[Chaturamnaya] The Case against the Kanchi Math being the "Moolamnaya"

[S Jayanarayanan]

{ This is an addendum to the excellent article titled "Real history of the Kanchi math", written by Sri Vidyasankar Sundaresan that is stored in the
Advaita Vedanta Homepage, originally posted in the newsgroup "Alt.Hindu" on 3rd Aug 1994: https://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/alt_hindu_msg.html }
 
 
The Chaturamnaya Maths are preeminent institutions in the world that preach Advaita Vedanta in the tradition following Adi Sankara. The Four Maths are
located in the four corners of India at Sringeri (South), Dwaraka (West), Jyotirmath/Badrinath (North) and Puri (East).
 
The Kanchi Math (falsely) asserts that it was also established by Adi Sankara, and that it is superior to the Chaturamnaya Maths in that it is the
"Moolamnaya" or the "Foundational" institution to command authority over the other Four Sankara Maths. This claim has however been denied by the
Chaturamnaya Maths, as they maintain the Kanchi Math to be an "Upa-Matha" or a Branch of the Sringeri Math. In other words, the Sringeri Math is
rightfully in charge of the Kanchi Math, rather than vice-versa! This article will provide an explanation as to why the Kanchi Math was not among
the original Maths established by Adi Sankara, and how the attempt to assign it the status of "Moolamnaya" is obviously misguided.
 
 
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Reasons for excluding the Kanchi Math as among the Advaita Vedanta Maths founded by Adi Sankara:
 
 
(I) TEXTUAL Reason:
 
The Madhaviya Sankara Dig-Vijaya (MSDV) is considered the most authentic biography of Adi Sankara available today, and refers to Adi Sankara's involvement
with Sringeri in no less than THREE DIFFERENT passages:
 
#1 - CANTO 10 - When Adi Sankara hails Ubhaya Bharati as Goddess Saraswathi:
 
    "Sankara said to her {i.e. Goddess Saraswathi}, '...I shall, in future, be instituting temples of worship for you in Risyasringa (Sringeri) 
    and other places...'"
 
#2 - CANTO 12 - The arrival of Totakacharya - in fact, the entire section is titled "The Acharya at Sringa-giri and Coming of Totaka" (!):
 
    "Then, this great sage {i.e. Adi Sankara}, whom the Devas praised and who had conquered all the desires of the heart, travelled with Padmapada
    and other disciples to the place called Sringa-giri (Sringeri), where the sage Risya-sringa had for a long time meditated on the Supreme Self."
 
    "There, at Sringa-giri, he {i.e. Adi Sankara} had a temple, as graceful as those of Indra-Ioka, built and installed therein an image of the
    Divine Mother and instituted Her forms of worship...So he installed Her there at Sringa-giri under the name of Mother Sarada, and there She resides
    even to this day, granting devotees their prayers."
 
#3 - CANTO 16 - The Final Identity of Adi Sankara as Shiva Himself:
 
    "After this crowning triumph of his life, he {i.e. Adi Sankara} left for Badari with some of his disciples, while deputing the others to Sringagiri
    and other places."
 
 
The above instances show that Sringeri occupied a very important place in the Life of Adi Sankara - he not only built the Temple, installed the
Deity of Sarada at Sringeri and ordained Her worship, but also enjoined his own Disciples to stay there - one of whom (viz. Sureshwaracharya) presumably
assumed the role of a Pontiff. The last part about appointing a disciple to Sringeri is crucial, since any lineage traced back to Adi Sankara must be via
at least one of his disciples, which is explicitly mentioned in conjunction with Sringeri, implying that the Guru-Shishya Parampara of Adi Sankara with
regards to Sringeri is beyond question! No other town in the whole of India has been so sanctified by Adi Sankara's presence as Sringeri.
 
 
Now, coming to Kanchipuram - this city too finds mention in the MSDV (CANTO 15):
 
    "After worshipping Ramanatha at Rameswaram, the Acharya travelled through the Pandya and Chola countries and reached the city of Kanchi which
    shone like an ornament to the Hasti ranges. There he built a temple, instituted the worship of Devi, with rituals that are in accordance with the
    Vedic traditions and suited to the attainment of supreme knowledge. He eschewed, in those rituals, every trace of the Tantrika modes of worship.
    Next, blessing the people of Andhra country and worshipping Lord Venkatanatha, he reached the land of Vidarbha. He was given a cordial reception
    by the king of that place."
 
There is exactly ONE reference to Adi Sankara's association with Kanchi - visiting it during the midst of a pilgrimage to several temples graced by him
during the course of his travels. There is also NO mention of him directing any of his disciples to stay there, unlike Sringeri. Therefore, there is
good basis to conclude that the Kanchi Math traces its lineage to Adi Sankara via the Sringeri Math only.
 
 
Besides, the Kanchi Math claims that Adi Sankara spent his last days there, conferring it the special status of Moolamnaya, which is once again refuted by
the MSDV, which states that it was at Kedara that the Acharya finally gave up his earthly body:
 
    "Next, the Acharya went to Kedara, the holy land of Siva, where the heat of sin in men is dispelled and peace generated in their hearts, where the
    votaries of the Lord feel uplifted from the dangers and difficulties of life...Now there came a concourse of Rishis and Devas with Brahma at their
    head, to lead this incarnate aspect of Siva back to His pristine state in Sivaloka (Siva's Abode) in the heaven of Kailasa."
 
 
(II) TRADITIONAL Reason:
 
I will simply quote SWAMI TAPASYANANDA in his Introduction to the English Translation of the MSDV:
 
    "...the fact that the Orders of Dasanami Sannyasins recognise and accept affiliation with only these four Maths -- the Orders known as Puris,
    Bharatis and Saraswathis with Sringeri Math; Giris, Aranyas and Vanas with Jyothi Math; Ashramas and Tirthas with Dwaraka Math; and Parvatas and
    Sagaras with Puri Math. No other Math is recognised by them. Now, if there were more Maths of Sankara, why have the Dasanami Sannyasins limited
    their affiliation to these four Maths only? None of the protagonists of different Sankara Maths have answered this question."
 
Thus the Kanchi Math's contention that there was an eleventh "Indra Saraswathi" lineage of Sannyasins started by Adi Sankara is highly dubious, to say
the least! As a matter of fact, the Sannyasin name "Saraswathi" has historically been affiliated exclusively with the Sringeri Math.
 
 
(III) DHARMIC Reason:
 
The Sringeri Math has steered clear of any Ethical or Moral controversies throughout its entire history, which cannot be said to be the case for the
Kanchi Math:
 
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankararaman_murder_case
 
    Sankararaman murder case
 
    "The Sankararaman murder case was a case on the murder of Sankararaman, the manager of Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram, a town in state
    of Tamil Nadu. He was murdered in the premises of the temple on 3 September 2004. The blame was hoisted on the {Kanchi Math} Shankaracharya
    Shri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and Shri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal...The case involved the arrest of Jayendra Saraswati and Vijayendra
    Saraswati, the seers of the Kanchi Mutt."
 
 
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CONCLUSION:
 
The Kanchi Math was NOT one of the Maths established by Adi Sankara. It actually emerged as a branch of the Sringeri Math in the 19th century, and later
declared itself as an independent Math. The reasons provided here should be sufficient to reject it as a "Moolamnaya" or central institution superseding
the other four traditional Chaturamnaya Maths in authority.
 
This is not to say that everything about the Kanchi Math is bad or untrue. The Kanchi Math owes its origins and allegiance to Sringeri, and should be
revered as such, keeping in mind that the traditional Maths established by Adi Sankara are exactly four in number and no more: Sringeri, Dwaraka,
Jyotirmath/Badrinath and Puri.