Kanchi matha

The Kanchi matha is known formally as Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. It is a religious institution based in Kanchipuram. Its head is referred to as a "Shankaracharya", a title that is applied to the heads of many such institutions in India. During the latter half of the 20th century, it has become a very politically influential and highly controversial Hindu religious institution in India.

Its current head is Jayendra Saraswati, whose appointed successor is Vijayendra Saraswati.

History

The matha's official history states that it was founded by Adi Shankara of Kaladi, and that Jayendra Saraswati is its 69th head in succession. A related claim is that Adi Shankara came to Kanchipuram, and that he established the Kanchi matha in a position of supremacy (Sarvagnya Peetha) over the other mathas of the subcontinent, before his death there. Other sources give the place of his death as Kedarnath in the Himalayas. See references below, and the article on Adi Sankara. [1][2]

This claim has been disputed for close to two centuries now. Other historical accounts state that the matha was established much more recently (probably in the 18th century) in Kumbakonam, as a branch of the Sringeri Matha, and that it later declared itself independent. However, the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham has provided a list of successive Acharyas with their year of birth and death, dating back to 5th century B.C. This list cannot be verified against reliable historical sources from India. The Kanchi Matha claims to have been moved from Kanchipuram to Kumbakonam during the 18th century when Hyder Ali invaded the region. It is also claimed that archeological evidence in the form of stone architecture depicting the Shankaracharya and the epigraphy by the side situated inside the precincts of the Matha indicate the 2500 year age of the Matha. Again, these have not been independently evaluated in the context of the ongoing dispute about the historical origin and traditional status of this institution. More reliable historical sources indicate that the Kanchi matha is perhaps a little more than 200 years old.

In recent times, this matha and its heads have found themselves in the center of another controversy, arising from charges of murdering a former matha official. This case is currently being prosecuted in the Pondicherry high court in south India.

Guru parampara

Chronological list of heads of the matha, according to the official account.

1. Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada
2. Sri Suresvaracharya
3. Sri Sarvajnatman
4. Sri Sathyabodhendra Saraswati
5. Sri Jnanandendra Saraswati
6. Sri Suddhanandendra Saraswati
7. Sri Aanandaghanendra Saraswati
8. Sri Kaivalyanandayogendra Saraswati
9. Sri Krpa Sankarendra Saraswati
10. Sri Sureswara
11. Sri Sivananda Chidghanendra Saraswati
12. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
13. Sri Satchidghanendra Saraswati
14. Sri Vidyaghanendra Saraswati
15. Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati
16. Sri Ujjvala Sankarendra Saraswati
17. Sri Bogusrendra Hushushwati
18. Sri Sadasivendra Saraswati
19. Sri Shankarananda Saraswati
20. Sri Martanda Vidyaghanendra Saraswati
21. Sri Muka Sankarendra Saraswati
22. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati II
23. Sri Bodhendra Saraswati
24. Sri Satchisukhendra Saraswati
25. Sri Chitsukhendra Saraswati
26. Sri Satchidanandaghanendra Saraswati
27. Sri Prajnaghanendra Saraswati
28. Sri Chidvilasendra Saraswati
29. Sri Mahadeve11dra Saraswati I
30. Sri Purnabhodhendra Saraswati
31. Sri Bhodhendra Saraswati II
32. Sri Brahmanandaghanendra Saraswati
33. Sri Chidanandaghanendra Saraswati
34. Sri Satchidananda Saraswati
35. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati III
36. Sri Chitsukhendra Saraswati
37. Sri Chitsukhanandendra Saraswati
38. Sri Vidyaghanendra Saraswati III
39. Sri Abhinava Sankarendra Saraswati
40. Sri Satchidvilaasendra Saraswati
41. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati II
42. Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati II
43. Sri Brahmanandaghanendra Saraswati
44. Sri Anandaghanendra Saraswati
45. Sri Purnabhodhendra Saraswati II
46. Sri Paramasivendra Saraswati I
47. Sri Sandranandabhodhendra Saraswati
48. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati IV
49. Sri Advaitanandabodhendra Saraswati
50. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati III
51. Sri Chandrachudendra Saraswati I
52. Sri Kamachandrendra Saraswati 0
53. Sri Vidyateerthendra Saraswati
54. Sri Sankaranandendra Saraswati
55. Sri Purnananda Sadasivendra Saraswati
56. Sri Vyasachala Mahadevendra Saraswati
57. Sri Chandrachudhendra Saraswati II
58. Sri Sarvajna Sadasiva Bhodhendra Saraswati
59. Sri Paramasivendra Saraswati II
60. Sri Atma Bodhendra Saraswati
61. Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra Saraswati
62. Sri Advaitatma Prakasendra Saraswati
63. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati IV
64. Sri ChandrasekharendraSaraswati V
65. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati V
66. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati VI
67. Sri Sudarsana Mahadevendra Saraswati
68. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati VII
69. Sri Mahadevendra Saraswati V
70. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal [3]
71. Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal
72. Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal

The above list is wrong. please refer to Kamakoti.org to see the correct listing. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Kanchi Mahaswamigal is the 68th Acharya.Sri Jayandra Saraswathi is 69th Acharya and Sri Vijeyendra Saraswathi is the 70th.

External links

*Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham - Official website
*A forum for Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
*Real History of the Kanchi math; A detailed mailing list posting by Vidyasankar Sundaresan, that provides details of the two century old dispute over the origin of the Kanchi Matha.