Chaturamnaya Peethas: Adi Shankaracharya’s four mathas
Adi Shankaracharya set up four seats of learning at the four quarters of Bharat and gave each a Veda, a mahavakya and one of his disciples as its first head: Sringeri in the south, with the Yajurveda, under Sureshvaracharya; Dwarka in the west, the Sharada Peetham, with the Samaveda, under Hastamalaka; Puri in the east, the Govardhan Matha, with the Rigveda, under Padmapada; and Jyotirmath in the north, with the Atharvaveda, under Totaka.
The heads of these mathas carry the title Shankaracharya to this day. The Amnaya mathas’ own reckoning dates Shankara to c. 509–477 BCE; another widely used reckoning gives 788–820 CE.
Temples in this circuit
StandingSringeri Sharada Peetham
The Dakshinamnaya, the southern of the four mathas of Adi Shankaracharya, on the Tunga, with Sureshvaracharya as its first head. Its acharya Vidyaranya stood behind the founding of Vijayanagara.
StandingDwarka Sharada Peetham (Kalika Matha)
The western (Paschimamnaya) seat of the four mathas of Adi Shankaracharya, beside the Dwarkadhish temple. It holds the Samaveda and the mahavakya Tat tvam asi; its first acharya was Hastamalaka.
StandingGovardhan Matha, Puri
The eastern (Purvamnaya) seat of Adi Shankaracharya’s four mathas, at Puri close to the Jagannath temple. It holds the Rigveda and the mahavakya Prajnanam Brahma; its first acharya was Padmapada.
StandingJyotirmath
The northern of the four amnaya mathas founded by Adi Shankaracharya, guardian of the Atharva Veda, and the winter home of Badrinath’s worship.