maThAmnAya

[sarabhanga]

Sarada Mutt at Sringeri in southern India and Kalika Mutt at Dwarka in western India

Namaste,

shAradA maTha is at dvArakA (in the west), and the shAradA devI is bhadrakAlI (to the east).
shRÑgerI maTha is on shRÑgagiri (in the south), and the shRÑgerI devI is kAmAkshI (to the north).
govardhana maTha is in purI (in the east), and the govardhana devI is vimala (to the west).
jyotirmaTha is in badarikAshrama (in the north), and the jyotiSmat devI is pUrNagiri (to the south).

kAlikAmaTha is an alternative name for shAradAmaTha, based on its shakti pITha; but I can see no good reason for mixing up shAradAmaTha and shRÑgerImaTha.

Following the example of the western shAradAmaTha and its alternative kAlikAmaTha, the southern shRÑgerImaTha could perhaps be referred to as kAmAkshImaTha (but not shAradAmaTha).

According to shrI shaÑkarAcArya, the four AmnAya maTha are:

1. shAradAmaTha dvArakA,
2. govardhanamaTha purI,
3. jyotirmaTha badarikAshrama, and
4. shRÑgerImaTha shRÑgagiri.

shAradA is another name for sarasvatI (brAhmI or vAc), and in this sense every maTha is a veritable shAradA pITha. However, the original shAradA pITha was in kashmIra (at shArdi) and the name has always been particularly associated with the north-western quarter (the sarasvatisindhu region) and the western gateway (dvArakA) of bhArata.

Since shrI candrashekhara bhAratI I became the shaÑkarAcArya of shRÑgerImaTha in 1386 AD, the shRÑgerI AcArya had always been a bhAratI nAma, until candrashekhara bhAratI III passed the authority to shrI abhinavavidyA tIrtha in 1954, who was succeeded by the present shaÑkarAcArya shrI bhAratI tIrtha in 1989. However, a saMnyAsI who is tIrtha nAma is traditionally associated with shAradAmaTha dvArakA, and I suspect that the current name shRÑgerI shAradA maTha is connected with the recent tIrtha leadership. In addition, the famous svAmI rAmakRSNa purI was associated by dIkshA with shRÑgerImaTha, but he is better known for his close relationship with bhadrakAlI (the shAradA devI), which has helped to confuse the original relationships in popular understanding.

[sarabhanga]

The shaÑkarAcArya of shRÑgerImaTha shRÑgagiri was bhAratI nAma until 1954 (now tIrtha).
The shaÑkarAcArya of shAradAmaTha dvArakA was tIrtha nAma until 1982 (now sarasvatI).
The shaÑkarAcArya of govardhanamaTha purI was tIrtha nAma until 1992 (now sarasvatI).
And jyotirmaTha badarikAshrama was resurrected by shrI brahmAnanda sarasvatI in 1941, but the shaÑkarAcArya title has been disputed ever since he passed away in 1953.
See: shaÑkarAcArya paramparA