Dashanami Sampradaya

Dashanami Sampradaya (IAST Daśanāmi Saṃpradāya "Tradition of Ten Names") is a Hindu monastic tradition of Ekadandisannyasins (wandering renunciates carrying a single staff)^[1][5][7] generally associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition. They are distinct in their practices from the Shaiva Tridandisannyasins or "trident renunciates" and from Vaishnava sannyasins.^[6] The Tridandisannyasins continue to wear the sacred thread after renunciation, while Ekadandisannyasins do not.

The Ekadandi vedantins aim for moksha as the existence of the self in its natural condition indicated by the destruction of all its specific qualities ^[2]. Any Hindu, irrespective of class, caste, age or gender can seek sannyasa as an Ekadandi monk under the Dashanami tradition.

The Ekadandis or Dasanamis had established monasteries in India and Nepal in ancient times.^[3] After the decline of Buddhism, a section of the Ekadandis were organized by Adi Shankara in the 8th century in India to be associated with four maṭhas to provide a base for the growth of Hinduism. However, the association of the Dasanamis with the Shankara maṭhas remained nominal.^[11]

Early period

Monasticism and wandering renunciates of several traditions have been in existence since the vedic period ^[4]. The Encyclopaedia of the Śaivism‎ by Swami Parmeshwaranand (pg 82) states: "Farquhar informs us that both these expressions, 'Ekadandi' and 'Tridandi' occur in the Mahabharata. We have not been able to trace the former of these".

However, the Ekadandis existed in the Tamil country in the Pandya and Pallava period but being wandering monks, they were not settled in the brahmadeyas or settlement areas for brahmins. The book Heritage of the Tamils: temple arts‎ (pg 154) by Shanmuga Velayutham Subramanian informs us of the existence of tax free bhiksha-bogams for feeding the Ekadandi ascetics in the ancient Tamil country. Another book The Pandyan Townships : The Pandyan townships, their organisation and functioning by R. Tirumalai, informs us that "there appears to have been no sectarian segregation of the Saivite (Ekadandi) and Srivaishnava (Tridandi Sanyasins)".

According to the book Socio-religious, economic literary condition of Bihar by Bhagwati Charan Verma, Ekadandis and Tridandis were active in Eastern India, and appear to have existed there during the Gupta Empire.

Later Organization

Widespread buddhism saw a decline in the number of Hindu monks in India. With the decline of Buddhism, there was no organised structure that could provide an impetus for the resurgence of the vedic dharma. One of the major achievements of Sri Adi shankara was to organize a section of the Ekadandi monks under an umbrella grouping of ten names ^[9], to provide an organized base for the growth of hinduism. Several other Hindu monastic and Ekadandi traditions remained outside the organization of the Dasanamis ^[13][14][15].

Sri Adi Shankara organized the Hindu monks of these ten sects or names under four mutts with the headquarters at Dwaraka in the West, Jagannatha Puri in the East, Sringeri in the South and Badrikashrama in the North ^[10]. These also became the four sacred dhaams or holy places of the Hindus. Sri Adi Shankaracharya also enumerated some details of the ten orders of Hindu monks, grouped under these heads, for their external identity. For example, Monks of the Giri sampradaya wear yellow robes while those of the Saraswati order wear Orange robes.

However, monks of these ten orders differ in part in their beliefs and practices, and a section of them is not considered to be restricted to specific changes made by Sri Adi Shankara. While the dasanamis associated with the Shankara mutts follow the procedures enumerated by Sri Adi Shankara, some of these orders remained partly or fully independent in their belief and practices; and outside the official control of the Shankara mutts.

The association of the dasanamis with the Smartha tradition or Advaitha vedanta is also doubtful. One example is the Kriya Yoga tradition that considers itself eclectic (see: Eclecticism), with ancient ^[18] unchangeable beliefs, and outside the ambit of differences in the understanding of Vedanta. Other examples are the tantric avadhuta sampradayas and ekadandi sanyasa traditions outside the control of the Shankara mutts ^[16]. The dasanamis / ekadandis also founded, and continue to found or affiliate themselves with mutts, ashrams and temples outside the control of the Shankara mutts ^[17][21].

In North India, the Ekadandi monks have been organizing themselves into yoga akhadas, generally known as Akhāḍas. In the 16th century, Madhusudana Saraswati organised a section of the Naga tradition of armed sanyasis in order to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Mughal rulers. These are also called Gusain, Gussain, Gosain, Gossain, Gosine, Gosavi, Sanyasi, Dasnami or Goswami in popular parlance. Some examples of akhadas currently are the Shri Panchadashanam Juna Akhada of the Dashanami nagas, Shri Panchayati Mahanirwani Akhada, Shri Taponidhi Niranjani Akhada, Shri Taponidhi Anand Akhada, Shri Panchayati Atal Akhada, Shri Panchadashnam Awahan Akhada, Shri Pancha Agni Akhada and Shri Panchayati Akhada at Allahabad ^[22]. Each akhada is divided into sub-branches and traditions. An example is the Datt Akhada of the naked sadhus of Juna Naga establishment^[23].

The Naga sadhus generally remain in the ambit of non-violence presently, though some sections are also known to practice the sport of wrestling. The Dashanami sannyasins are strongly oriented to ahimsa (non-violence)^[8] and practice the vedic and yogic yama principles of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Aparigraha (non-covetousness) and Brahmacharya (celibacy / moderation). The dasanamis are generally believed to be celibate, and grihastas or householder sanyasis such as Lahiri Mahasaya were a rarity.

Ten Names

Hindus who take up sannyasa in the Ekadandi tradition take up one of the ten names associated with this sampradaya.

1. Saraswati
2. Tirtha
3. Aranya
4. Bharati
5. Ashrama
6. Giri: The Kriya Yoga tradition comes under the Giri order.
7. Parvata
8. Sagara
9. Vana
10. Puri

Saraswati, Puri and Bharati are associated with the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Tirtha and Ashrama are associated with the Dvaraka Pitha. Giri, Parvata and Sagara are associated with Jyotirmath. Vana and Aranya are associated with the Govardhana matha at Puri ^[19][20].

However, it is to be noted that the association of the Ekadandis with the above mathas is only nominal. One of the reasons for this is the understanding of varna as fixed by birth by the Shankara mathas, while the Dasanamis continue to allow anyone seeking sannyasa into their fold irrespective of caste or gender. An example is the Kriya Yoga tradition that admits anyone irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion ^[12].

Prominent Dashanamis

• Tulsidas
• Swami Dayanand Saraswati
• Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
• Agehananda Bharati
• Sita Gussain
• Mahamandleshwar Shri Swami Vishveshwaranand Giri

See also

• Sannyasa
• Adi Shankara
• Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
• Advaita Vedanta
• Akhara

References

[1] Journal of the Oriental Institute‎ (pp 301), by Oriental Institute (Vadodara, India).
[2] A History of Indian Philosophy‎, by Jadunath Sinha.
[3] http://openlibrary.org/b/OL3440680M/mathas-of-the-Dasanami-sanyasis-of-Lalitpur%2C-Kathmandu-valley
[4][8] Minds and Sociocultures: Zoroastrianism and the Indian, by Kevin R. D. Shepherd.
[5] Indian sadhus‎, by Govind Sadashiv Ghurye.
[6] Śrīmad Bhāgavatam‎ by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
[7] Advaitic concept of jīvanmukti‎ by Lalit Kishore Lal Srivastava.
[9][10][11][20] http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Shankara/shankar4.html
[12][21] http://www.prajnanamission.org/AboutUs.shtml
[13] Ascetic Culture by Karigoudar Ishwaran
[14] Female Ascetics by Wendy Sinclair-Brull
[15][16] Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province‎ (page 857) by H.A. Rose, Ibbetson, Denzil Ibbetson Sir, and Maclagan.
[17][18] http://www.kataragama.org/docs/kalyanagiri.htm
[19] http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/ad-today.html The Dashanami Sampradaya- the Monastic Tradition
[22][24] http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/jan/25spec1.htm
[23] http://www.divinerevelation.org/KumbhMelaUjjain.html
[25] http://www.stephen-knapp.com/report_on_the_kumbha_mela.htm
[26] http://www.sanyasashram.org/26%20page.html