Ashrama Name: Shri Shankaranandendra Sarasvati (1)
Birth Place: Madhyarjuna
Purvashrama Name: Mahesha
Purvashrama Father’s Name: Bhalachandra
Years as Pithadhipati: 32
Siddhi: 4517 Durmukhi Chaitra Shukla Prathama (CE 1416-Mar-09) at early morning
Other: Along with His Guru Shri Vidyatirthendra Sarasvati, this Acharya was instrumental in the re-establishment of Advaita and Sanatana Dharma in the Karnataka region, which had been suffering from the excesses of Veera Shaivism and the recently formulated Dvaita school. He gave sannyasa to the famed Shri Vidyaranya, who led eight other sannyasi-s to Karnataka for the above mission.
After this, He left for the Himalaya-s and was performing service to His Guru who performed penance there for 15 years till His Siddhi. Returning to Kanchi after the Siddhi of the Guru, He resumed His duties as Acharya of the Kamakoti Peetham.
During the time of this Acharya, some extreme followers of Vaishnava Agama-s were spreading hatred of Shiva in the guise of distributing Vishnu Prasada to common people. To demonstrate to such ignorant people that Shiva and Vishnu are one, this Acharya prayed to Varadaraja of Vishnu Kanchi, who immediately turned His Murti into one of Shiva, showing that He and Shiva are one. Later on, the Acharya prayed to Varadaraja that He take His normal form, which the Lord also complied with.Shlokas
श्रीसर्वज्ञसदाशिवबोधेन्द्रकृता पुण्यश्लोकमञ्जरी
आदिश्याष्ट यमीश्वरान् समवितुं कर्णाटदेशेऽद्वयं
रोद्धुं सायणमाधवोक्तविधया वृद्धिं च मध्वाध्वनाम्।
विद्यातीर्थगुरोरसोढविरहोऽप्यावृत्य शीताचलात्
तस्योक्तेर्बिभराम्बभूव स धुरां श्रीकामकोटीमठे॥१०२॥
श्रीमध्यार्जुनभालचन्द्रमखिराट्सूनुर्महेशाह्वयो
विद्यातीर्थपदान्नियम्य समयेष्वद्वैतमुद्द्योतयन्।
अध्यास्त प्रतिकामकोटि शरदो द्वात्रिंशतं देहिनां
द्वैतध्वान्तनिवारणो नवमठीनाथो नवः शङ्करः॥१०३॥
स दुर्मुखिनि सन्मुखो मधुरवाङ्मधौ मौनिराट्
पदी प्रतिपदि प्रगे प्रसितधीः सिते पक्षके।
समस्तभुवनार्चितः सकृद् उमेशयन् अच्युतं
जहौ तनुमनुत्तमाम् अविशद् आशु नैजं महः॥१०४॥
॥ श्रीसदाशिवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणविरचिता जगद्गुरु-रत्न-माला ॥
खल-वैष्णव-तैन्त्रिणीक-कोलाहल-हेलाहित-गालिरुक्ति-जालैः ।
शिवयन् वरदं चिरेण सौम्यः शिवकृन्मेऽस्तु स शङ्करः प्रणम्यः ॥ ८० ॥
॥ पञ्चषष्टितमैः पीठाधिपतिभिः श्रीमत्सुदर्शनमहादेवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणैः प्रणीतः श्री-काञ्ची-कामकोटि-पीठ-जगद्-गुरु-परम्परा-स्तवः ॥
(५२) शङ्करानन्द-योगीन्द्र-पद-पङ्कजयोर्युगम् ।
बुक्क-भूप-शिरो-रत्नं स्मरामि सततं हृदा ॥ ५४ ॥