Sankaracarya had four principal disciples, and he established four centers under their management. In North India at Badarikasrama, the monastery named Jyotir-matha was established. At Purusottama, the Bhogavardhana or Govardhana monastery was established. In Dvaraka, the Sarada monastery was established. And the fourth monastery, established in South India, is known as Srngeri-matha. In the Srngeri-matha the sannyasis assume the designations Sarasvati, Bharati and Puri. They are all ekadandi-sannyasis, distinguished from the Vaisnava sannyasis, who are known as tridandi-sannyasis. The Srngeri-matha is situated in South India in a portion of the country known as Andhra, Dravida, Karnata and Kerala. The community is called Bhurivara, and the dynasty is called Bhur-bhuvah. The place is called Ramesvara, and the slogan is aham brahmasmi. The Deity is Lord Varaha, and the energetic power is Kamaksi. The acarya is Hastamalaka, and the brahmacari assistants of the sannyasis are known as Caitanya. The place of pilgrimage is called Tungabhadra, and the subject for Vedic study is the Yajur Veda.

The list of the disciplic succession from Sankaracarya is available, and the names of the acaryas and the dates of their accepting sannyasa, according to the Saka era (or Sakabda), are as follows (for approximate Christian-era dates, add 79 years): Sankaracarya, 622 Saka; Suresvaracarya, 630; Bodhanacarya, 680; Jnanadhanacarya, 768; Jnanottama-sivacarya, 827; Jnanagiri Acarya, 871; Simhagiri Acarya, 958; Isvara Tirtha, 1019; Narasimha Tirtha, 1067; Vidyatirtha Vidya-sankara, 1150; Bharati-krsna Tirtha, 1250; Vidyaranya Bharati, 1253; Candrasekhara Bharati, 1290; Narasimha Bharati, 1309; Purusottama Bharati, 1328; Sankarananda, 1350; Candrasekhara Bharati, 1371; Narasimha Bharati, 1386; Purusottama Bharati, 1398; Ramacandra Bharati, 1430; Narasimha Bharati, 1479; Narasimha Bharati, 1485; Abhinava-narasimha Bharati, 1521; Saccidananda Bharati, 1544; Narasimha Bharati, 1585; Saccidananda Bharati, 1627; Abhinava-saccidananda Bharati, 1663; Nrsimha Bharati, 1689; Saccidananda Bharati, 1692; Abhinava-saccidananda Bharati, 1730; Narasimha Bharati, 1739; Saccidananda Sivabhinava Vidya-narasimha Bharati, 1788.

Regarding Sankaracarya, it is understood that he was born in the year 608 of the Sakabda era, in the month of Vaisakha, on the third day of the waxing moon, in a place in South India known as Kaladi. His father's name was Sivaguru, and he lost his father at an early age. When Sankaracarya was only eight years old, he completed his study of all scriptures and took sannyasa from Govinda, who was residing on the banks of the Narmada. After accepting sannyasa, Sankaracarya stayed with his spiritual master for some days. He then took his permission to go to Varanasi, and from there he went to Badarikasrama, where he stayed until his twelfth year. While there, he wrote a commentary on the Brahma-sutra, as well as on ten Upanisads and the Bhagavad-gita. He also wrote Sanat-sujatiya and a commentary on the Nrsimha-tapini. Among his many disciples, his four chief disciples are Padmapada, Suresvara, Hastamalaka and Trotaka. After departing from Varanasi, Sankaracarya went to Prayaga, where he met a great learned scholar called Kumarila Bhatta. Sankaracarya wanted to discuss the authority of the scriptures, but Kumarila Bhatta, being on his deathbed, sent him to his disciple Mandana, in the city of Mahismati. It was there that Sankaracarya defeated Mandana Misra in a discussion of the sastras. Mandana had a wife named Sarasvati, or Ubhaya-bharati, who served as mediator between Sankaracarya and her husband. It is said that she wanted to discuss erotic principles and amorous love with Sankaracarya, but Sankaracarya had been a brahmacari since birth and therefore had no experience in amorous love. He took a month's leave from Ubhaya-bharati and, by his mystic power, entered the body of a king who had just died. In this way Sankaracarya experienced the erotic principles. After attaining this experience, he wanted to discuss erotic principles with Ubhaya-bharati, but without hearing his discussion she blessed him and assured the continuous existence of the Srngeri-matha. She then took leave of material life. Afterwards, Mandana Misra took the order of sannyasa from Sankaracarya and became known as Suresvara. Sankaracarya defeated many scholars throughout India and converted them to his Mayavada philosophy. He left the material body at the age of thirty-three.

As far as Matsya-tirtha is concerned, it was supposedly situated beside the ocean in the district of Malabar.