti.org. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Guruswamy, Mohan (30 November 2021). "Mohan Guruswamy | The Kumbakonam of the Kanchi Shankaracharya". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ^ Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi passes away at 82; Vijayendra Saraswathi will succeed him, Times Now (28 February 2018)
  4. ^ N. Ramesan. "Preceptors of Advaita 59 SRI KAMAKOTI PITHA OF SRI". www.kamakoti.org. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  5. ^ "ஆதி சங்கரர் நிறுவியதா காஞ்சி சங்கரமடம்? - முரண்படும் தகவல்கள்". BBC News தமிழ் (in Tamil). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Leaders mourn Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi's death". The Hindu. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2019.

External links[edit]

12°50′36″N 79°42′03″E / 12.843214°N 79.700834°E / 12.843214; 79.700834

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