![]() Some of these medieval era mathas of Hinduism in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, were for Vedanta studies, but some mathas from the 700 to 1000 CE period predominantly focussed on Shaivism, Vaishnavism, military, martial arts, music, painting or other fields of knowledge including subjects related to Buddhism and Jainism. The matha tradition of Hinduism attracted royal patronage, attracting endowments to support studies, and these endowments established, states Hartmut Scharfe, what may be "the earliest case on record of a university scholarship". Historical roles of matha Ĭlass=notpageimage| Kanchi inscription suggests the existence of a Vedic-Agamic matha in the 4th century CE. The oldest verifiable Ghatika for Vedic studies, from inscription evidence is in Kanchi, from the 4th-century CE. Matha-s were regionally known by other terms, such as Ghatika-s and Khandika-s. Mathas, as simple huts for wandering ascetics, are mentioned in chapter 12.139 of the Mahabharata and section 3.1 of Baudhayana Dharmasutras. According to Olivelle, noticing the Advaita leaning of the Sannyasa Upanishads, the major monastries of the early medieaval period belonged to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, preserving and possibly adapting the Sannyasa Upanishads with their Advaita leaning. Patrick Olivelle mentions the absence of organized ascetic or monastic institutions within Brahmanism until the early medieval period. The oldest meaning of matha is "hut" or "hovel," "the hut of a nomadic arya." In time, it came to mean "the residence of various ascetics or religious scholars, sometimes attached to a grand temple." History ![]() The root of the word is math, which means 'inhabit' or 'to grind'. ![]() Matha (Sanskrit: मठ) refers to 'cloister, institute, or college', and in some contexts refers to 'hut of an ascetic, monk or renunciate' or 'temple for studies'. The term matha is also used for 'monastery' in Jainism, and the earliest monasteries near Jain temples are dated to be from about the 5th-century CE. The mathas in the Hindu tradition have not been limited to religious studies, and historical evidence suggests that they were centers for diverse studies such as medieval medicine, grammar and music. These monasteries are sometimes attached to Hindu temples and have their codes of conduct, initiation and election ceremonies. The monastery host and feed students, sannyasis (monks, renouncers, ascetics), gurus and are led by acharyas. ![]() Other major and influential mathas belong to various schools of Hindu philosophy, such as those of Vaishnavism and Shaivism. ![]() įamous mathas or peethams professing the Vishishtadvaita philosophy include Parakala Matha at Mysore, Karnataka Ahobila Matha at Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh and Srimad Andavan Ashramam at Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. The most famous and influential Dvaita Vedanta mathas or peethams are Ashta Mathas at Udupi, Karnataka Uttaradi Matha at Bangalore, Karnataka Vyasaraja Matha at Sosale, Karnataka and Raghavendra Matha at Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh. The most famous Advaita Vedanta mathas or peethams, which came to be affiliated with the Advaita tradition in the 14th century, are Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ at Puri, Odisha Śārada Pīṭhaṃ at Sringeri, Karnataka Kalika Pīṭhaṃ at Dvāraka, Gujarat Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ at Badari, Uttarakhand and Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham at Kanchi, Tamil Nadu. The earliest epigraphical evidence for mathas related to Hindu-temples comes from the 7th to 10th century CE. An alternative term for such a monastery is adheenam. A matha ( /mʌt/ Sanskrit: मठ, maṭha), also written as math, muth, mutth, mutt, or mut, is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. ![]()
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