KUDALI - THE PLACE WHERE SANKARAA CONSECRATED SARADA DEVI

Most of the biographers of sri Adi sankarAchArya narrate his
consecrating sAradA at a sacred spot in the karnAtakA region. The
guruvamsa kAvayam which was composed in about 1737 AD, under the
direction of sri sacchidAnanda bhArati swAmi of SringEri math states
that the AchArya installed vAni at a beautiful spot on the bank of
the tungabhadra river( not on the bank of tungA river).

sankarA prayed to saraswati to go along with him until he consecrated
her grace at some congenial place. She complied with sankarA's
request , laying a condition that he should not look back at her
during the course of the journey and saying that in case he chose to
look back, she would stop at the very spot whence he looked back at
her. sankarA accepted the condition.

The long trek towards the South began. When sankarA reached a sandy
place near the confluence of the rivers, tungA and bhadrA,
saraswati's anklets got struk up in the sand and the small bells
attached to the anklets ceased to tinkle. Till sankarA felt sure of
saraswati's accompanying him by hearing the tinkling sounds caused by
the bells in the anklets. Now, sankarA turned back. saraswati
stopped. The dazed sankarA consecrated vAni's grace at that spot,
near the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA,(not on the bank of the
tunga river as all believe) where she chose to stop.

When sankarA came to kUdali (kUdal- to join)about nine miles from
shimOgA, where the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA takes place..
he turned back.. and on contemplation saw that the Goddess was
inclined to stop at the holy junction of the two rivers, tungA and
bhadrA. (KUDALI).

sankarA had per force to establish a monastic institution, owing to
accidental circumstances, at the place where he consecrated vAni (as
sAradA) and also appointed one of his disciples for the continued
worship of of sAradA at kUdali.

Fitting with the information of the consecration as mentioned in the
guruvamsa kAvyam and the popular traditions recorded by sUrya
nArAyana row in his two works, the mUrti of saradA in the math near
the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA (KUDALI) is in the STANDING
POSE, WHILE THE ICONS OF SARADA IN THE MATHS AT VIRUPAAKSHA (HAMPI)
AND AT SRINGERI (ON THE BANK OF TUNGAA, both said to have been
consecrated by sri vidyAranyA are in the SITTING POSTURE!

The strong traditional and popuar belief that the AchAryA sankarA
consecrated vAni as sAradA on the bank of the tungabhadrA (not on the
bank of tungA) gets confirmation in chidvilAsA's sankara vijaya-
vilAsA (in which the name of the river tungabhadra occurs more than a
dozen times), sankaravijayasangrahA of purushOttama bharati edited by
W.R.Antarkar, AnantAnandagiri's sankaravijayam, guru paramparA nAma
mAlA of the kudali sankarAchArya math and Manuscripts of Dr.Hultzeh
which included the list of bhArati gurus of the tungabhadrA region.

>From the verse quoted below, it is to be understood that a math was
established by sankarA on the bank of the tungabhadrA near the
confluence the tungA and bhadrA (KUDALI MATH) and that the founding
of the math was FOR THE WORSHIP OF SAARADAA, consecrated there by the
AchAryA and as referring to his long stay there. The verse is as
follows:
" samthApya swamtham kr.tvA tungabhadrAnadeetatE
tatra sthitvA dvAdas.Abdam yatim pr.thvIdharAbhidham".

These clearly indicate that Adi sankarA, due to unforeseen
circumstances, had to consecrate vAni as sAradA, at kUdali (NOT AT
SRINGERI WHICH IS ON THE BANK OF TUNGA RIVER) near the confluence of
the rivers, tungA and bhadrA (after which confluence the broadened
river gets the name "TUNGABHADRA") and also to establish a monastic
institution for the worship of sAradA, with one of his disciples as
its first head.