[Advaita-l] KaNchi kAmakoti - 5 Sankara-s

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

praNAm prabhujis
Hare Krishna

I've come across this interesting observation by Prof. SKR in his book
Shankara & adyAsa bhAShya. I humbly request learned members of this list to
throw more light on this very interesting issue.  Here is the excerpts from
the book :

//quote//

There is an interesting tradition preserved in the kAnchi-kAmakoti
pontificate.  They reckon five shankara-s.  The first one (Adi - shankara),
who was merely the author of the bhAShyA-s, the second one (krupa-shankara)
who lived long after (28-69 A.D.) was the one who systematized the six
religious practices (shaNmatha sthApaka- Shaiva, VaishNava, saura,
gANapatya, ShAkta & kaumAra) and remodeled tAntrik form of worship; the
third (ujjvala-shankara) who lived between 329-367 AD & traveled all over
the country; the fourth (arbhaka -shankara) whose date is given as 398-437
AD, & who was connected with the kAnchi pontificate; & the last one
(bAlaka-shankara), who is usually regarded as the shankara, and whose life
the shankara-vijaya-s recount.  This makes some sense, however fanciful the
account.  And it is significant that the shankara, the author of the
bhAshya-s has been dissociated altogether from miracles, travel, founding
of religious schools, monastic institutions, victories in disputations, and
other details generally ascribed to shankara.

//unquote//


Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar