eeing with the statements made to Dr. Buchanan in his journey through
Sankara's native country, Malabar, and in union with the assertion of
the Kerala Utpatti, a work giving art historical and statistical account
of the same province, and which, according to Mr. Duncan's citation of
it, mentions the regulations of the castes of Malabar by this
philosopher to have been effected about 1,000 years before 1798. At the
same time, it must be observed, that a manuscript translation of the
same work in Colonel Mackenzie's possession, states Sankaracharya to
have been born about the middle of the fifth century, or between
thirteen or fourteen hundred years ago, differing in this respect from
Mr. Duncan's statement--a difference of the less importance, as the
manuscript in question, either from defects in the original or
translation, presents many palpable errors, and cannot consequently be
depended upon. The weight of authority therefore is altogether in
favour of an antiquity of about ten centuries, and I am disposed to
adopt this estimate of Sankara's date, and to place him in the end of
the eighth and beginning of the ninth century of the Christian era."

We will add a few more authorities to Mr. Wilson's list before
proceeding to comment on the foregoing passage.

In a work called "The Biographical Sketches of Eminent Hindu Authors,"
published at Bombay in 1860 by Janardan Ramchenderjee, it is stated that
Sankara lived 2,500 years ago, and that, in the opinion of some people,
2,200 years ago. The records of the Combaconum Matham give a list of
nearly 66 Mathadhipatis from Sankara down to the present time, and show
that he lived more than 2,000 years ago.

The Kudali Matham referred to by Mr. Wilson, which is a branch of the
Sringeri Matham, gives the same date as the latter Matham, their
traditions being identical. Their calculation can safely be relied upon
as far as it is supported by the dates given on the places of Samadhi
(something like a tomb) of the successive Gurus of the Sringeri Matham;
and it leads us to the commencement of the Christian era.

No definite information is given by Mr. Wilson regarding the nature,
origin, or reliability of the accounts which place Sankara in the third
or fourth century of the Christian era or at its commencement; nor does
it clearly appear that the history of the kings of Konga referred to
unmistakably alludes to the very first Sancharacharya. These traditions
are evidently