Four amnaya maths (peeths) are linked with Adi Shankaracharya: Jyotirmath in the north (Badrinath area, Uttarakhand), the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the south (Karnataka), the Sharada Peetham at Dwarka in the west (Gujarat) and the Govardhan Math at Puri in the east (Odisha). Tradition, above all the text called the “Mathamnaya”, gives each math one Veda and one mahavakya: Jyotirmath the Atharvaveda and “ayam atma brahma”, Sringeri the Yajurveda and “aham brahmasmi”, Dwarka the Samaveda and “tat tvam asi”, and Puri the Rigveda and “prajnanam brahma”. The heads of these maths are called Shankaracharyas.
| Name | Direction | Place | Veda | Mahavakya | First teacher (by tradition) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JyotirmathShri Math, Uttaramnaya | North | Badrinath area (Joshimath), Uttarakhand | Atharvaveda | Ayam atma brahma | Totakacharya |
| Sringeri Sharada PeethamDakshinamnaya | South | Sringeri, Karnataka | Yajurveda | Aham brahmasmi | Sureshvaracharya |
| Dwarka Sharada PeethamSharada Math, Paschimamnaya | West | Dwarka, Gujarat | Samaveda | Tat tvam asi | Hastamalaka (Mathamnaya); Padmapada in Sringeri’s list |
| Govardhan MathGovardhan Peetha, Purvamnaya | East | Puri, Odisha | Rigveda | Prajnanam brahma | Padmapada (Mathamnaya, Govardhan Math); Hastamalaka in Sringeri’s list |
Each math according to the Mathamnaya
The Mathamnaya (Mathamnaya-mahanushasanam) is a short Sanskrit text that tradition attributes to Adi Shankaracharya. For each math it gives the sampradaya, the names of its renunciants, its sacred place, god, goddess, holy water, Veda and mahavakya, and it closes by saying that four maths, four teachers and four sampradayas are the order of dharma (verse 65).
Jyotirmath (north): sampradaya Anandavara; renunciant names Giri, Parvata and Sagara; sacred place Badrikashrama, god Narayana, goddess Purnagiri, holy water the Alakananda; the Atharvaveda and “ayam atma brahma”; teacher Totaka (verses 18–22).
Sringeri (south): sampradaya Bhurivara; names Sarasvati, Bharati and Puri; sacred place Rameshvaram, god Adi Varaha, goddess Kamakshi, holy water the Tungabhadra; the Yajurveda and “aham brahmasmi”; teacher Sureshvara (verses 28–31).
Sharada Math, Dwarka (west): sampradaya Kitavara; names Tirtha and Ashrama; sacred place Dwarka, god Siddheshvara, goddess Bhadrakali, holy water the Gomati; the Samaveda and “tat tvam asi”; teacher Hastamalaka (verses 1–4).
Govardhan Math, Puri (east): sampradaya Bhogavara; names Vana and Aranya; sacred place Purushottama (Puri), god Jagannatha, goddess Vimala, holy water Mahodadhi (the sea); the Rigveda and “prajnanam brahma”; teacher Padmapada (verses 10–13).
The four mahavakyas and their Upanishads
Each math’s mahavakya comes from an Upanishad of its own Veda: “prajnanam brahma” from the Aitareya Upanishad of the Rigveda (3.3), “aham brahmasmi” from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of the Shukla Yajurveda (1.4.10), “tat tvam asi” from the Chandogya Upanishad of the Samaveda (6.8.7), and “ayam atma brahma” from the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharvaveda (mantra 2). Which Upanishad belongs to which Veda follows the list in the Muktika Upanishad (chapter 1).
All four express one idea, the oneness of the self and Brahman. “Prajnanam brahma”: consciousness is Brahman. “Aham brahmasmi”: I am Brahman. “Tat tvam asi”: that (Brahman) you are; the Mathamnaya calls it the knowledge that the individual self and the supreme self are one. “Ayam atma brahma”: this self is Brahman.
The Dashanami renunciants
The renunciants of the Shankaracharya tradition are divided into ten names (orders), which is why they are called Dashanami: Aranya, Ashrama, Bharati, Giri, Parvata, Puri, Sarasvati, Sagara, Tirtha and Vana. According to the Mathamnaya each name belongs to one math: Giri, Parvata and Sagara to Jyotirmath; Sarasvati, Bharati and Puri to Sringeri; Tirtha and Ashrama to Dwarka; Vana and Aranya to Puri.
About the history
According to Britannica there are at least 11 biographies of Shankara, all written centuries later; modern research places him around 700–750 CE (788–820 used to be given). Tradition says he founded four maths in the four directions and made his four chief disciples, Sureshvara, Padmapada, Totaka and Hastamalaka, their first teachers.
The maths’ own traditions give far earlier dates: the Govardhan Math at Puri dates its founding to 486 BCE. The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu also describes itself as founded by Adi Shankaracharya (482 BCE); it is not among the four maths listed in the Mathamnaya.
Where the sources differ
- The first teachers of Dwarka and Puri: according to the Mathamnaya and the Govardhan Math, Padmapada was the first teacher at Puri and Hastamalaka at Dwarka; the Sringeri Peetham’s website gives the reverse, Padmapada at Dwarka and Hastamalaka at Puri.
- Variant readings within the Mathamnaya: the text on sanskritdocuments.org notes “Vishvarupa” as a variant for the teacher of the Sharada Math and “Hastamalaka” for the teacher of Sringeri.
- The date of founding: Britannica places Shankara around 700–750 CE; the Govardhan Math dates its founding to 486 BCE and the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham to 482 BCE.
- Order and further amnayas: the Mathamnaya counts from the west (Dwarka): west, east, north, south; the list here starts from the north. The Mathamnaya then names three more “upper amnayas” (Sumeru and others), described in a spiritual sense (“experience is its sacred place”), not as maths on the map.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the 4 Shankaracharya maths (peeths)?
Jyotirmath in the north (Badrinath area, Uttarakhand), the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the south (Karnataka), the Dwarka Sharada Peetham in the west (Gujarat) and the Govardhan Math in the east (Puri, Odisha).
Which Veda and mahavakya belong to which math?
According to the Mathamnaya: Jyotirmath has the Atharvaveda and “ayam atma brahma”, Sringeri the Yajurveda and “aham brahmasmi”, Dwarka the Samaveda and “tat tvam asi”, and the Govardhan Math at Puri the Rigveda and “prajnanam brahma”.
Who were Adi Shankaracharya’s four chief disciples?
Sureshvara, Padmapada, Totaka (Trotaka) and Hastamalaka. According to Britannica Shankara probably had many pupils, but only these four are known from their writings. Tradition makes these four the first teachers of the four maths.
How many Shankaracharyas are there?
The four heads of the four amnaya maths are called Shankaracharyas, and in each math the office passes from teacher to disciple. According to the Mathamnaya (verse 52) each seat should have only one teacher at a time, in succession.
Who are the Dashanami renunciants?
The renunciants of the Shankaracharya tradition, divided into ten names: Aranya, Ashrama, Bharati, Giri, Parvata, Puri, Sarasvati, Sagara, Tirtha and Vana. Each name belongs to one of the four maths.
Sources
- Mathamnaya-mahanushasanam (attributed by tradition to Adi Shankaracharya), verses 1–37, 52, 65–75
- Aitareya Upanishad 3.3; Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10; Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7; Mandukya Upanishad 2
- Muktika Upanishad, chapter 1 (the Upanishads listed by Veda)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Shankara”, “Dashnami sannyasin”
- Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham: “The Amnaya Peethams” (sringeri.net)
- Sri Govardhan Math, Puri: “About Govardhan Matha” (govardhanpeeth.org)
- Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (kamakoti.org)
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