Defence
The four mathas (monasteries) at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath (Joshimath) were established by:
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Answer: Option A — Adi Shankaracharya
Detailed Solution
The four main mathas (monasteries), at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Jyotirmath (Joshimath), are traditionally believed to have been established by Adi Shankaracharya, the great philosopher of Advaita Vedanta, in the 8th century CE.
The four mathas (Chaturamnaya Peethas):
- "Sringeri Sharada Peetham" (south): in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, on the banks of the Tunga river; associated with the Yajurveda.
- "Dwarka Sharada Peetham" (west): in Dwarka, Gujarat; associated with the Samaveda.
- "Govardhana Peetham" (east): in Puri, Odisha; associated with the Rigveda.
- "Jyotirmath" (Jyotir Peetham) (north): in Joshimath, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, near Badrinath; associated with the Atharvaveda.
- Each matha is headed by a "Shankaracharya", who is regarded as a successor of Adi Shankaracharya.
- The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (in Tamil Nadu) also claims to have been established by him.
About Adi Shankaracharya:
- He lived in the 8th century CE (traditionally 788-820 CE, though some scholars give earlier dates).
- He was born at Kaladi, on the banks of the Periyar (Purna) river, in Kerala.
- He became a sannyasi (renunciant) at a very young age, and studied under his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada.
- He travelled all over India, debating with scholars of other schools and reviving Vedic Hinduism.
- He wrote commentaries (bhashyas) on the Brahma Sutras, the principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as hymns such as "Bhaja Govindam".
- He died at a young age (32, according to tradition), at Kedarnath (according to one tradition).
His philosophy - Advaita Vedanta:
- "Advaita" means "non-dualism".
- The ultimate reality (Brahman) is one, and the individual self (atman) is identical with Brahman.
- The world as we see it is "maya" (illusion or appearance).
- Liberation (moksha) comes from knowledge (jnana) of this unity.
Honours:
A 108-foot "Statue of Oneness" (Ekatmata ki Pratima) of Adi Shankaracharya was unveiled at Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh, in 2023.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Ramanujacharya founded Vishishtadvaita.
- ✗Madhvacharya and Vallabhacharya founded other schools of Vedanta.
Quick tip
Remember: four mathas = Adi Shankaracharya (Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri, Jyotirmath); Advaita Vedanta; born at Kaladi (Kerala); Statue of Oneness at Omkareshwar (2023).
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Bhakti & Sufi Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Bhakti & Sufi Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Bhakti and Sufi movements emphasised personal devotion to God over ritual and caste. This topic covers Bhakti saints such as Ramanuja, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Chaitanya, Namdev and Tukaram, and the Sufi orders (silsilas) such as the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders and their saints. Questions usually link a saint to their region, language, teacher or ideas, or ask which Sufi order a saint belonged to. For example, Moinuddin Chishti brought the Chishti order to Ajmer, and Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda. A table of saint, region and key teaching makes these questions easy. Practise the Bhakti and Sufi movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.