ajAti vAda

Sankara with disciples: sureSvara,
padmapAda, toTaka and hastAmalaka
Transliteration Key
sureSvara is the most prolific writer among Sankara's immediate disciples. His advaita
writings include vArttikas on SankarAcArya's bRhadAraNyakopanishad bhAshya and
taittirIyopanishad bhAshya, naishkarmyasiddhi, an independent exposition of advaita,
and minor works like pancIkaraNa vArttika, mAnasollAsa, a commentary on Sankara's
dakshiNAmUrti stotram. Other works include bAlakrIDA, svarAjya siddhi and
kASImoksha vicAra. Tradition also identifies sureSvara with maNDana miSra, and with
viSvarUpa, a disciple of kumArila bhaTTa. Sankara is said to have gone to viSvarUpa's
home in order to debate with him. The debate ended in Sankara's triumph, and
viSvarUpa became a sannyAsI disciple of Sankara, under the name of sureSvara. If this
identification is correct, then numerous other works on pUrva mImAm.sA, vyAkaraNa
and other subjects are also the work of the same person.
According to tradition, sureSvara composed the taittirIyopanishad bhAshya vArttika in
honor of Sankara, his guru, who belonged to the taittirIya SAkhA of the kRshNa
yajurveda. Since he himself belonged to the kANva SAkhA of the Sukla yajurveda, he
next wrote the bRhadAraNyakopanishad bhAshya vArttika, with an introduction
known as sambandha vArttika. The naishkarmyasiddhi was composed before he wrote
these two upanishad bhAshya vArttikAs. The naishkarmyasiddhi has attracted the
attention of many later commentators, including jnAnottama miSra, who wrote the
candrikA, citsukha, who wrote bhAva tattva prakASikA, jnAnAmRta, who wrote
vidyAsurabhI and rAmadatta, the author of sArArtha. sureSvara was installed as
Sankara's successor at the southern advaita maTha at Sringeri. An old samAdhi at
Sringeri is traditionally identified as the site where sureSvara was buried. Another
tradition connects him with the western advaita maTha at Dvaraka.
padmapAda is the author of the pancapAdikA, a commentary on Sankara's
brahmasUtra bhAshya. There are a few traditions current about him. His name was
originally sanandana, and like his guru, he hailed from southern India. The story goes
that while learning with Sankara at kASi, he was once on the opposite bank of the