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travels through Malabar; and we have only to consider the inferences that may be drawn from the accounts contained in Kerala Utpatti. The various manascript copies of this work seem to differ in the date they assign to Shankaracharya; even if the case were otherwise, we cannot place any reliance upon this work for the following among other reasons:—
I.It is a well-known fact that the customs of Malabar are very peculiar. Their defenders have been, consequently, pointing to some great Rishi or some great philosopher of ancient India as their originator. Some of them affirm (probably the majority) that Parasurama brought into existence some of these customs and left a special Smriti for the guidance of the people of Malabar; others say that it was Shankaracharya who sanctioned these peculiar customs. It is not very difficult to perceive why these two persons were selected by them. According to the Hindu Puranas, Parasurama lived in Malabar for some time, and according to Hindu tradition Sankara was born in that country. But it is extremely doubtful whether either of them had anything to do with the peculiar customs of the said country. There is no allusion whatever to any of these customs in Sankara's work. He seems to have devoted his whole attention to religions reform and it is very improbable that he should have ever directed his attention to the local customs of Malabar. While attempting to revive the philosophy of the ancient Rishis, it is not likely that he should have sanctioned the customs of Malabar which are at variance with the rules laid down in the Smritis of those very Rishis; and as far as our knowledge goes he left no written regulations regarding the castes of Malabar.
II.The statements contained in Kerala Utpatti are opposed to the account of Sankara's life given in almost all the Sankara Vijiams (Biographies of Sankara) examined up to this time viz., Vidyaranya's Sankara Vijiam, Chitsukhachary's Sankara Vijayavilasam, Baihat Sankara Vijiam, &c. According to the account contained in these works Sankara left Malabar in his eighth year and returned to his native
