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In his lifetime, Adi Shankara established four amnaya peethams in four directions of India and appointed his chief disciples as the pontiffs. (Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham is also established by Adi Shankara but it is not considered as an amnaya peetham among these four. It is considered as fifth one). I asked a related question about these mutts some months ago.

  • East : Pooramnaya Shri Govardhana Peetham (Govardhana Math)

  • West : Paschimamnaya Shri Sharada Peetham (Kalika Math)

  • North : Uttaramnaya Shri Jyotish Peetham (Jyotir math)

  • South : Dakshinamnaya Sri Shringeri Sharada Peetam (Sringeri Math)

Each of the mutts are associated with a Veda and a sampradaya also. The Dakshinamnaya Sri Shringeri Sharada Peetham website gives the sampradaya each math is affiliated to.

  • Govardhana Math : Bhogavala sampradaya

  • Sringeri Math : Bhurivala sampradaya

  • Kalika Math : Kitavala

  • Jyotir Math : Nandavala

What are these sampradayas each math is affiliated to? Are they about different branches of dashanami sampradaya? Or they about different philosophies in advaita?

Sarvabhouma
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  • Interesting, I've never heard of these different Sampradayas. They may have some connection to Bhamati and Vivarana, the two main sub-schools of Advaita. Also, I wonder what Sampradaya the Kanchipuram Shankaracharya Matham is affiliated with. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 01 '17 at 05:51
  • This is a gratuitously offensive question - leaving out Kanchi. Adi Sankara only has a legendary history and the question is needlessly creating controversy and hurting sentiments. – S K Dec 01 '17 at 11:56
  • @SK Sringeri muTh is the authority on all things Sankarachary. "Legendary history" is fanciful and incorrect. –  Dec 01 '17 at 12:18
  • "Sringeri muTh is the authority on all things Sankaracharya" @moonstar For those who prefer to live in the 21st century, there is no "authority" in religious matters. There are otherwise respectable people who say Adi sankara's date is 5th century b.c. – S K Dec 01 '17 at 12:25
  • @SK How is it offensive? what did you find so controversy creating in the question? – Sarvabhouma Dec 01 '17 at 17:48
  • I think what @SK is criticizing is your claim that there are only four Shankaracharya Mathams. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 01 '17 at 17:58
  • @KeshavSrinivasan I didn't mean that he only established four mutts. There are 4 mathams in four directions (known as amnaya peethams) for which four pontiffs are his disciples. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya himself was the first pontiff of the Kanchi. I meant that. There are only four amnaya peetams. Kanchi Kamakoti is not an amnaya peetham. – Sarvabhouma Dec 01 '17 at 18:03
  • @NogShine OK, maybe you should clarify that. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 01 '17 at 18:05
  • this is disgusting behavior. knowing this poster's and Keshav Srinivasan's sectarian affiliation, why are they creating controversy in something that doesn't concern them? Kanchi is called "Dakshina Moolamnaya Sarvajna Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam". – S K Dec 01 '17 at 18:15
  • @SK So, being a Vaishnavite ban me from asking questions? Is this your hate against Sri Vaishnavas? Remember that this site is for all the persons who are interested in Hinduism. Poster's details are not your concern. Don't see users from sectarian lens. See the post not the user. Daskshnia moola is not one of the directions. Only east, west, north, south are directions. – Sarvabhouma Dec 01 '17 at 18:18
  • "So, being a Vaishnavite ban me from asking questions?" no - this is absurd - it is the Vaishnava group that has been tracking me like radar and pouncing relentlessly on my posts to delete them. I just want to point out that this is a needless controversy. so this poster is saying kanchi mata doesn't know how to name itself since it does call itself "moolamnaya". – S K Dec 01 '17 at 18:59
  • No modern day smarta layperson knows much about these sampradayas. Modern day smartas practice modern day religion - contemplation, meditation and non-sectarian devotional worship.and so forth. This seems to be an attempt to take them back in time - analogous to the vadakalai-tenkalai type medieval divisions Vaishnavites hold on to to this day.. – S K Dec 01 '17 at 19:31
  • @KeshavSrinivasan If you are interested, I have given an answer, which clears the doubt. https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/58861/24460 Thanks – Bingming Mar 30 '24 at 17:33
  • @Bingming I am interested which Muth to Smarta Iyers come from and which closely affiliates with Smarta tradition? – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 21:54
  • @SK you're creating unnecessary controversy please stop, the poster's question is not at all controversial only signs of curiosity, and modern or neo-Vedanta is certainly not orthodox in any way which it seems you allude to in your comments correct me if I am wrong. – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 21:56
  • @Haridasa They most likely follow (or affiliate with) Kāñcī and/or Śṛṅgerī maṭha, because those are the nearest to them. – Bingming Mar 30 '24 at 22:22
  • @Bingming thank you, sir! – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 22:26
  • @Bingming btw are my comments on this question correct, https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/37812/are-there-more-than-one-manusmritis – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 22:53
  • might check later @Haridasa – Bingming Mar 30 '24 at 23:58
  • @Bingming Okay, sir looking forward to it. – Haridasa Mar 31 '24 at 00:37
  • @Bingming also this question you may be able to answer, this by discussing the differences between Graha (planet) and Deva (Diety) which overlooks the Graha. – Haridasa Mar 31 '24 at 22:57

2 Answers2

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Govardhan Math

  1. Amnaya -Purba

  2. Sampradaya- Bhogabaara

  3. Titles of Sannyasins- Vana & Aranya

  4. Titles of Brahmacharins- Prakash

  5. Kshetra- Puridham

6.Devata- Jagannath

7.Devi- Vimala

8.Acharya- Padmacharyya

9.Teertha- Samudra

10.Veda- Rigveda

  1. Mahavakya- Prajnanam Brahma

  2. Gotra- Kashyapa

  3. Areas under this Math- Anga(Assam), Banga, Kalinga, Magadh (Southern Bihar) and Utkal(Odissa)

Sarada Math

  1. Amnaya- Paschima

  2. Sampradaya- Keetavara

  3. Titles of Sannyasins- Tirtha & Ashrama

  4. Titles of Brahmacharins- Swarup

  5. Kshetra- Dwaraka

6.Devata- Siddheswar

7.Devi- Bhadrakali

8.Acharya- Hastaamalaka

9.Teertha- Gomati

10.Veda- Saamaveda

  1. Mahavakya- Tat Tvam Asi

  2. Gotra- Abigata

  3. Areas under this Math- Sindhu(Punjab),Sauvir, Saurastra (Surat), Maharastra

Jyotirmath

  1. Amnaya- Uttara

  2. Sampradaya- Anandavara

  3. Titles of Sannyasins- Giri, Parvata & Sagara

  4. Titles of Brahmacharins- Ananda

  5. Kshetra- Badrikashrama

6.Devata- Narayana

7.Devi- Purnagiri

8.Acharya- Totakacharya

9.Teertha- Alakaananda

10.Veda- Atharva

  1. Mahavakya- Ayam Aatmaa Brahma

  2. Gotra- Bhrigu

  3. Areas under this Math- Kuru (Hariyana), Kashmir,Kamvoja,Panchaala(Punjab-Himachal)

Sringeri Math

  1. Amnaya- Dakshina

  2. Sampradaya- Bhuribaara

  3. Titles of Sannyasins- Saraswati, Bharati & Puri

  4. Titles of Brahmacharins- Chaitanya

  5. Kshetra- Rameswara

6.Devata- Adi- Varaha

7.Devi- Kamakshi

8.Acharya- Sureswaracharya

9.Teertha- Tungabhadra

10.Veda- Yajur

  1. Mahavakya- Aham Brahmaasmi

  2. Gotra- Bhurbuvah

  3. Areas under this Math- Andhra, Dravira, Kerala, Karnataka

Reference : Hariyana ki Vedanta-Parampara Aur Baba Totapuri, Vaidya Banamali Dutta Sharma, Published by Dhruva Sharma 1986, page 165-168

Addition:

The word "Bhoga-Vaara" comes because this sect is designed to protect (Nivaarana/Vaarana) people from thirst of "Bhoga" and show them right direction.

The word "Keeta-Vaara" comes because this sect is designed to protect everybody, even the Keetas by showering mercy.

The word "Ananda-Vaara" comes because this sect is designed to protect (Nivaarana/Vaarana) people from Ananda of "Vilasa" and show them right direction.

The word "Bhuri-Vaara" comes because this sect is designed to protect (Nivaarana/Vaarana) people from thirst of "Bhuri-Vastus" like gold etc and show them right direction. (Ref. Ibid page 165-168).

From the reference book, I provided many additional informations (like gotras, upadhis of brahmacharins and areas of control)in the list given which were not there in the link provided in the question.

Community
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  • My question is what are Bhogavala, Nandavala, Bhurivala, Kitavala Sampradayas mentioned in the question. Not about the location and their Shankaracharyas. – Sarvabhouma Feb 09 '19 at 17:19
  • You should read complete question before answering. If you are unclear, you can ask a clarification in comments. Don't post answers in a flow. I have mentioned the question itself is about traditions in the title, gave a list and I asked what are these traditions clearly in the question itself. I have taken that from Sringeri site without regional influence. Your answer contains wrong pronunciation of Sanskrit words (Purba, Yotirmath) and you say my words are wrong?! It is not a vague question. If you want examples of vague questions, my questions are not the ones to look at. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 02:36
  • Moreover, this answer just contains the information of the page https://www.sringeri.net/history/amnaya-peethams I have linked in the question and nothing new. So, this adds nothing new to the question. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 02:39
  • @Sarvabhouma please dont brand typo as mistake in sanskrit, pl write correct sanskrit,pl dont ask such vague questions and pl never instruct me what i shd do or not do.If u see anything obsectionable, pl flag or report to the moderators. I must not receive instructios from you any further. – Partha 1 hour ago Delete –  Feb 10 '19 at 13:12
  • It's not a vague question at all. Read the question properly and answer.You're just repeating what's given in the linked page I gave in the question. This doesn't answer my question at all. My question is about 4 sampradayas & not about Vedas or acharya who was appointed as pontiff. My question is entirely different. I already gave the link to page. It says Bhogavala, Kirtivala. what is Purba or Bhogabaara? that's not correct Sanskrit as far as I know. You should not ask anyone to stop giving instructions because this is a public site with Community moderation.This doesn't address my question. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 13:33
  • i never heard something calked kirtivala etc and DO NOT KNOW –  Feb 10 '19 at 13:51
  • No need to apologize sir. They are not needed on this site. Mistakes happen with everyone (me included). My question was mainly about the four sampradayas i.e., Bhogavala, Kitavala etc., Kirti was a typo due to autocorrect or I was thinking of something. It would be helpful if you add where you got these info. Are they from the same book you cited? You mentioned it as addition but it is not an addition. That is the main answer I am looking for. The block quote was not I am looking for. It is redundant to the question I guess. It's already present in the page linked in the question. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 14:01
  • Devi, Devata, Veda, acharya, title, tirtha, location, name, Mahavakya are already present in the page. These are repetitive. You added gotra only. From that, I only want the tradition name. Others are not relevant for my question. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 14:08
  • i replied to the question as i understoid it and i repeat i mentioned the additional informations i gave from that book even excluding the gotra.Kindly note that i do not address to any particular person as many readers read the answers and will read in future.So whatever information i feel important i provide.Thanks –  Feb 10 '19 at 14:12
  • And i dont know what u mean by tradition name! –  Feb 10 '19 at 14:13
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Sarvabhouma Feb 10 '19 at 14:14
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In his PHD thesis, Dazey (1987) discusses these four sampradāyas associated with the four pīṭhas of Daśanāmi sampradāya. I would be quoting that discussion below -

There's an interesting further division of the Order (Daśanāmī) into subgroups called gotra-s and sampradāya-s. Each of the four pīṭhas has a gotra name and a sampradāya name associated with it. All members of the two or three lineages (Sāgara, Vana, etc.) attached to a particular pīṭha said to belong to the gotra and the sampradāya associated with that pīṭha. ~ (Dazey 1987: 452-453)

The sampradāya names, gotras, lineages, etc. of the four āmnāya pīṭhas, can be known in detail from the Mahāmnāya texts, for their source text and translation, refer Clarke (2006:274-286). The table on Shringeri site which mentions pīṭhas, devatās, kṣetra, etc. follows Mahāmnāyas.
A better (and detailed) chart, based on Mahāmnāyas, is mentioned in Clarke (2006: 118-119) .

Although the division of the Order into groups called gotra-s and sampradāya-s seems to be purely formal with no distinctive social function assigned to them individually by contemporary Daśanāmins, the term gotra itself may present a clue to the underlying model for the Daśanāmī Order as a whole..... ~ (Dazey 1987: 452-453)

So, as per Dazey, the four sampradāya names (associated with the four pīthas) don't have any distinctive social function assigned to them by contemporary Daśanāmins. Therefore, these sampradāya names don't exactly denote different sampradāyas (like say Śrī Vaiṣṇavas have Vaṭakalai and Teṉkalai divisions), and this would get clearer from the below explanation.

Although the general meaning and function of sampradāya as a teaching lineage is clear, the rationale behind the actual sampradāya names used in Daśanāmi Order is far from apparent. The names are : Ānandavāra attached to Jyotir maṭha in north, Kīṭavāra attached to Dvārakā in the west, Bhūrivāra attached to Śṛṅgerī in the south, and Bhogavāra attached to Purī in the east. The usual explanation given for these names is that they indicate the peculiar ascetic qualities to be cultivated by the members of the sampradāya.

There are various explanations of these terms given in the oral tradition. Ānandavāra is said to mean those who find ānanda in whatever food they happen to get without begging, or an alternative explanation, those whose ānanda is not derived from worldly pleasures. Those who eat as little as insects (kīṭa) are called Kīṭavāra, or another explanation, the Kīṭavāras are those whose karuṇā extends even to insects (kīṭas). Bhūrivāra is explained as those who renounce gold (bhūri) and other wealth ; or as those who live off the abundant (bhūri) vegetation of the forests. The Bhogavāra-s are said to be those who are particularly indifferent to bhoga.

The etymological history of these terms is obscure, and several theories could be advanced to explain them. For e.g., they may be connected with astrology calculations (kīṭa is the sign scorpio, bhūri can mean many, bhoga can mean part of the ecliptic of the 27 nakṣatras, ānanda means both 16 th muhūrta and a yr in the cycle of Jupiter, and vāra can mean time or moment) or they may refer to group insignias, such as fly whisk or sieve made of hair (vāra can also mean the hair of an animal's tail). Unfortunately, there's little evidence to support these conjectures. What is clear, however, is that the traditional explantions given by contemporary Daśanāmins emphasize the ascetic character of the four non-householder teaching traditions.

~ (Dazey 1987 : 476-477)

Here, Dazey primarily follows Ghurye (1953:97) & Rose (1914:357) in explaining the sampradāya names, but Clarke (2006: 121-122) adds that in Daśanāmī practice these sampradāya names are merely a way of identification of one's lineage.

The origin of the four sampradāya names, Ānandavāra, Bhūrivāra, Bhogavāra and Kīṭavāra, that are given in the texts cited, similarly defies adequate explanation. Most commentators follow Ghurye (1964:86) in explaining, somewhat vaguely, the sampradāya in terms of life-style. However, in Daśanāmī practice, the sampradāya names, as wth the gotra-s, simply confirm to which of the four groups of lineages the initiate belongs, and do not signify a different life-style. The sampradāya names are used by Daśanāmīs as an identificatory title, such as, for example, Mahant Lāl Purī, Bhūrivāra. (It can be seen, according to the Mahāmnāyas, that Bhūrivāra indicates a Purī, Bhāratī or Sarasvatī ; Ānandavāra indicates a Giri, Parvata or Sāgara; etc.)

References

Bingming
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  • Okay, so from what I understood Sri Vaishnava sampradayas have a reason for their names and distinctions while Smarta sampradayas don't, but what about the 2 main schools of Advaita Bhamati I forgot the other one. Wouldn't the Sampradayas follow or closely align with one of these two schools? – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 21:58
  • Bhāmati and Vivaraṇa prasthānas, they just have a difference in approach, nothing more, the followers of each strain have the same practices. Also, the difference b/w the two is purely a logical one and how they approach the non-dual Brahman via their interpretation of Śāṅkarabhāṣya on Brahmasūtras. And most Advaitins, either follow Bhāmati or Vivaraṇa prasthāna, or they might lean to one, but accept both as being valid. I take both as being valid, but prefer the style of Bhāmati primarily. There are also some Advaitins, who don't seem to belong to either of the two strains. – Bingming Mar 30 '24 at 22:13
  • Isn't Bhamati primarily leaning on Vachapati Misra's interpretation of Advaita? – Haridasa Mar 30 '24 at 22:18
  • Yes, Bhāmati prasthāna follows Bhāmati i.e. Vācaspati's comm. on Śāṅkarabhāṣya on Brahmasūtras. https://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/bhavir.html – Bingming Mar 30 '24 at 22:19