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In the tracing the genealogy of Sankardeva, some biographical works mention the name Prema-purnananda-giri of Atri Gotra. But these traditional accounts are difficult to be regarded as true history and it is safe to come down ro Landavara, nine in descent from Prema- purnananda-giri and father of Candivara. On the strength of biographers like Ramananda, it is held that towards the end of the thirteenth century, Sankardeva’s forefathers came from Gujarat to Kanauj and after about thirty years they again migrated to Gauda. After more than about thirty years they left Gauda for Kamarupa in the middle of the fourteenth century. This most authentic biographer, Daityari Thakura, provides genealogy of the Guru from Landavara or Landadeva. According to another account we have the following genealogical note;

In his own writing, Sankardeva provides his identity, as follows:

baradova name grama sasve msrsye anupama
lauhityara ati anukula
sehi maha gramesvara achilanta rajadhara
kayastha kulara padma phula
tane putra suryavara maha vara desadhara
jnani mani parama visista
yara yasa ebho jvalai jayanta madhava dali
dui vhai yahara kanistha
tane putra kuloddhara bhaumika madhyata sara
prasiddha kusuma nama yara
tane suta sisumati krsna pawe kari nati
viracila sankra payara

Birth and Birthplace

There is no controversy regarding the month and year of Sankaradeva’s birth. But in the lunar reckoning, all biographers are not unanimous. Daityari Thakur, the earliest and most authentic biographer, is silent regarding the exact date of birth of Sankaradeva. That the Guru was born in the month of Asvina in 1449 A.D. is an established fact; but the exact date differ from work to work; Daityari states that Kusumavaras wife gave birth to Sankaradeva on an auspicious period of midnight.

There are mainly two options amongst the biographers Sankaradeva was born on Thursday, Kartika-samkranti (last day of the month of Asvina of 1371 Saka) at midnight on the full dark moon, have been recorded in most of the now available works, although it is now generally observed on the 10th day of the bright moon of Asvina is the date of Kusumavara’s passing away. However there is no doubt that the Guru was born at Alipukhuri-Bardowa, a small village in the present day district of Nagaon (Assam). Many miracles are said to have happened at the time of the birth of Sankaradeva. After the birth of the child Kusuma sent for the family astrologer, Santarama to draw up the horoscope. After astrological calculations the child was named Ganga-dhar. Santarama found in the baby all the marks of a divine person. As Sankaradeva was born as a result of the Siva’s blessing, he was called Sankara-vara. Afterwords his school teacher, Mahendra Kandali, seeing his extra-ordinary merit and some miraculous incidents conferred on him the epithet ‘deva’ and thereafter Sankara came to be known as Sankaradeva,
According to the tradition, he had ten names: Sankaradeva, Gangadhar, Mahapurusa, Deka-giri, Santa, Adhikari, Mahanta, Gomosta, Ata and Jagannatha. Some orthodox Vaisnavas further maintain that as the Guru received illumination in the Jagannatha temple at Puri and as he also performed some miracles during his stay there, so he is the incarnation of Lord Jagannatha in the human form. When Sankaradeva was thirteen month old, Kusuma’s second wife, Anudhrti, gave birth to a son who was known as Haladhar or Bangaya-giri because he was born in the forest following an attack of the Kacharis.