Shri Gaudapadacharya Math
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Śrī Sansthāna Gauḍapadācārya Maṭha

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Gauḍapāda
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

, the grand guru of Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

 and the first historical exponent of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

, also believed to be the founder of Śrī Sansthāna Gauḍapadācārya Maṭha.

Present 77th Peetadipathi: H.H. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya.
Formation About 740 AD
Founder Gauḍapāda
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

Religion Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

Philosophy
Followers Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins (RSB)
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Rājāpur/Bhālāvalikar Gauda Sāraswat Brāhmins , as they are known, belong to the "Pancha Gauda Brahmana" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". Rājāpur Sāraswat Brahmins are a branch of the saraswat brahmins, who were supposed to have resided on the banks of the legendary Saraswati River. They migrated to...

 and Smartist Goud Saraswat Brahmins.
Main Math Kavale
Kavale
Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...

, Ponda, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

.
Website


Shri Gaudapadacharya Math , also known as (lang|skt|कवळे मठ}}, located in Kavale
Kavale
Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...

, Ponda, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

 is the oldest matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...

 of the South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

n Saraswat Brahmin
Saraswat Brahmin
The Saraswats are a Brahmin caste of India.- History :According to the legend, Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former Saraswati River that once flowed in northern India. Although it is said that at Prayag the three rivers meet or met.the fact is that the Saraswati never...

s. It was founded by Gauḍapāda
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 around 740 AD, whose guru was Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 (guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 of Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

) who in turn the disciple of Gauḍapāda. There is also a belief that Gauḍapāda himself established the Shri Gaudapadacharya matha when he lived in Gomantak (Goa). Thus, the matha came to be known as Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya matha. Unlike other mathas, Shri Gaudapadacharya matha is not a polemical center established to influence the faith of all Hindus, its jurisdiction is limited to only Dakshinatya Saraswat Brahmins. The Peetadhipathi
Peetadhipathi
A Peetadhipati or mathadipathi is the senior religious member of a Hindu matha. He is the sole and whole authority of the matha and the legal representative of that monastery. His shishya becomes the legal heir after his death....

 "head monk" is Śrī Gauḍapadācārya. Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Rājāpur/Bhālāvalikar Gauda Sāraswat Brāhmins , as they are known, belong to the "Pancha Gauda Brahmana" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". Rājāpur Sāraswat Brahmins are a branch of the saraswat brahmins, who were supposed to have resided on the banks of the legendary Saraswati River. They migrated to...

 and Smartist
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...

 Goud Saraswat Brahmins are its main disciples.

History

Śrī Sansthāna Gauḍapadācārya Maṭha was founded in 740 AD at Kushasthali near Keloshi (Quelshim) in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

 by Shri Vivarananda Saraswati, who along with Adi Shankara was a disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

, who in turn was Gaudapada's disciple. There is also belief among people that the matha was established by Gaudapada.

During the Portuguese rule in Goa in 15th and 16th century, Hindus were forcibly converted to Christianity, and many Hindu temples and mathas were destroyed. In 1564, the Gaudapadacharya matha at Keloshi
Villages and Agraharas in Goa and their ancient names
Ancient names of few Goan villages and Agraharas-References:# "Gomant Kalika",published by Kalika Prakashan Vishwast Mandal# "Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti" by B.D. Satoskar,published by Shubhada Publication...

 was destroyed by the Portuguese. Challenged by the Portuguese atrocities, to safeguard the tradition, legacy of the matha and the Sanatan Dharma, 57th guru Shrimat Purnananda Saraswati Swami Gowdapadacharya had to leave Goa and find shelter at the Golvan matha ashram. 58th Guru Shrimat Sahajananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya and 59th Guru Shrimat Vidyananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya also stayed at the Golvan matha. 60th Guru Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya stayed in Chinder matha. 61st Guru Shrimat Sadananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya left for Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

 along with his disciple the 62nd Guru Shrimat Bhavananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya, as the hostile situation in Goa did not improve for Hindus.

Later as the peace returned to Goa, Shri Vittal Shyama Sharma Shenavi Ranganekar of Kaundinya Gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...

 from Kushasthali along with a group of Saraswats went to Varanasi to persuade the 62nd Guru to return to Goa from Varanasi. During those times, it used to take 6 months or more to reach Varanasi and return to Goa. The guru listened to the plea's to return to Goa, but politely refused to oblige due to his old age and his desire to spend his remaining life in sacred place of Varanasi, abode of god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

. This forced the group of people to return to Goa; however, Ranganekar decided to remain with the guru and serve him in order to get some more time to persuade him to return to Goa. Unrelenting, Ranganekar later one day threatened to go on fast-unto-death if the guru would not return to Goa. When several requests of the guru to Ranganekar to reverse his decision did not yield any results, in presence of several important Hindu religious leaders and Sants and Sadhus of Varanasi, performed the religious rituals and gave Sanyasa deeksha to Ranganekar and made him his disciple and renamed him Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya.

After giving diksha
Diksha
Diksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...

, Shri Bhavananda Saraswati ordered Shri Sachidananda Saraswati to return to Goa and perform the duties of dharma guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 of Saraswats according to the Śrī Sansthāna Gauḍapadācārya Maṭha’s tradition. In his journey, on the way to Goa Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swamiji was felicitated and assisted to make his journey comfortable by the kings and general public. Mean time news of Ranganekar taking sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...

 diksha spread among Saraswat Brahmins in Goa, but some people refused to believe that as truth which led to division of Saraswat Brahmins into 2 groups.

There was couple of reasons why people refused to believe because as per the tradition, only a brahmacharin
Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya is one of the four stages of life in an age-based social system as laid out in the Manu Smrti and later Classical Sanskrit texts in Hinduism. It refers to an educational period of 14–20 years which starts before the age of puberty. During this time the traditional vedic sciences are...

 can take sannyasa diksha and Ranganekar was a Gamanashrama
Gamanashrama
Gamanashrama is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is the 53rd Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music....

 and the sannyasa diksa was not performed in presence of the disciples from Goa. So some people believed that Ranganekar is trying to enjoy the special status and power of being Peetadipathi and thereby own the property of the matha. Moreover Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya was not carrying any documents signed by Shri Bhavananda Saraswati authenticating his new status.

All these developments forced Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati swami Gauḍapādāchārya to return to Varanasi in mid-way and appraised Shrimat Bhavananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya about the situation. Then Shrimat Bhavananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya invited the religious leaders of Varanasi to a gathering at Mukthi Mantap to discuss the matter and wrote a letter stating that Shri Sachidananda Saraswati swamij Gauḍapādāchārya was indeed his disciple and Uttaradhikari of Shri Saunstan Gauḍapādāchārya matha in Goa and he would be the spiritual guru of Saraswat Brahmins of Gomantak region and which was signed along with other religious leaders gathered there and handed over to Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya.

Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya then decided to stay few more days with his guru Shrimat Bhavananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya in Varanasi and later returns to Goa where a grand welcome awaited him and he stayed in Sonavade Matha in Ratnagiri.

As peace prevailed in Goa region, in 1630 new Matha building was built in Kavale
Kavale
Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...

, Ponda, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

, which in those days was a part of Sonde Kingdom, under Hindu rule. The land for this matha was gifted by then ruler Shri Basavalinga Soundha. After the Math
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...

 building was built, Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya who was staying in Sonavade matha moved to this new matha and became the first Peetadhipathi
Peetadhipathi
A Peetadhipati or mathadipathi is the senior religious member of a Hindu matha. He is the sole and whole authority of the matha and the legal representative of that monastery. His shishya becomes the legal heir after his death....

 to stay in this matha and it was made the headquarters of the Shri Saunstan Gauḍapādāchārya Matha.

The group of Shenavi Saraswat Brahmins who still refused to acknowledge Shrimat Satchidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya as the new Guru split from larger Saraswat community and later founded new matha called Chitrapur Math
Chitrapur Math
Chitrapur Math is the central Math for the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin sect. This Math is located in Shirali in North Kanara area of Karnataka and has been there since 1757. The other Maths of this community are located in Gokarn, Karla, Mangalore and Mallapur...

 in 1708.

Other Saraswat mathas

Since the matha was established, all Dakshinatya or southern Saraswat Brahmins were the disciples of this matha and all Saraswat Brahmins were followers of Smartism
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...

. In 12th Century A.D. Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...

 propagated the Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....

 philosophy and promoted Bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...

 movement centred around god Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...

 which gave fillip to Vaishnava
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....

 sect and a large section of Saraswat Brahmins converted to Vaishnavism. Later in 1476 A.D. Gokarna Math and in 1542 A.D. Kashi Math was founded under Vaishnava sampradaya and those Saraswat Brahmin coverts to Vaishnavism started following these new mathas.

Gaudapadacharya

In Kali Yuga Sri Gaudapadcharya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 is the first preceptor to imbibe the Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...

 Wisdom and imparted it to his disciples, thus he is the first historical exponent of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

. He is the guru of Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

charya (the guru of Adi Shankaracharya), thus he is the grand guru of Adi Shankaracharya.

Gauḍapādāchārya authored which is known by several names such as , Mandookya Vartika, Mandukopanishad Gaudapada Vakyan, Aagama Granth, Upadesha Granth and also by the name a commentary on Mandukya Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of the Upanishads – the scriptures of Hindu Vedanta. It is in prose, consisting of twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the transcendent fourth state of illumination.This...

. Gauḍapādāchārya describes the subtle meanings locked in the mantras of Mandukya Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of the Upanishads – the scriptures of Hindu Vedanta. It is in prose, consisting of twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the transcendent fourth state of illumination.This...

, one of the shortest but most profound Upanishads, or mystical Vedas, consisting of just 13 prose sentences. Although it is a small book by its length, its philosophical contents are very profound and far reaching, and it is considered one of the greatest works of fundamental philosophy by all scholars. Gaud.apa-da Ka-rika- is an example of the rational epistemics
Epistemics
Epistemics is a term coined in 1969 by Edinburgh University with the foundation of its School of Epistemics.Epistemics is to be distinguished from epistemology in that this is the philosophical theory of knowledge, whereas epistemics signifies the scientific study of knowledge...

 of ultimate reality and it is the earliest known systematic exposition of Advaita Vedanta. That is why this book is also known as 'Vedanta Moola' meaning the basis of Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...

 philosophy. He explained the illusionary nature (maya
Maya (illusion)
Maya , in Indian religions, has multiple meanings, usually quoted as "illusion", centered on the fact that we do not experience the environment itself but rather a projection of it, created by us. Maya is the principal deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality...

) of the world and the reality of the Parabhrahman.

Gaudapadcharya wrote commentary on Sāṁkhya Kārikā of Iśvarakṛṣṇa (3rd century), and his other works included Anurgeeta-bhasya, Uttargeeta-bhasya, Chidananda Kelivilas.

Adi Shankaracharya at the end of his famous commentary to the addresses the following salutation to Gauḍapādāchārya as his 'Parama Guru' (grand teacher) and compliments him for recovering Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...

 from Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....

. That verse in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 goes like this:
Prajnā-vaishākha-vaighashrubhit-Jalanidhe-vaidn-āmnontarastam |
Bhutānyālokya magnānya-virat-janan-agrahdhore samudre |
Karuna-yadudhrdh-dharamrat-amidam-marairdhurlabham bhuthetoho |
Yastam poojyābhipujyam paramaguru-mamun pādpatairnimāmi ||


In English it means: 'I prostrate before the Master of my Master (ParamaGuru), the most venerable among the venerable who, seeing the beings immersed in the ocean of this world, ocean infested by frightening sharks such as birth and death, has given, out of compassion towards all beings, this nectar difficult to drink even by the gods and that is hidden in the depths of the great sea of the Vedas, Vedas that he reveals by the power of his enlightened intellect'.

Though there is not much written details about Gaudapadcharya's past life, according to a legend Gaudapadacharya was born to Shri Vishnudatta and Gunavathi in a devout Saraswat Brahmin family at Bhupalam near Vitta in the present district of Sangli, and his name was Shukadatt. He renounced his life at a very younger age and went to the nearby hill forest in quest of spiritual wisdom. There he was instructed by God through Nabhovani (inner voice) to march towards North to fulfill his spiritual wisdom. Dattadeva received the wisdom of Vedanta through the grace of Lord Narayana and the blessings of Shri Vedavyasa at Badrikashrama.

Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadaacharya

Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya (IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...

 ) was the Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

, and it is mentioned in all the traditional accounts (Shankara Vijayams). He is also mentioned in the very first verse of Shri Adi Shankaracharya's Prakaraņa grantha (treatise) Viveka Chudamani
Viveka Chudamani
The Vivekachudamani is a famous work by Adi Shankara that expounds Advaita Vedanta philosophy. In Vivekachudamani, Shankara describes developing Viveka—the human faculty of discrimination—as the central task in the spiritual life and calls it the "crown jewel" among the essentials for Moksha...

. Shri Adi Guru Gaudapadacharya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 was his Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

 (Teacher).

In around 780 AD, Adi Guru Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 was on a pilgrimage to Kashi (Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

) with his Sishya Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

, and they stayed at a tapovan
Tapovan
Tapovan comes from the two root words Tapasya - meaning specifically austerity, and more generally spiritual practice, and Vana, meaning forest, or wilderness...

 where he established an ashram inside a cave on the banks of the Narmada River
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...

. At the same time, a boy called Shankara who was in search of a Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

, learnt from people about Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 as a great Yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

 living in a cave on the river bank in deep meditation. Shankara soon reached the ashram and stood before the entrance of the cave singing some verses. Hearing the verses Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 asks from the cave who was standing near the cave and Shankara reples in the form of 10 slokas ending with the refrain "Sivahkevaloham". These ten slokas constitute the famous Dasasloki of the Acharya. After some conversations Shankara expressed his desire to be initiated into Sanyas and Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 conveyed it to his Guru
Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

.

Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 from his power of Tapasya found out that this Shri Shankra was an incarnation of Lord Shiva and born to uplift the Vedas and thus Sanatana Dharma and instructs his Sishya Shri Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

charya to give deeksha to Shri Shankara and later Govinda Bhagavatpada
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

charya initiated Shri shankara into Sanyasa and named him as Shri Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

. After giving deeksha, Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 instructed Shri Shankarachaya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

 to write a commentary on the Brahma Sutras
Brahma Sutras
The Brahma sūtras , also known as Vedānta Sūtras , are one of the three canonical texts of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. A thorough study of Vedānta requires a close examination of these three texts, known in Sanskrit as the Prasthanatrayi, or the three starting points...

 and propagate the Advaita philosophy. Shri Shankarachaya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

 stays with his Guru for some more years and mastered the Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...

.

Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 also gave deeksha to another vatu and named him Shri Vivarananda, who returned to head Shri Gauḍapādāchārya matha at Keloshi in Goa.

Deities

Bhavanishankar
Bhavanishankar
Lord Bhavanishankar is Lord Shiva along with his consort Bhavani .This is a form of Lord Shiva with his Shakti.Lord Bhavanishankar is the patron deity of the Chitrapur Math of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins and the personal deity of the Guru of the Math....

, an aspect of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 is the aradhya devata (tutelary deity) of the matha. Daily trikal (Morning, Afternoon, and Evening) Puja is offered by the Mathadipati (head monk) to Bhavanishankar along with deities Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

, Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...

, Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...

 and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...

 according to Smarta tradition of Panchayatana (five deity) puja system.

Birudāvali or Title

Vivarananda Swami founded the matha's tradition that the name of every Swami of the line should carry the suffix 'Anand', honorific 'Saraswati', designation 'Swami' and the name of his grand guru Gaudapadacharya as the matha is also named after him. Similar to how a King is addressed when he enters the royal court with his Birudāvali (Title), Mathadhipatis of the matha are also addressed in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

. The Birudāvali of Shree Swami goes like this.

||

The name of Shree Swami and his guru and grand guru mentioned in above Birudāvali will change depending on the Swami addressed.

Guru Parampara

The following well-known 'Parampara-stotra' among Smarthas
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...

  in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 has the list of early Advaita teachers in their order and that is recited at the beginning of the study of Commentaries,
Nārāyanam
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 Padmabhuvam Vasishtam shaktiæ ca tatputraæ Parāsharam
Parashara
' is a Rigvedic Maharishi and author of many ancient Indian texts. Parāśara was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parāśara as an author/speaker...

 ca |
Vyāsam
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...

 Shukam Gaudapāda Mahantam
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 Govindam
Govinda Bhagavatpada
.Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

 Yogindram athasya shishyam |
Shri Shankarāchārya
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

 mathasya Padmapādam ca hastamalakam ca shishyam |
Tam trotakam vartika karamanyan asmad guru-nsantat-amanato ’smi ||


It means: 'To Narayana, to the lotus-born Brahma, to Vaśiṣṭha
Vasistha
Vashist in the seventh, i.e the present Manvantara, and the Rajpurohit / Rajguru of the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty. He was the mānasaputra of Brahma. He had in his possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners...

, to Shakti Maharshi and to his son Parashara, to Vyasa, to Shuka, to great Gaudapada, to Govinda-Yogindra and to his disciple Sri Shankaracarya, then to his disciples Padmapada, Hastamalaka, Totraka and Vartikakara [Suresvara], to these our Masters we pay our respectful obeisance now and forever'.

From this verse we can understand that, first teacher being Lord Narayana
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 himeself and line of descent from father to son up-to Sri Shuka Acharya. From Lord Narayana
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 to Sri Shuka Acharya the line of succession is known as 'Vamsarsi-parampara' and from Sri Gaudapadcharya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

 starts the descent of Sanyasins and known as 'Manava-Guru-Shishya-parampara'.

To bifurcate Acharyas according to the Yuga
Yuga
Yuga in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages. These are the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga, and finally the Kali Yuga. According to Hindu cosmology, life in the universe is created, destroyed once every 4.1 to 8.2 billion years, which is...

:

A) In Satya or Krata Yuga
Satya Yuga
The Satya Yuga , also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the "Yuga of Truth", when mankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme...

1) Lord Narayana
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 2) Lord Sadashiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 and 3) Lord Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...

.


B) In Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...

1)Vasishta Maharishi 2)Shakti Maharishi and 3) Parashara Maharishi
Parashara
' is a Rigvedic Maharishi and author of many ancient Indian texts. Parāśara was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parāśara as an author/speaker...

.


C) In Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga or Dwapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, described in the scriptures of Hinduism. This yuga comes after Treta Yuga and is followed by Kali Yuga...

1) Veda Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...

 and 2) Sri Shuka Acharya


D) In Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...

1) Acharyas start with Sri Gaudapada Acharya
Gaudapada
Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

.

Vamsarsi-parampara

  • Vasishta Maharishi
  • Shakti Maharishi
  • Parashara Maharishi
    Parashara
    ' is a Rigvedic Maharishi and author of many ancient Indian texts. Parāśara was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parāśara as an author/speaker...

  • Veda Vyasa
    Vyasa
    Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...

  • Sri Shuka Acharya

Manava Guru-Sampradaya

  • Sri Gaudapada Acharya
    Gaudapada
    Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

  • Sri Govinda Bhagavatpadaacharya
    Govinda Bhagavatpada
    .Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

  • Shri Adi Shankaracharya
    Adi Shankara
    Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...


Gaudapadacharyas

The Shri Gaudapadacharya matha follows a 'Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...

-Sishya' system in which head of the Matha appoints a shishya, who succeeds the guru. A shishya is selected at very young age. The existing head of the Math
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...

 decides upon a worthy disciple, initiates him as a sannyāsin
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...

, and appoints him as the head.

The available details of Guru-Shishya parampara of Shri Saunstan Gaudapadacharya matha is as given below.
  • 1. Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
    Gaudapada
    Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

  • 2. Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
    Govinda Bhagavatpada
    .Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

  • 3. Shrimat Vivarananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya & Shri Adi Shankaracharya
    Adi Shankara
    Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...

  • 4. Shrimat Adinath Paramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 5. Shrimat Sadashiva Paramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 6. Shrimat Ishwara Paramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 7. Shrimat Rudra Pramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 8. Shrimat Vishnu Paramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 9. Shrimat Brahma Paramashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 10. Shrimat Sanaka Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 11. Shrimat Sadananda Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 12. Shrimat Sanatana Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 13. Shrimat SanatKumara Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 14. Shrimat Sarika Sujata Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 15. Shrimat Rhibhushita Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 16. Shrimat Dattatreya Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 17. Shrimat Raivata Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 18. Shrimat Vamadeva Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 19. Shrimat Vyasa Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 20. Shrimat Shuka Mahashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 21. Shrimat Nrisimha sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 22. Shrimat Mahesha Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 23. Shrimat Bhaskara Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 24. Shrimat Mahendra Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 25. Shrimat Vishnu Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 26. Shrimat Madhava Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 27. Shrimat Mahesh Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 28. Shrimat Advaitha Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 29. Shrimat Paramatmananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 30. Shrimat Siddayogeshwarananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 31. Shrimat KAivalyananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 32. Shrimat Amritananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 33. Shrimat Hansananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 34. Shrimat Brahmananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 35. Shrimat Vimalananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 36. Shrimat Sachidananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 37. Shrimat Vimalananda Sadashivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 38. Shrimat Ramamnda Sadashvananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 57. Shrimat Poornananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 58. Shrimat Sahajananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 59. Shrimat Vidyananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 60. Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 61. Shrimat Sadananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 62. Shrimat Bhavananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 63. Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 64. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya & Shrimat Atmananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 65. Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 66. Shrimat Jyotirananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya, Shrimat Lilananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya, Shrimat Sadananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya & Shrimat Poornanada Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 67. Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 68. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 69. Shrimat Atmananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 70. Shrimat Poornananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 71. Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 72. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 73. Shrimat Atmananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 74. Shrimat Poornananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 75. Shrimat Ramananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 76. Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
  • 77. Shrimat Shivananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya [Present Pontiff]

  • There are no records available about the swamiji's from serial number 39 to 56. The records were destroyed by the Portuguese government during their rule in Goa.

Branches (Ashrams)

The Kavale matha has following branches/Ashramas.
  • 1. Shri Sanstan Gauḍapādāchārya matha, (Headquarters), Kavale
    Kavale
    Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...

    , Ponda, Goa
    Goa
    Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

    , Pin- 403 401. This Moola matha (headquarters) was built and inaugurated by 63rd pontiff Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swamiji. This matha is in close vicinity of Shri Shantadurga temple and there are six Samadhis within the premise. This matha was built about seventy years after the original matha at Keloshi was destroyed by Portuguese. Land for this matha was donated by King Basavalinga Soundha of Sonde Kingdom who ruled at the time.
  • 2. Kashi matha: K22/58, Durga ghat, Varanasi
    Varanasi
    -Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

    ([Kashi]), U.P., Pin - 221 008. This matha situated on Durgaghat in Kashi and the presiding deity of the matha is Lord Yaduraj.
  • 3. Near Dhruvakila, Brahmavarta
    Bithoor
    Bithoor is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage in Kanpur District near Kanpur city, in Uttar Pradesh, India.-Location:Bithoor is situated on the Kannauj Road, 27 km from center of Kanpur. Situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is a tourist place....

    , Kanpur
    , U.P.. Brahmavarta is ancient well known holy place. The matha is in the fort at Dhrub Ghat on the banks of River Ganga. Near to this place stands magnificent palace of King Uttanapada. This matha has a Shri Rama Temple. The matha used to get an annual grant of thousand rupees from the former Indore state.
  • 4. Nasik, Maharashtra
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

    , Pin - 422 011. This matha is located on the banks of the river Godavari in Nasik and close to the Sarkarwada of Shrimant Peshwa, has two Samadhi's in it. The land for this matha was gifted by a Patil during Peshwas rule. In 1657, then ruler Chatrapati Sahu Maharaj made a permanent grant to this matha, later Gaekwad of Baroda also made a cash grant of Rs 1525/- a year. Once during 74th Shrimat Poornananda Saraswati Gauḍapādāchārya's stay in the matha, it caught fire and his disciple Vishnu Vinayak Gaitonde saved the life of Shri swamiji by putting his own life in to great risk. In this tragedy several valuable records including grant deeds were destroyed.
  • 5. 91, Banaganga Tank Road, Malabar Hill
    Malabar Hill
    Malabar Hill, a hillock in southern Mumbai , India is an extremely upmarket residential area, most known for the Walkeshwar Temple which houses the Banganga Tank. Situated at a height of 50 metres Malabar Hill, a hillock in southern Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India is an extremely upmarket...

    , Walkeshwar
    Walkeshwar
    Walkeshwar is an affluent area in South Mumbai, India, at the north-western end of the Marine Drive loop, and is most famous for Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga Tank.-Etymology:...

    , Mumbai
    Mumbai
    Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

    , Pin - 400 006. This matha is on Malabar hill, in Mumbai along the shores of Arabian sea. Thers is famous Banganga lake in front of this matha. The Kashi matha building and the well-known Shree Walkeshawar temple is also in the close vicinity of this matha. There are three samadhis in this matha. Shri Ramshenvi Lotlikar of Vatsa Gotra had donated the land for this matha. This matha was last rebuilt by 76th Shrimat Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya. For rebuilding the matha, cornerstone was laid by Shri Kashi Mathadish
    Peetadhipathi
    A Peetadhipati or mathadipathi is the senior religious member of a Hindu matha. He is the sole and whole authority of the matha and the legal representative of that monastery. His shishya becomes the legal heir after his death....

    , Shimat Sudhindra Teertha Swamiji on 28 February 1963 in the devine presence of Shrimat Dwarakanath Teertha Swami Wadiyar of Shri Gokarna matha. This was the first and rare occasion where swainji's of three Saraswat matha's came together. Later the rebuilt matha was ceremonially inaugurated by Shimat Sudhindra Teertha Swamiji of Kashi matha on 28 May 1967.
  • 6. matha Gali, Khanapur
    Khanapur
    Khanapur is a Town Council in Belgaum district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is about 26 km from Belgaum. The town is governed by the Khanapur Municipal Council. Khanapur taluka falls under Belgaum District. The town is on the Belgaum - Panaji National Highway 4A...

    , Belgaum
    Belgaum
    Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....

    , Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

    , Pin - 591 302. This matha is situated on the banks of Malprabha river in Khanapur village in Belgaon District of Karnataka and it houses three samadhis. This matha was built during Shree Ramananda Saraswati in about 1758 AD. In this matha Panchmuhki idol of Shree Mangesh Shankar (Uma-Maheshwar) is worshiped. The Peshwas donated the township of Marisapur for upkeep of the matha. During the riots of Kittur that swept the area, matha was looted and Gold and Silver were lost worth lakhs of Rupees along with records of grants given to matha.
  • 7. Vithalapur, Sankhali, Goa
    Goa
    Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

    , Pin- 403 505. This matha is about 17 miles away from matha at Kavale. This matha houses the Samaadhi of Shree Brahmananda Saraswati and Shree Poornananda Saraswati, the 66th Swamiji in this matha. Shri Satroji Rane had built this matha in Saka 1722.
  • 8. Sonvade, Kudal
    Kudal
    Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Kudal is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:...

    , Taluk Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.-History:Sindhudurg was built by the great Maratha...

    , Maharashtra
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

    , Pin - 416 520. This matha is situated in Sonavade village of Kudal in Sawantwadi. There are three samadhis in this matha including that of 63rd Guru Shree Satchidananda Saraswati. Prince of Wadi Bhonsale donated the land for this matha along with agricultural land for maintenance of the matha.
  • 9. Chinder, Malvan
    Malvan
    Malvan is a town in Sindhudurg District, the southernmost district of Maharashtra. This culturally and historically important town is a Taluka place in Sindhudurg District...

     Taluk, Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.-History:Sindhudurg was built by the great Maratha...

     Dist, Maharashtra
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

    , Pin - 416 602. This matha was established and inaugurated by Shree Poornananda Saraswati, the 66th Swamiji. Shree Ramanand Saraswati, disciple of Shri Vidyananda Saraswati lived here.
  • 10. Golvan, Golvan Taluk, Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.-History:Sindhudurg was built by the great Maratha...

     Dt., Maharashtra
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

    . This matha is in Golvan village, Golvan taluka, Maharashtra. There are three samadhis in this matha, of those Shri Poornananda Saraswati, Shri Sahajananda Saraswati and Shri Vidyananda Saraswati.
  • 11. Chinchewada, Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad is a fort located in Karwar, Uttara Kannada district, in the state of Karnataka in India. Significant and picturesque, the fort is now a popular tourist destination located by the Kali river bridge, which has been built at the confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea...

    , Karwar
    Karwar
    Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...

    , North Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

    , Pin - 581 352. This matha was built during then Mathadish
    Peetadhipathi
    A Peetadhipati or mathadipathi is the senior religious member of a Hindu matha. He is the sole and whole authority of the matha and the legal representative of that monastery. His shishya becomes the legal heir after his death....

     Shree Shivanand Swamiji in Saka 1793, about 3 km from Karvar, north Karnataka. The main deity Shree Sharadamba devi is worshipped in this matha along with Shiva Linga of black stone marked with concentric circles. When Rudrabhisheka is done to this Shiva Linga, one can hear the booming sound of 'Aum'. This matha also houses samadhi of Shree Shivanand Saraswati swamiji the 73rd swaimiji.
  • 12. Halage, Dhol, Karwar
    Karwar
    Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...

     District, North Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

    , Pin - 581 328. In this matha idol of Shree Vithal Vishveshwar is installed and worshipped. Land for this matha was donated by Ramachandra Marthoba Nadkarni Malapurkar and his brothers ob 16 February 1890. This is the birth place of Shree Atmananda Saraswati Swamiji, the seventy fourth Swamiji.
  • 13. Main Road, Shree Kshetra Gokarna
    Gokarna
    Gokarna is a village in the Uttara Kannada district of the Karnataka state, India. It is a Hindu pilgrimage centre as well as a tourist destination in India. Gokarna is a temple town and is referred to in a number of Hindu historical literature pieces. The main deity is Lord Mahabhaleshwara, a...

    , North Canara
    Canara
    Canara can refer to:* Kanara – a region in Karnataka, India* Ovidiu – a town in Constanţa County, Romania...

    , Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

     Pin - 581 326. This matha was constructed in between Saka 1830 - 1841 and the marble idol of Shri Chakravarti Shivalinga was installed in it on Phlalguna Shukla Dashami ( 29 th February 1920). The land for the matha was donated by Annapurnabai Shabaji Kulkarni of Chendiye, Karvar Taluk to Shri Atmananda Saraswati in Saka 1753.
  • 14. E-70, Greater Kailash
    Greater Kailash
    Greater Kailash is a residential area in South Delhi, consisting of several residential colonies and multiple markets. The real estate prices are comparatively high.-Geography:...

     Part - I, New Delhi
    New Delhi
    New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...

    , Pin - 110 048. This matha was inaugurated on 16th Feb, 1978 by Kashi matha Swamiji. Shri Sachidananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya installed the Shri Shantadurga idol. Swamiji's from Shri Gokarn matha and Chtrapur matha were also present at the occasion. Shri B.D.Jatti, then vice-president of India visited the matha and offered respects to Shri Swamijis.
  • 15. 45, Somavar Pet, Tilakwad, Belgaum
    Belgaum
    Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....

    , Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

    , Pin - 590 006.
  • 16. Lakshmeshwar, Ankola
    Ankola
    Ankola which is a Taluk is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. A small town by any standard surrounded by numerous temples. It is in line with Arabian sea. The beaches present at this place are Baskal gudda, nadibag, shedikuli, keni, Belekeri and many more...

    , North Canara
    Kanara
    The Kanara or Canara region comprises three coastal districts of Karnataka, namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala in southwestern India. Kanara forms the southern part of the Konkan coast...

    , Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

    , Pin - 581 314.

Branch mathas having Temples within their Precincts

The following branches of Shri Gauḍapādāchārya matha have temple within their precincts.
  1. Shrē Vithal Rakhumai temple at Kavale
    Kavale
    Kavale or Kavalem is a village in Ponda, Goa, India. Kavle/Kawale/Kawle are other variations for the same name..-Main Attraction:...

     matha.
  2. Shrē Uma Maheshwar temple at Khanapur
    Khanapur
    Khanapur is a Town Council in Belgaum district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is about 26 km from Belgaum. The town is governed by the Khanapur Municipal Council. Khanapur taluka falls under Belgaum District. The town is on the Belgaum - Panaji National Highway 4A...

     matha.
  3. Shrē Mahakali and Muralidhar Gopalakrishna temple at Walkeshwar
    Walkeshwar
    Walkeshwar is an affluent area in South Mumbai, India, at the north-western end of the Marine Drive loop, and is most famous for Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga Tank.-Etymology:...

     matha, Mumbai.
  4. Shrē Bhavanishankar temple Sonavade matha, Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg
    Sindhudurg is a fortress which occupies an islet in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in western India. The fortress lies on the shore of Malvan town of Sindhudurg District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai.-History:Sindhudurg was built by the great Maratha...

    .
  5. Shrē Sita Ramachandra temple at Brahmavart matha, U.P.
  6. Shrē Bhavanishankar temple at Chindar matha, Kankavali.
  7. Shrē Venu Gopal at Kashi matha, Varanasi
    Varanasi
    -Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

    , U.P.
  8. Shrē Vithal Vishveshwar temple at Halage matha, Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad is a fort located in Karwar, Uttara Kannada district, in the state of Karnataka in India. Significant and picturesque, the fort is now a popular tourist destination located by the Kali river bridge, which has been built at the confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea...

    .
  9. Shrē Sharadamba temple at Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad
    Sadashivgad is a fort located in Karwar, Uttara Kannada district, in the state of Karnataka in India. Significant and picturesque, the fort is now a popular tourist destination located by the Kali river bridge, which has been built at the confluence of the river and the Arabian Sea...

     matha.
  10. Shrē Chakravarti Shivaling at Gokarna
    Gokarna
    Gokarna is a village in the Uttara Kannada district of the Karnataka state, India. It is a Hindu pilgrimage centre as well as a tourist destination in India. Gokarna is a temple town and is referred to in a number of Hindu historical literature pieces. The main deity is Lord Mahabhaleshwara, a...

     matha, North Canara
    Canara
    Canara can refer to:* Kanara – a region in Karnataka, India* Ovidiu – a town in Constanţa County, Romania...

    , Karnataka.
  11. Shrē Shree Datta Mandir at Ankola
    Ankola
    Ankola which is a Taluk is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. A small town by any standard surrounded by numerous temples. It is in line with Arabian sea. The beaches present at this place are Baskal gudda, nadibag, shedikuli, keni, Belekeri and many more...

     matha.

Other Saraswath mathas

  • Kashi Math (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
    Uttar Pradesh
    Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

    )
  • Chitrapur Math
    Chitrapur Math
    Chitrapur Math is the central Math for the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin sect. This Math is located in Shirali in North Kanara area of Karnataka and has been there since 1757. The other Maths of this community are located in Gokarn, Karla, Mangalore and Mallapur...

     (Shirali, Karnataka)
  • Gokarna Math (Partagali, Goa)

See also

  • Adi Guru Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
    Gaudapada
    Gaudapada was a very early guru in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy...

  • Advaita
  • Mandukya Upanishad
    Mandukya Upanishad
    The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of the Upanishads – the scriptures of Hindu Vedanta. It is in prose, consisting of twelve verses expounding the mystic syllable Aum, the three psychological states of waking, dreaming and sleeping, and the transcendent fourth state of illumination.This...

  • Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
    Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
    Rājāpur/Bhālāvalikar Gauda Sāraswat Brāhmins , as they are known, belong to the "Pancha Gauda Brahmana" groups or "Gaudadi Panchakas". Rājāpur Sāraswat Brahmins are a branch of the saraswat brahmins, who were supposed to have resided on the banks of the legendary Saraswati River. They migrated to...

  • Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
    Govinda Bhagavatpada
    .Govinda Bhagavatpada was the Guru of the Advaita philosopher, Adi Shankara. We know little of his life and works, except that he is mentioned in all the traditional accounts as the teacher of Adi Shankara. He was the disciple of Gaudapada . He is mentioned in the first verse of Adi Shankara's...

  • Shri Shankaracharya
    Adi Shankara
    Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...


External links

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