182 ON THE CASTES 



various castes and established rules and regulations for their 

 conduct. I do not mean to say that caste rules were not 

 observed in Malabar before Sankara's time ; but it was he 

 who divided the 4 castes into 72, framed the rules, and drew 

 the line of demarcation between the various castes, and 

 settled all disputes. The Jatinirnaya, a work (as the word 

 itself means) treating of the various Jatis or castes is attri- 

 buted to him. He is best known as an author and as a 

 philosopher. There are many opinions regarding the date 

 of his birth. Professor Wilson places him in the 8th or 9th 

 century A.D. ; Dr. Burnell says that Sankara lived between 

 650 and 740 A.D. The existence of a Grrantha called 

 Sankaravijayan supposed to have been written by Sankara's 

 pupils seems to settle the doubt. It is said in this work that 

 he was born in the year 14 of the era of Vikramaditya, and 

 that he died at the age of 32 in the month of Vaisakha, on 

 the 12th lunar day of the bright lunar fortnight in the year 

 40 of Vikramaditya. This places him about 44 years before 

 Christ. 



. Sankara was born at a place called Kallady in Travancore, 

 where his mother's house still exists. He was the 

 offspring of adultery for which his mother Sri Mahadevi 

 was expelled from her caste. Though he laid down laws and 

 rules, yet he seems not to have been very popular in Malabar. 

 When his mother died nobody gave assistance in herfuneral. 

 He had to burn the corpse alone assisted by theSudras. 



The popular belief to this day is that he was the son of 

 Siva. 15 



In the course of his travels he founded many religious 

 houses or Mattams, one of which still survives, and is known 

 as the Sringeri Mattam. He died at Badari near the 

 Himalayas, aged 32. It is said that a Namburi, to which 



(15) Since writing the above we have come across a pamphlet in which a 

 more detailed account of Sankara's life is given. We. reserve it for a future 

 paper. 



