enerally accepted date and does not appear
to conflict with anything else that is at present known of Sankara. An
alternative suggestion is some date between 590 and 650 (see Telang,
_I.A._ XIII. 1884, p. 95 and Fleet, _I.A._ XVI. 1887, p. 41). But in
this case, it is very strange that I-Ching does not mention so
conspicuous an enemy of the Buddhists. It does not seem to me that the
use of Purnavarman's name by Sankara in an illustration (_Comm. on
Vedanta Sut._ II. i. 17) necessarily implies they were contemporaries,
but it does prove that he cannot have lived before Purnavarman.]

[Footnote 514: Another tradition says he was born at Chidambaram, but
the temple at Badrinath in the Himalayas said to have been founded by
him has always been served by Nambuthiri Brahmans from Malabar. In
1910 a great temple erected in his honour was consecrated at Kaladi.]

[Footnote 515: His conflicts with them are described in works called
Sankara-vijaya of which at least four are extant.]

[Footnote 516: They are called Dasanamis which merely means that each
ascetic bears one or other of ten surnames (Sarswati, Bharati, Tirtha,
etc.). See for a further account of them Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya,
_Hindu Castes and Sects_, pp. 374-379.

The order in all its branches seems to have strong pantheistic
inclinations. They mutter the formula Sivo'ham, I am Siva.]

[Footnote 517: I have been told by south Indian Pandits that they
think Sankara was bom in a Bhagavata family and that there is some
evidence his kinsmen were trustees of a temple of Krishna. The
Saktas also claim him, but the tradition that he opposed the Saktas is
strong and probable. Many hymns addressed to Vishnu, Siva and various
forms of Durga are attributed to him. I have not been able to discover
what is the external evidence for their authenticity but hymns must
have been popular in south India before the time of Sankara and it is
eminently probable that he did not neglect this important branch of
composition.]

[Footnote 518: See Bhattacharya, _Hindu Castes and Sects_, p. 16.]

[Footnote 519: This math has an endowment of about L5000 a year,
instituted by the kings of Vijayanagar. The Guru is treated with great
respect. His palankin is carried crossways to prevent anyone from
passing him and he wears a jewelled head-dress, not unlike a papal
tiara, and wooden shoes covered with silver. See an interesting
account of Sringeri in _J. Mythic Society_ (Bangalore), vol. VI