[Advaita-l] The position of Shankaracharya in the Guru parampara.

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

The Gauda Brahmins earlier belonged to regions from Kashmir to Bengal.The Patanjali Vijaya says that Gaudapada lived on the banks of Hiravati.Later,he seemed to to have moved to Badarikashrama where Govindapada met him.Historically,there are many versions.Some accounts say that it was here that Shankara met both Govindapada and Gaudapada.Traditional accounts have that Gauda Brahmins migrated to konkan region,now Goa,where the peetha of Gaudapada still exists and the Peethadipatis have the suffix "Gaudapada"after their names.(Vide:website on Gaudapada mutt in Goa).
N.Srikanta.