Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for ācāryas belonging to the Vedānta school (among the six traditional schools of thought in Hinduism) who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī (literally, 'the three sources') – the Brahma sūtras (the original scripture of Vedānta), the Bhagavad-gītā (part of the Mahābhārata) and the principal Upaniṣads.
Historically, jagadgurus have established a lineage (paramparā) and an institution to spread dharma which has been based in Varanasi, the centre of Sanskrit study.
[1] The Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa uses the word Jagadguru for Lord Śiva in his great poem (Mahā-kāvya) titled Kumārasambhava.
[5] In Hinduism, the three great acharyas – Adi Shankara, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya are combinedly known as "Acharyatraya" or "Triacharya".
Jagadguru is also honoured as the title by Kashi Vidvat Parishat in Varanasi for the knowledge and value of particular guru.