ing and
allowed them to take her willing soul.

This story implies that he was ready to sanction any form of reputable
worship with a slight bias towards Vishnuism.[517] At the present day
the Smartas, who consider themselves his followers, have a preference
for the worship of Siva. But the basis of their faith is not Sivaism
but the recognition of the great body of Indian traditions known as
Smriti. And that, next to Vedantism, was the essence of Sankara's
teaching: he wished to regard tradition as a coherent whole, based on
the eternal Veda but including authoritative Smriti to be interpreted
in the light of the Veda, and thus he hoped to correct extravagant and
partial views and to lead to those heights whence it is seen that all
is one, "without difference."

The results of Sankara's labours may still be seen in the
organization of southern Hinduism which is more complete than in the
north. It is even said that the head of the Sringeri monastery in
Mysore exercises an authority over Smarta Brahmans similar to that of
the Pope.[518] This is probably an exaggeration but his decision is
accepted as settling caste disputes, and even to-day the Sringeri
math[519] is one of the most important religious institutions in
India. The abbot, who is known as Jagadguru, is head of the Smarta
Brahmans. The present occupant is said to be thirty-third in
succession from Sankara and numbers among his predecessors
Sayanacarya, the celebrated Vedic commentator who lived in the
fourteenth century. The continued prosperity of this establishment and
of other religious corporations in the Dravidian country, whereas the
Mohammedans destroyed all monasteries whether Hindu or Buddhist in the
north, is one of the reasons for certain differences in northern and
southern Hinduism. For instance in northern India any Brahman,
whatever his avocation may be, is allowed to perform religious
ceremonies, whereas in the Deccan and south India Brahmans are divided
into Laukikas or secular and Bhikshus or religious. The latter are
householders, the name having lost its monastic sense, but they have
the exclusive right of officiating and acting as Gurus and thus form a
married clergy.

It is possible that the influence of Sankara may have had a
puritanical side which partly accounts for the degeneration of later
Indian art. His higher teaching inculcated a spiritual creed which
needed no shrines, while for those who required rites he recommended
the o