Hastamalakacharya (हस्तामलकाचार्य)

Bhaktamal | Hastamalakacharya
Real name - Prithvidhar
Other name - Prithvidharacharya
Aradhya - Bhagwan Shiva
Guru - Adi Shankaracharya
Birth date - 8th century
Birth Place - Shivalli, West Coast Karnataka
Language: Sanskrit
Marital status - Unmarried
Father - Prabhakara
Famous - First Jagadguru of Dwarkapitham
Founder - Idayil Matham in Thrissur, Kerala.Hastamalakacharya was the third eldest disciple of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. He was appointed the first Peethadheesh of Sharada Math in Dwarka in the western region established by Sri Shankaracharya. It is said that Sri Hastamalak was a yogi in his previous birth.

Hastamalakacharya was not an ordinary child. His parents were worried thinking this. Impressed by the story of the immense power of Adi Shankaracharya, father Pandit Prabhakar took his son along to meet Adi Shankaracharya and told him his problem.

As soon as Sri Shankaracharya saw the boy, he came to know everything and asked the boy to introduce himself. All the people present there were surprised to see that the boy who always remained quiet and never learned even a single word, started speaking in pure Sanskrit, I am not a human being, not a god, not a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra, not a Brahmachari, Grihastha, Vanaprasthi or Sanyasi. I am only a soul in its own self-awareness."

When Adi Shankaracharya told him that Hastamalaka was a yogi and had entered the dead body of his son, Pandit Prabhakar remembered the incident that happened on the banks of river Yamuna. He became convinced that his son actually had the soul of a yogi in his body and the path of renunciation was the right one for him and hence he handed over his son to Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankaracharya initiated Hastamalaka into the Sannyasa religion and since he was holding an Amla in his hand when he met him, he named him Hastamalaka.

From that day onwards Hastamalaka spent his life in the service of Adi Shankaracharya. After Adi Shankaracharya left for the Himalayas, Hastamalaka was appointed the Peethadheesh of Dwaraka Math following his orders and he worked all his life for the upliftment of Vedic religion.

The hymn of 12 verses related to the name of Hastamlak, "Hastamlak Stotra" is quite famous. It contains the explanation of Acharya Shankar. There is also a commentary in the name of "Vedantasiddhanta Deepika".

Padmapadacharya, Hastamalakacharya,Sureshvaracharya, Trotakacharya all are disciples of Adi Shankaracharya and are the first Peethadhees of the four Shankaracharya Peethas.