RELIGIOUS SECTS OF THE HINDUS. 17g 



dence of his disciples, particularly one still flourishing at Sringeri, or 

 Sringagiri, on the western Ghats, near the sources of the Tungabhadrd. 

 Towards the close of his life, he repaired as far as to Kashmir, and seated 

 himself, after triumphing over various opponents, on the throne of Saras- 

 wati. He next went to JBadarikdsrama, and finally to Kedamdth, in the 

 Himalaya, where he died at the early age of thirty-two. The events of his 

 last days are confirmed by local traditions, and the Pilha, or throne of 

 Saraswati, on which Sankara sat, is still shown in Kashmir ; whilst at the 

 temple of Siva, at Badari, a Malabar Brahman, of the Namburi tribe, 

 has always been the officiating priest.* 



The influence exercised by Sankara in person, has been perpetuated 

 by his writings, the most eminent of which are his Bhdshyas, or Com- 

 mentaries on the. Sutras, or Aphorisms of VyAsa. A Commentary on the 

 JBhagavad Gita, is also ascribed to him, as is one on the Nrisinha Tapaniya 

 Upanishad : a cento of verses in praise of Durga, the Saundaryd Lahari, is 

 likewise said to be his composition, as sometimes is the Amru Sataka, a 

 collection of amatory Stanzas, written in the name of Amru, a Prince, whose 

 dead body Sankara is fabled to have animated, that by becoming fami- 

 liarised with sensual enjoyments, he might argue upon such topics with the 

 wife of Madana Misra, who was more than equal to him in discussions of 

 this nature, and was the only disputant he was unable to subdue, until 

 the period of his transmigration had expired, and he had thence become 

 practised in the gratification of the passions. 



Although no doubt of Sankara's existence, or of the important part 

 performed by him in the partial re-modelling of the Hindu system, can 

 be entertained, yet the exact period at which he flourished can by no 



Asiatick Researches, vol. XII. page 536. 



