Padmapadacharya (पद्मपादाचार्य)

Bhaktamal | Padmapadacharya
Real name - Sri Sanandana
Other name - Padmapada
Aradhya - Bhagwan Shiva
Guru - Adi Shankaracharya
Birth date - 8th century
Birth Place - Land of the Cholas, on the banks of the Kaveri
Language: Sanskrit
Marital status - Unmarried
Father - Vimal
Famous - Padmapada was the first head of Puri Govardhana MathaPadmapadacharya was from the southern part of India, after completing his early studies in his hometown he decided to lead an ascetic life and traveled to Kashi to meet a guru. At that time Adi Shankara was giving discourses on Advaita Vedanta in Kashi.

Padmapadacharya was the first disciple of Shankaracharya. He was the first in more than one sense. His unparalleled devotion pleased the Guru so much that in appreciation of his sincere search for the truth, the Acharya took the pains of explaining his works to him thrice.

Sri Padmapadacharya was among the disciples to whom Sri Shankaracharya personally taught his commentaries on the Bhagavadgita, the Upanishads and the Brahma-Sutras. Moreover, Sri Shankaracharya himself thought it fit to direct Sri Padmapada to write a commentary on his Brahma-Sutra-Bhashya. Only a small portion of that great work is believed to have survived. Though known as the Panchapadika, it is essentially an elaborate commentary on the first four of the Brahma-sutras now in vogue. His writings include commentaries on Sri Sankaracharya's Prapancha-sara and Atma-bodha besides two independent works Swarupanubhava and Shiva-pancakshari-bhasya.

Sri Padmapada was appointed by Sri Shankaracharya as the first head of the Govardhana Peetha in Puri, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. It is one of the four Amnaya-peethas established by Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada, which are the main peeths of Vedic learning.

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