abhi/abhIh - Interesting Word/s in Sanskrit - an Analysis [Long]

[Shikaripura Harihareswara]

At 05:55 AM 4/10/97 +0000, you wrote:
>
>On Sun, 6 Apr 1997, Shikaripura Harihareswara wrote:
>
>> 
>>        10      abhinava-shankara:   According to the annals of Heads of 
>>                the Sanctuary (Matha) in Kanchi-kamakoti, there were four 
>>                Shankaras after the Acharya Sri Shankara. The thity-eigth 
>>                Head is this Swamiji Shankara. As he traveled round the 
>>                country several times like the original preceptor and     
>>                vigorously propagated the ideals of Advaita, he was nick-
>>                named as 'abhinava-shankara' ( died circa 841AD). 
>>
>
>If "original preceptor" refers to the Adi Sankara who wrote commentaries
>to the upanishads etc., then that preceptor lived in the 7th or 8th
>century AD. It is difficult to believe that within one century, there were
>four other incarnations of Sankara, and that the fifth one called
>abhinava-Sankara died in 841 AD. It is certainly strange that vAcaspati
>miSra I, the author of bhAmatI, who must have been a close contemporary,
>seems to be completely unaware of this 'vigorous propagator of advaita
>ideals'.
>
>However, there *was* one fairly recent sannyAsin who was popularly called
>abhinava-Sankara, but he was not connected to the Kanchi Matha. His
>dIkshA name was rAma brahmAnanda tIrtha. He wrote a commentary
>(SrIrudrabhAshyam) to the rudram, which was published in 1962 by the Vani
>Vilas Press, Srirangam.
>
>S. Vidyasankar
>
>
>
Dear Shri VidyAshankar,
Thanks for your input on my article "abhi/abhIh".
Here is some information on 'abhinava shanakara' :

" abhinava-shankara:   According to the annals of Heads of 
the Sanctuary (Matha) in Kanchi-kamakoti, it seems that 
there were four  Shankaras after the Acharya Sri Shankara.
Among these, Sri KripA-shankara is the ninth. Sri Ujjwala-shnakara
is the fifteenth. Sri MUka-shanakara is the twnty-fifth.
The thirty-eigth Head is this Swamiji 'abhinava-shankara'.
He is the son of Sri Chidambara Vishvajit. 
As he traveled round the country several times like the
original preceptor (Acharya Shankara),  and vigorously propagated
the ideals of Advaita and rejuvinated it, he was nick-named as
'abhinava-shankara'. He has another nick-name 'dhIra-shankara'
because of his fierce debating character, a terror to his opponent
in debate (prativAdi-bhayanakara). According to a book
'shakarEndu-vilAsa' by Sri vAkpati bhatta, his fame had spread 
even to other countries abroad like China, Turkey and Persia.
He was the head of the kAma-kOti pITha for 52 years and attained
nirvANa on AShADa shukla pratipat day of siddhArthi samvatsara
of kali era 3941".

I have quoted above extracts from the article by 'H.G'
(= Prof. G Hanumanthachar, President, Sub-Committe on Philosophy
(tattva-shAstra), Kannada Encyclopedia, Mysore, India). 
Taking a difference of 3101 years between kali & common era,
his probable date would be  'died circa 840AD'.

-Sincerely,
Harihareswara
PS: Is the book 'Sri rudra-bhAShya' you have quoted available?
Where can I get a copy of it, please? Thanks!