The first non-Brahmin Shankaracharya

The religious heads of the mutts (matams) founded by Adi Shankara are called Shankaracharyas. Anyone can apply to become a Sanyasi. Among the Sanyasis, one is chosen to be a Shankaracharya. Traditionally, these are people who are well versed in the Hindu scriptures and volunteer for Sanyasam (renunciation) to become a monk.

Upon Sanyasam, all varna/jati/caste attributes are discarded. This includes the sacred threads, if they were being worn before Sanyasam. This means that Sanyasis including Shankaracharyas in the Advaita Sampradaya (tradition) can't be called as Brahmins (if one assumes that Brahmins are by birth, rather than the scriptural definition of one who knows Brahman).

But have there been any non-Brahmins (by birth) who have become Shankaracharyas? It turns out, yes. The first one was Totakacharya who was in the first lineage after Adi Shankara. Who was Totakacharya?

In Sringeri, Adi Shankara met a boy named Giri. He was a devoted disciple of Shankara. He was not knowledgeable in the scriptures. But he was happy in just serving his Guru without expecting anything in return.

Adi Shankara, however, would ensure that Giri was present in his discourses, though Giri wouldn't understand it.

One day, Adi Shankara was waiting for Giri to commence his discourse. Giri was busy washing his Guru's clothes in the river. Padmapada, another sishya (disciple) of Shankara, was devout, but also a learned Pandit in all the scriptures before he joined Shankara. Impatient for the discourse, he pointed to a wall, indicating that it was no use for Shankara to wait for Giri, and that his discourse to Giri was equivalent to giving it to a wall.

At this point, Giri, who was washing the clothes, was endowed with all scriptural knowledge. He immediately came over to Shankara, and sang his praises as eight slokas as Totaka (laghu, lagu, guru) syllables in the highest Sanskrit. These verses are in praise of Shankara, his Guru, for endowing him with the wisdom. From this point, he was called as Totakacharya. Interestingly, Shankara didn't use a physical Deeksha (initiating touch); just compassionate thoughts acted as a Deeksha & endowed Giri with wisdom. Also, the ego remnants of Padmapada was subtly driven away, which is what a Guru would do. (Ego is one of the last veils over the soul).

Totakacharya later condensed the teachings of the Upanishads as Totaka syllables as Shruti Saara Samudhram (Shrutis-Vedas-essence-ocean). Totakacharya was the first Madathipathi (mutt head) of Joytirmath in Uttarkhand.

Interestingly, one of the Swami sects of Hinduism is called Giri. Some of the Giri Swamis do trace lineage to Giri/Totakacharya. Some recent examples of the Giri sect are Paramahamsa Yogananada Giri, disciple of Yukteshwar Giri and Haridas Giri, disciple of Jnanananda Giri. Yogananda & Haridas had deep reverence for their respective Gurus. The preachings combine self-realization (meditation) with Bhakthi (devotion) towards God & Guru.