Adi Sankara was born to the Namboothiri brahmana couple, Sivaguru and Aryamba, in a small village called Kaladi, Kerala. The couple had remained childless for a long time, and prayed for children at the Vadakkunnathan temple in nearby Trichur. Lord Siva is said to have appeared to the couple in a dream and promised them a choice of one son who would be short-lived but the most brilliant philosopher of his day, or many sons who would be mediocre at best. The couple opted for a brilliant, but short-lived son, and so Sankara was born. Only after the advent of the Great Adi Sankara, Hindu religion began to get systemized and begin to follow a righteous and more knowledgeable path in accordance with the Agama shastras. The Kerala thantric tradition and the temples follow the rituals scheduled and formulated by Adi Sankara. Easwarn Namboothiri hails from the family, whose hereditary lineage traces back to Sri Adi Sankara.