Gaudapadacharya – Grand Guru of Adi Shankaracharya

We all know about the philosophical master Jagadguru Shri Adi Shankaracharya. He re-established the philosophy of Advaita Siddhanta and revived Sanatana Dharma in Bharatvarsha. But very little do we know that this master also had supreme gurus who played an important role in shaping his divinity.

In this article, we shall know more about the Guru-Shishya lineage of Gaudapadacharya and the present whereabouts of his Shishya lineage.

Gaudapadacharya was born 2629 years ago in the year 618 B.C(499+120+2010=2629) in Gauda Desha (Present-day Bengal) and later on moved to Aparanta (Present-day region around River Narmada in Gujrat and Madhya Pradesh).
He wrote BHASHYAS‘ on ‘MANDUKYOPANISHAD‘ a treatise on ‘AUM (OMKAR)‘ which is treated as a gateway to Indian philosophy.
It is in Onkareshwar, river Narmada geographically carved itself as an island in the form of ’AUM’ (ONKAR). It is at Onkareshwar in ‘Vaiduryamani Parvat‘ where Gaudapadacharya did Tapasya and attained siddhi. This prompted him to write such a masterpiece and other works.
On the banks of the river Narmada Sacred Gaudapada Gufa (Cave) still exists where he was in Samadhi Sthan.

Shri Govind Bhagwatpada – First Shishya

Shri Govind Bhagwatpada was a Shishya of Gaudapadacharya who trained Shri Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankara at a very young age gained all the knowledge and later on traveled across the whole of India to re-establish Dharma. He also had another Shishya apart from Adi Shankara. He was Shri Vivarananda who establish Shri Gaudapadacharya Math.

The above pic is the pictorial representation of the cave of Shri Govind Bhagwadpada. It was on the banks of river Narmada (Present-day Madhya Pradesh). It was in this cave where Adi Shankara gained knowledge.

Shri Saunsthan Gaudapadacharya (Kaivalya/Kavle Math)

This was the first math of Advaita Siddhanta. It was headed by Shrimat Vivarananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya. He was the first appointed Shishya by Shri Govind Bhagwatpada to head the math. The followers of this Math were Saraswat Brahmins from the banks of River Saraswati. The followers of this Math are called Gauda Saraswat Brahmins. They belong to the ‘Smartha’ sampradaya.

All the subsequent Mathadapatis of this math use ‘Gaudapadacharya’ as a suffix to their names as an indication of the lineage of Guru Parampara of Shri Gaudapadacharya.

Later these brahmins migrated to the Konkan region (the west coast of India) , present-day Goa on the invitation of Bhagwan Parshuram. Thus,The Math was built at Kushasthali near Keloshi (Quelshim) in Goa by Shri Vivaranananda Saraswati, who along with Adi Shankara was a disciple of Govind Bhagwadpada, who in turn was Gaudapada’s disciple.

During the Portuguese era, an inquisition was ordered by the Church. Due to forced mass conversions, many Saraswat Brahmins had to migrate outside Goa. The Gaudapadacharya Math at Keloshi was destroyed by the Portuguese. 57th guru Shrimat Purnananda Saraswati Swami Gowdapadacharya had to leave Goa and find shelter at the Golvan Matha ashram.

The List of all the Mathadapatis of Shri Sansthan Gaudapadacharya:

• 1. Shri Gauḍapādāchārya
• 2. Shri Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya
• 3. Shrimat Vivarananda Saraswati Swami Gauḍapādāchārya
• 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

From serial numbers 57- 77

• 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 numbers 39 to 56. The records were destroyed by the Portuguese government during their rule in Goa.

More:

When the inquisition orders were taken back after years, a new Math was constructed at Kaivalyapuri (present-day Kavle). This Math became the core for the Saraswat Brahmins and a place for permanent residence for the Swamijis. Hence this Math is also called ‘Kavle Math’. Along with Gauda Saraswat Brahmins, another fraction of Saraswat Brahmins called Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins also became disciples of this math. Headquartered at Kavle, this Math also has shakas/branches at Varanasi, Ankola, Belgaum, Walkeshwar, Gokarn, Delhi, etc.

Other linked Maths

During the medieval era of Indian history especially during the ‘Bhakti Movement,’ some disciples of this Math accepted Madhava Deeksha and drifted off from the Kavle Math and established two Vaishnava Maths, Shri Gokarn Partagali (Jeevottam) Math Sansthan, and Shri Kashi Math Saunsthan at Partagali (Goa) and Varanasi respectively.

During the subsequent invasion by Muslim and Portuguese rulers, a large number of Smartha Brahmin followers of Kavle Math migrated to Karnataka to save their Dharma. At the same time in Karnataka, due to pressure from the local Kannadiga Brahmins and the Nagar rulers, Hence, The Saraswats were forced to set up a new Math around 1708. They got support and recognition from the then Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Shri Shringeri Math.
So, now the headquarters of this new sect is at Chitrapur, Shirali- Karnataka.
Shrimat Parijnanashram I Swamiji was the first Guru of this Math and it was Lord Mahabaleshwar of Gokarn who appeared in the dream of one of the members of the community and ordered to accept Shrimat Parijnanashram I Swamiji as their first Guru.
Meanwhile even the Shringeri Shankaracharya had a divine vision of Devi Sharadamba ordering him to give recognition to the new Swamiji. The Math headquartered at Chitrapur in Shirali (Karnataka) is named Shri Chitrapur Math Saunsthan.