Dasanami (IAST Daśanāmī Saṃpradāya "Tradition of Ten Names"), also known as the Order of Swamis,[1] is a Hindu monastic tradition of "single-staff renunciation" (ēka daṇḍi saṃnyāsī)[2][3][4] generally associated with the four cardinal mathas of the Advaita Vedanta tradition and, according to tradition, organized in its present form by Vedic scholar and teacher Adi Shankaracharya.

A swami, as the monk is called, is a renunciate who seeks to achieve spiritual union with the swa (Self). In formally renouncing the world, he or she generally wears ochre, saffron or orange-colored robes as a symbol of non-attachment to worldly desires, and may choose to roam independently or join an ashram or other spiritual organizations, typically in an ideal of selfless service.[1] Upon initiation, which can only be done by another existing Swami, the renunciate receives a new name (usually ending in ananda, meaning 'supreme bliss') and takes a title which formalizes his connection with one of the ten subdivisions of the Swami Order. A swami's name has a dual significance, representing the attainment of supreme bliss through some divine quality or state (i.e. love, wisdom, service, yoga), and through a harmony with the infinite vastness of nature, expressed in one of the ten subdivision names: Giri (mountain), Puri (tract), Bhāratī (land), Vana (forest), Āraṇya (forest), Sagara (sea), Āśrama (spiritual exertion), Sarasvatī (wisdom of nature), Tīrtha (place of pilgrimage), and Parvata (mountain). A swami is not necessarily a yogi, although many swamis can and do practice yoga as a means of spiritual liberation; experienced swamis may also take disciples.[1]

Daśanāmi Sannyāsins are associated mainly with the four cardinal maṭhas in four corners of India, said to be established by Adi Shankaracharya himself; however, the association of the Dasanāmis with the Shankara maṭhas remained nominal.[web 1] The early swamis, elevated into the order as disciples of Shankara, were sannyāsins who embraced sannyasa either after marriage or without getting married.

Single-staff renunciates are distinct in their practices from Shaiva trishuladhari or "trident-wielding renunciates" and Vaishnava traditions of Tridandi sannyāsis.[5][note 1][note 2]

History

Sannyasi, a Saiva mendicant - Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)

Ēkadaṇḍis

Ēkadandis were already known during what is sometimes referred to as "Golden Age of Hinduism" (ca. 320-650 CE[6])

Golden Age of Hinduism

See also Gupta rule and Gupta and Pallava period

The "Golden Age of Hinduism"[6] (ca. 320-650 CE[6]) flourished during the Gupta Empire[7] (320 to 550 CE) until the fall of the Harsha[7] (606 to 647 CE). During this period, power was centralized, along with a growth of long-distance trade, standardization of legal procedures, and a general spread of literacy.[7] Mahayana Buddhism flourished, but Shrauta Hinduism was rejuvenated by the patronage of the Gupta dynasty.[8] The position of the Brahmans was reinforced[7] and the first Hindu temples emerged during the late Gupta age.[7] The Mahābhārata, which probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period (c. 4th century),[9] already mentions "ēkadaṇḍi" and "tridaṇḍi".[10]

Wandering Ēkadaṇḍi ascetics

Dandi Sanyasi, a Hindu ascetic, in Eastern Bengal in the 1860s

The Ēkadaṇḍis existed in the Tamil speaking area during the southern-Indian Pandyan dynasty (3rd century BCE - 16th century CE) and the Southern-Indian Pallava dynasty (2nd - 9th centuries CE). Being wandering monastics, they were not settled in the brahmadeyas or settlement areas for Brahmins. There existed tax free bhiksha-bogams for feeding the Ēkadaṇḍi ascetics in the ancient Tamil speaking territory.[11]

Ēkadaṇḍis and Tridandis were also active in Eastern India, and appear to have existed there during the Northern-Indian Gupta Empire (320 to 550 CE ).[12]

According to R. Tirumalai, "There appears to have been no sectarian segregation of the Shaiva (Ēkadaṇḍi) and Srivaishnava (Tridandi Sannyāsins)".[13]

Professor Kiyokazu Okita and Indologist B. N. K. Sharma says, Sannyasis in the lineage of Advaita of Adi Shankara and the Sannyasis in the lineage of Dvaita of Madhvacharya are all Ēkadaṇḍis.[14]

Establishment of the Dasanami Sampradaya

(Vidyashankara temple) at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Shringeri, Karnataka

At the beginning of what is referred to as "Late classical Hinduism",[15] which lasted from 650 till 1100 CE,[15] Shankara established the Dasanami Sampradaya.

Late-Classical Hinduism

See also Late-Classical Age and Hinduism Middle Ages

After the end of the Gupta Empire and the collapse of the Harsha Empire, power became decentralized in India. Several larger kingdoms emerged, with "countless vassal states":[16] in the east the Pala Empire[16] (770-1125 CE[16]), in the west and north the Gurjara-Pratihara[16] (7th-10th century[16]), in the southwest the Rashtrakuta dynasty[16] (752-973[16]), in the Deccan the Chalukya dynasty[16] (7th-8th century[16]), and in the south the Pallava dynasty[16] (7th-9th century[16]) and the Chola dynasty[16] (9th century[16]).

The kingdoms were ruled via a feudal system. Smaller kingdoms were dependent on the protection of the larger kingdoms. "The great king was remote, was exalted and deified",[16] as reflected in the Tantric Mandala, which could also depict the king as the centre of the mandala.[17]

The disintegration of central power also lead to regionalization of religiosity, and religious rivalry.[18][note 3] Local cults and languages were enhanced, and the influence of "Brahmanic ritualistic Hinduism"[18] was diminished.[18] Rural and devotional movements arose, along with Shaivism, Vaisnavism, Bhakti and Tantra,[18] though "sectarian groupings were only at the beginning of their development".[18] Religious movements had to compete for recognition by the local lords.[18] Buddhism lost its position, and began to disappear in India.[18]

Establishment

H.H. Jagadguru Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, The Shankaracharya of Puri

Shankara, himself considered to be an incarnation of Shiva,[web 1] established the Daśanāmi Sampradaya, organizing a section of the Ēkadaṇḍi monastics under an umbrella grouping of ten names.[web 1] Several other Hindu monastic and Ēkadaṇḍi traditions remained outside the organization of the Dasanāmis.[20][21][22]

Adi Shankara organized the Hindu monastics of these ten sects or names under four maṭhas or monasteries, with headquarters at Dvārakā in the west, Jagannathadham Puri in the east, Sringeri in the south and Badrikashrama in the north.[web 1] Each maṭha was headed by one of his four main disciples, who each continued the Vedanta Sampradaya.

Monastics 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 Shankara. While the Dasanāmis associated with the Shankara maṭhas follow the procedures enumerated by Adi Śankara, some of these orders remained partly or fully independent in their belief and practices; and outside the official control of the Shankara maṭhas.

The association of the Dasanāmis with the Smarta tradition or Advaita Vedānta is not all-embracing. One example is the Kriyā Yoga tradition that considers itself eclectic (see: Eclecticism), with ancient[web 2] unchangeable beliefs, and outside the ambit of differences in the understanding of Vedanta. Other examples are the Tantric Avadhūta Sampradāyas and Ekadaṇḍi sannyāsa traditions outside the control of the Shankara maṭhas[22] The Dasanāmis or Ēkadaṇḍis also founded, and continue to found or affiliate themselves with, maṭhas, ashrams and temples outside the control of the Shankara maṭhas.[web 2][web 3]

The Advaita Sampradāya is not a Shaiva sect,[web 1][23] despite the historical links with Shaivism:

Advaitins are non-sectarian, and they advocate worship of Siva and Visnu equally with that of the other deities of Hinduism, like Sakti, Ganapati and others.[web 1]

Nevertheless, contemporary Shankaracaryas have more influence among Saiva communities than among Vaisnava communities.[web 1] The greatest influence of the gurus of the Advaita tradition has been among followers of the Smartha tradition, who integrate the domestic Vedic ritual with devotional aspects of Hinduism.[web 1]

According to Nakamura, these maṭhas contributed to the influence of Shankara, which was "due to institutional factors".[24] The maṭhas which he built exist until today, and preserve the teachings and influence of Shankara, "while the writings of other scholars before him came to be forgotten with the passage of time".[25]

The table below gives an overview of the four Amnaya maṭhas founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.[web 4]

Shishya
(lineage)
Direction Maṭha Mahāvākya Veda Sampradaya
Padmapāda East Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) Rig Veda Bhogavala
Sureśvara South Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) Yajur Veda Bhūrivala
Hastāmalakācārya West Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ Tattvamasi (That thou art) Sama Veda Kitavala
Toṭakācārya North Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman) Atharva Veda Nandavala

Expansion of the Dasanāmi Sampradāya

According to the tradition in Kerala, after Shankara's samādhi at Vadakkunnathan Temple, his disciples founded four maṭhas in Thrissur, namely Naduvil Madhom, Thekke Madhom, Idayil Madhom and Vadakke Madhom.

According to Pandey, the ēkadaṇḍis or Dasanāmis had established monasteries in India and Nepal in the 13th and 14th century.[web 5]

Naga Sadhus akharas

Naga Sadhu performing ritual bath at Sangam during Prayagraj Ardh Kumbhmela 2007

In the 16th century, Madhusudana Saraswati of Bengal organised a section of the Naga (naked) tradition of armed sannyasis in order to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Mughal rulers.

Warrior-ascetics could be found in Hinduism from at least the 1500s and as late as the 1700s,[26] although tradition attributes their creation to Sankaracharya[web 6]

Some examples of Akhara currently are the Juna Akhara of the Dashanami Naga, Niranjani Akhara, Anand Akhara, Atal Akhara, Awahan Akhara, Agni Akhara and Nirmal Panchayati Akhara at Prayagraj.[web 7] Each akhara is divided into sub-branches and traditions. An example is the Dattatreya Akhara (Ujjain) of the naked sadhus of Juna Naga establishment.[web 8]

The naga sadhus generally remain in the ambit of non-violence presently, though some sections are also known to practice the sport of Indian wrestling. The Dasanāmi sannyāsins practice the Vedic and yogic Yama principles of ahimsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), aparigraha (non-covetousness) and brahmacārya (celibacy / moderation).

The naga sadhus are prominent at Kumbh mela, where the order in which they enter the water is fixed by tradition. After the Juna akhara, the Niranjani and Mahanirvani Akhara proceed to their bath. Ramakrishna Math Sevashram are almost the last in the procession.[27]

Characteristics

Parampara

In the Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the gods and to the Rishis who primarily heard the Vedas by mediation.

The current Acaryas, the heads of the maṭhas, trace their authority back to the four main disciples of Shankara,[web 9] and each of the heads of these four maṭhas takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after Adi Shankara.

The Advaita guru-paramparā (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the mythological time of the Daiva-paramparā, followed by the vedic seers of the Ṛṣi-paramparā, and the Mānava-paramparā of historical times and personalities:[web 9][note 4]

Daiva-paramparā
Ṛṣi-paramparā
Mānava-paramparā

Ten Names

Hindus who enter sannyāsa in the ēkadaṇḍi tradition take up one of the ten names associated with this Sampradaya: Giri, Puri, Bhāratī, Vana/Ban, Āraṇya, Sagara, Āśrama, Sarasvatī, Tīrtha, and Parvata.[web 11][web 1] Sanyasis of Advaita Vedanta and Dvaita Vedanta belong to ēkadaṇḍi tradition.[29]

Standardised List of Dasanāmīs in Wikipedia

This section enumerates, in standardised manner, members of the Dasanāmī Order with articles in Wikipedia, listing each under his formal title and name, without the use of the honorifics[note 6] used by devotees and disciples. The word "Swāmī" here is not an honorific. It is the title of an initiated member of the Dasanāmī Order. Entries are listed in standard form: TITLE (Swāmī) + PERSONAL NAME + SUB-ORDER NAME. A few entries have the additional title (not honorific) of "Jagadguru Śankarācārya" which designates either one of the four supreme leaders of the order (somewhat similar to the position of Pope in Catholic Christianity). "Mahanta" is an administrative title designating an organizational position or office assigned to certain persons.

A

Name Notability
Swāmī Abhayānanda PuriFrench American initiate of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Abhedānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Abhinavavidyā TīrthaJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Achalānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Achyutananda SarasvatīGaudiya Vaisnava teacher.
Swāmī Adbhutānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Adidevānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Advaitānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Agehānanda BhāratīAustrian American intellectual and expert on Indian languages and phonology.
Swāmī Agnivesha SarasvatīSocial activist, well known for his protest against bonded labor.
Swāmī Akhandānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Akhilānanda PuriFounder of Vedanta Society of Providence and Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Boston.
Swāmī Akshobhya TīrthaDvaitavādin.
Swāmī Ānanda TīrthaPreceptor of Dvaita.
Swāmī Ānandānanda PuriGandhian activist.
Swāmī Ashokānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Atmabodhendra SarasvatīPīthādhipati of Kamakoti Math, Kanchipuram.
Swāmī Ātmājñānānanda PuriAmerican Ramakrishna monk.
Swāmī Ātmasthānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.

B

Name Notability
Swāmī Bhāratī TīrthaJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Bhāratīkrsna TīrthaJagadguru Śankarācārya of Puri and scholar of Indian mathematics. First Śankarācārya to visit the West. Authored Vedic Mathematics.
Swāmī Bhaskarānanda SarasvatīScholar and anchorite of Benāres.
Swāmī Bhūmānanda TīrthaSocial reformer. Teacher of Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana.
Swāmī Bhuteshānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Bodhendra SarasvatīPīthādhipati of Kamakoti Math, Kanchipuram.
Swāmī Brahmānanda SarasvatīHighly respected Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Jyotirmāyā Pītha, Badrināth.

C

Name Notability
Swāmī Candrasekhara BhāratīJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Chandrasekharendra SarasvatīPīthādhipati of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Kanchipuram. Featured in Paul Brunton's A Search in Secret India.
Swāmī Chidānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī. President of Divine Life Society. Interfaith advocate and friend of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Swāmī Chidānanda SarasvatīFounder of temples in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the USA.
Swāmī Chidvilasānanda SarasvatīDisciple and designated successor of Muktānanda. Sister of Nityānanda.
Swāmī Chinmāyānanda SarasvatīHindu missionary. Disciple of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī and Swāmī Tapovanam Giri. Founder of Chinmaya Mission.

D

Name Notability
Swāmī Dayānanda SarasvatīSocio-religious reformer. Founder of the Arya Samaj.
Swāmī Dayānanda SarasvatīVedānt ācārya. Founder of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.
Swāmī Dhanarāja GiriAdvaita Vedānta ācārya. Founder of the highly-prestigious Kailash Ashram, Rishikesh.

G

Name Notability
Swāmī Gahanānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Gambhirānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Ganapati SarasvatīLong-lived yogī of Benāres.
Swāmī Ganeshānanda SarasvatīYoga teacher. Pupil and sannyās initiate of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī. Pupil of Swāmī Suraj Giri.
Swāmī Gangadharendra SarasvatīTeacher of Advaita Vedānta.
Swāmī Ghanānanda PuriRamakrishna monk who was active in Europe.
Swāmī Ghanānanda SarasvatīGhanaian disciple of Swāmī Krishnānanda Sarasvatī. Possibly the first Black African convert to Hinduism.
Swāmī Gītānanda GiriIndian Canadian physician. Yoga teacher; Mahanta of the Brighu Order; "Lion of Pondicherry".
Swāmī Gñānānanda GiriLong-lived yogī. Guru of French Catholic monastic Abhishiktānanda.

H

Name Notability
Swāmī Haridāsa GiriDisciple of Swāmī Gñānānanda Giri.
Swāmī Hariharānanda ĀranyaNoted Samkhya Yogī
Swāmī Hariharānanda GiriKriyā Yoga teacher. Pupil of Śrījukteśvara, Bhupendranāth Sanyal, Yogānanda, Satyānanda, and Bijoy Krishna.
Swāmī Hariharānanda SarasvatīRespected Vedānt ācārya. Disciple of Swāmī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī. Met Yogānanda at the Kumbh Mela.

I

Name Notability
Swāmī Isvara PuriDvaitavādin.

J

Name Notability
Swāmī Janakānanda SarasvatīDanish disciple of Swāmī Satyānanda Sarasvatī; founder of Skandinavisk Yoga och Meditationsskola.
Swāmī Jaya TīrthaDvaitavādin.
Swāmī Jaya TīrthaDvaitavādin.
Swāmī Jayendra SarasvatīDisciple of Swāmī Chandrasekharendra Sarasvatī. Pīthādhipati of Kamakoti Math, Kanchipuram.
Swāmī Jītātmānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.

K

Name Notability
Swāmī Kalyanānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Kesavānanda BhāratīMahānta/Pīthādhipati of Edneer Math, Kasaragod district, Kerala.
Swāmī Kesavānanda TīrthaYogī of Vrindāban.
Swāmī Kirtidānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Krishnānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Śivānanda; General Secretary of Divine Life Society, 1963–2001.
Swāmī Kriyānanda GiriAmerican disciple of Yogānanda. Founder of Ananda World Brotherhood Colonies.
Swāmī Kṛṣṇacaitanya BhāratīVaisnava scholar and teacher. Foremost historical figure of Bangla Vaisnavism. Regarded as an avatār and called "Caitanya Mahaprabhu" by devotees.

L

Name Notability
Swāmī Laksmanānanda SarasvatīHumanitarian social relief worker of Orissa. Assassinated by suspected Christian Maoists.
Swāmī Laksmīnārāyana TīrthaDvaitavādin.

M

Name Notability
Swāmī Madhavānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Madhavendra PuriDvaitavādin. Disciple of Lakshmipati Tirtha.
Swāmī Madhusūdana SarasvatīTeacher of Advaita Vedānta.
Swāmī Mahādevendra SarasvatīPīthādhipati of Kamakoti Math, Kanchipuram.
Swāminī Māyātitānanda SarasvatīAyurveda teacher.
Swāmī Muktānanda SarasvatīMeditation teacher. Founded the SYDA (Siddha Yoga Dham) organization, with several ashrams and centers. Author.

N

Name Notability
Swāmī Narahari TīrthaDvaitavādin. Disciple of Swāmī Ānanda Tīrtha.
Swāmī Nārāyanānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Rāja yoga teacher in Denmark.
Swāmī Nigamānanda SarasvatīBhakta, gyānī, yogī, tantrika of Eastern India.
Swāmī Nikhilānanda PuriRamakrishna monastic; Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Nirañjanānanda PuriOne of the six disciples of Ramakrishna who were regarded as iśvarakoti.
Swāmī Nirañjanānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Satyānanda; head of Bihar School of Yoga.
Swāmī Nirmalānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Nischayānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Nrsimha SarasvatīSage of Mahārāshtra. Regarded as an incarnation of the legendary sage Dattātreya.

O

Name Notability
Swāmī Omānanda PuriIrish violinist, singer, Theosophist, writer, poet, esoteric teacher and authority on Indian music.
Swāmī Omānanda SarasvatīEducator.

P

Name Notability
Swāmī Padmanabha TīrthaDvaitavādin. Disciple of Swāmī Ānanda Tīrtha.
Swāmī Paramānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Prabhavānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Prakāshānanda PuriRamakrishna monk; Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Prakāshānanda SarasvatīRādhā-Krsna devotee, convict and fugitive in the USA. Disciple of Rādhā-Krsna bhakta Kripālu "Mahārāj."
Swāmī Prakāshānanda SarasvatīHindu teacher in Trinidad.
Swāmī Prameyānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swami Pranavānanda GiriFounder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
Swāmī Pranavānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Śivānanda; Yoga-Vedānta teacher, Divine Life Society, Malaysia.
Swāmī Premānanda PuriOne of the six disciples of Ramakrishna who were regarded as iśvarakoti.
Swāmī Purana PuriAn 18th century Indian ascetic monk and traveller who visited many places including Sri Lanka, Moscow, Yemen & Tibet.
Swāmī Purnaprajñā TīrthaFounder and Preceptor of Dvaitavāda.
Swāmī Purushottamānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.

R

Name Notability
Swāmī Raghavendra TīrthaDvaitavādin and Pīthādhipati.
Swāmī Raghaveshwara BhāratīAdvaita Vedāntin. 36th Jagadguru of Sri Ramachandrapura Math, Hosanagara, Shimoga, Karnātaka.
Swāmī Raghuttama TīrthaDvaitavādin. 14th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Rāma BhāratīYogī; founder of Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
Swāmī Rāma TīrthaTeacher of "Practical Vedanta".
Swāmī Rāmakrishnānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Ramakrishna PuriTemple priest, ascetic, mystic of Bengal. Regarded as an avatār (a "descent" or physical incarnation of God) by devotees.
Swāmī Rāmānanda TīrthaActivist in Hyderābād.
Swāmī Ranganāthānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission and a great Vedantin.
Swāmī Rudrānanda PuriRamakrishna monk in Fiji.
Swāmī Rudrānanda SarasvatīAmerican spiritual teacher.

S

Name Notability
Swāmī Saccidānanda BhāratīJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Saccidānandaśivābhinavanrsiṃha BhāratīJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Sadānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Sadaśivendra SarasvatīScholar, yogī-siddha, poet, avadhūta; mentioned in Yogānanda's Autobiography of a Yogi.
Swāmī Sahajānanda SarasvatīIndian nationalist.
Swāmī Sahajānanda SarasvatīSouth African spiritual teacher. Disciple of Śivānanda.
Swāmī Samyamindra TīrthaDvaitavādin. 21st Mathadhipati of Kashi Math.
Swāmī Śaradānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna. Author of the Śrī Śrī Ramakrishna Līlaprasanga, the lead biography of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Sarvapriyānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Resident of Vedanta Society of New York.
Swāmī Satchidānanda SarasvatīYoga teacher. Disciple of Śivānanda. Founder of Sivananda Ashram (Sri Lanka) and Satchidananda Ashrams (USA).
Swāmī Satcidānandendra SarasvatīVedānt ācārya.
Swāmī Satyābhinava TīrthaDvaitavādin. 21st Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyabodha TīrthaDvaitavādin. 25th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyadharma TīrthaDvaitavādin. 28th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyadhyāna TīrthaDvaitavādin. 38th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyajñāna TīrthaDvaitavādin. 37th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyamitrānanda GiriFounder of Bharat Mata Mandir, a temple in Haridwar.
Swāmī Satyānanda GiriKriyā Yoga teacher. Disciple of Śrījukteśvara.
Swāmī Satyānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Śivānanda; founder of Bihar School of Yoga.
Swāmī Satyanātha TīrthaDvaitavādin. 20th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyanidhi TīrthaDvaitavādin. 19th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyapramoda TīrthaDvaitavādin. 41st Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyapriya TīrthaDvaitavādin. 24th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyātmā TīrthaDvaitavādin. 42nd Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyavara TīrthaDvaitavādin. 27th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Satyavijaya TīrthaDvaitavādin. 23rd Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Shambhavānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Shankarānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Shankarānanda SarasvatīAmerican disciple of Muktānanda.
Swāmī Shantānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Śivānanda. Spiritual guide in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Swāmī Shivānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna and 2nd President of the Ramakrishna Order.
Swāmī Shivom TīrthaSiddhayoga teacher.
Swāmī Shraddhānanda SarasvatīHindu social activist. Assassinated by a Muslim.
Swāmī Shuddhānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Śivānanda SarasvatīFounded Divine Life Society and Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, Rishikesh; authored 200 books.
Swāmī Śivānanda Rādhā SarasvatīCanadian yoga teacher. Disciple of Śivānanda.
Swāmī Smaranānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. President of the Ramakrishna Order.
Swāmī Śrījukteśvara GiriKriyā Yoga adept. Astrologer. Disciple of Shyāmacharan Lahirī. Guru of Yogānanda.
Swāmī Subodhānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Sudhindra TīrthaDvaitavādin. 20th Mathadhipati of Kashi Math.
Swāmī Sukhabodhānanda SarasvatīTeacher of scripture.
Swāmī Sukrathindra TīrthaDvaitavādin. 19th Mathadhipati of Kashi Math.
Swāmī Swahānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Swarūpānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Swarūpānanda SarasvatīJagadguru Śankarācārya of Jyotirmāyā and Dwarka Pītha.
Swāmī Swarūpānandendra SarasvatīFounder of Visakha Sri Sarada Pitha.

T

Name Notability
Swāmī Tapasyānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Tapovanam GiriReclusive yogī of Uttar Kashi.
Swāmī Tathāgatānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swami Tejomayananda SaraswatiCurrent Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide.
Swāmī Trigunatitānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Turiyānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Tyagānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Hindu chaplain of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

V

Name Notability
Swāmī Vadirāja TīrthaDvaitavādin. 20th Pīthādhipati of Sodhe Math.
Swāmī Vasudevānanda SarasvatīWandering monk, spiritual teacher, author.
Swāmī Vedanidhi TīrthaDvaitavādin. 17th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Venkateśānanda SarasvatīDisciple of Śivānanda; founder of Sivananda Ashrams in South Africa and Mauritius.
Swāmī Vidyānāthānanda PuriRamakrishna monk and mathematician.
Swāmī Vidyāranya TīrthaJagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Vidyātmānanda PuriRamakrishna monk.
Swāmī Vidyādhīśa TīrthaDvaitavādin. 16th Pīthādhipati of Uttaradi Math.
Swāmī Vijayendra SarasvatīDisciple and designated successor of Jayendra Sarasvatī.
Swāmī Vijayendra TīrthaDvaitavādin.
Swāmī Vijñānānanda PuriDisciple of Ramakrishna.
Swāmī Vimalānanda PuriDisciple of Vivekānanda.
Swāmī Vipulānanda PuriSrī Lankān Ramakrishna monastic and Hindu revivalist.
Swāmī Virajānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vireshwarānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vishnu TīrthaSiddhayoga teacher.
Swāmī Vishnudevānanda SarasvatīYogī. Peace activist. Most famous disciple of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī (the two of them are the most well-known members of the Sarasvati sub-order). Founder of the worldwide Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. Authored The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. Airplane pilot.
Swāmī Vishuddhānanda PuriPresident of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vishwadevānanda PuriTeacher of Advaita Vedānta.
Swāmī Vivekānanda PuriMost famous of disciples of Ramakrishna (the two of them are the most well-known members of the Puri sub-order). Most famous figure at first Parliament of the World's Religions (Chicago, 1893). Organizer of the Ramakrishna Mission. One of the six disciples of Ramakrishna who were regarded as iśvarakoti.
Swāmī Vyāsa TīrthaDvaitavādin.
Swāmī Vyāsachalamahādevendra SarasvatīPīthādhipati of Kamakoti Math, Kanchipuram.

Y

Name Notability
Swāmī Yatīśwarānanda PuriRamakrishna monk. Spiritual teacher and meditation instructor.
Swāmī Yogānanda GiriDisciple of Svāmī Śrīyukteśwara Giri. Founder of Self-Realization Fellowship. Author of Autobiography of a Yogi. Known by honorific "Paramahansa."
Swāmī Yogānanda GiriLeading Hindu of Italy. Disciple of Gītānanda.
Swāmī Yogānanda PuriOne of the six disciples of Ramakrishna who were regarded as iśvarakoti.

Notes

  1. The Tridandi sannyāsins continue to wear the sacred thread after renunciation, while Ekadandi sannyāsins do not.
  2. Ek means "one", ekadandi means "of single staff", tridandi means "of three staffs".
  3. This resembles the development of Chinese Chán during the An Lu-shan rebellion and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907–960/979), during which power became decentralized and new Chán-schools emerged.[19]
  4. The following Sanskrit Verse among Smarthas provides the list of the early teachers of the Vedanta in their order:[web 10][28] "नारायणं पद्मभुवं वशिष्ठं शक्तिं च तत्पुत्रं पराशरं च व्यासं शुकं गौडपादं महान्तं गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रं अथास्य शिष्यम्
    श्री शंकराचार्यं अथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकं च शिष्यम् तं तोटकं वार्त्तिककारमन्यान् अस्मद् गुरून् सन्ततमानतोऽस्मि
    अद्वैत गुरु परंपरा स्तोत्रम्"
    "nārāyanam padmabhuvam vasishtam saktim ca tat-putram parāśaram ca
    vyāsam śukam gauḍapāda mahāntam govinda yogīndram athāsya śiṣyam
    śri śankarācāryam athāsya padmapādam ca hastāmalakam ca śiṣyam
    tam trotakam vārtikakāram-anyān asmad gurūn santatamānato’smi
    Advaita-Guru-Paramparā-Stotram",
    The above advaita guru paramparā verse salute the prominent gurus of advaita, starting from Nārāyaṇa through Adi Sankara and his disciples, up to the Acharyas of today.
  5. the famous redactor of the vedas, he is also traditionally identified with Bādarāyaṇa, the composer of the Brahmasūtras
  6. e.g.: śrī and variations thereof, and variations thereof, swāmījī, mahātma, mahārsi, mahāyogī, mahāsaya, mahārāj, mahārājjī, paramahamsa, prabhu, prabhujī, mahāprabhu, gurudev, gurujī, guru mahārāj jī, sāheb, sāhebjī, bābā, bābājī, mā, māta, mātajī, bhagvan, prabhupāda, bhaktipāda.

References

Written references

  1. 1 2 3 Yogananda, Paramhansa (1946). "Autobiography of a Yogi - Chpt 24: I Become a Monk of the Swami Order - pg 218". www.CrystalClarity.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  2. Journal of the Oriental Institute (pp 301), by Oriental Institute (Vadodara, India).
  3. Govind Sadashiv Ghurye, Indian Sadhus
  4. Lalit Kishore Lal Srivastava, Advaitic Concept of Jīvanmukti
  5. A. C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
  6. 1 2 3 Michaels 2004, p. 40-41.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Michaels 2004, p. 40.
  8. Nakamura 2004, p. 687.
  9. Van Buitenen; The Mahabharata – 1; The Book of the Beginning. Introduction (Authorship and Date)
  10. Swāmi Parmeshwarānand, Encyclopaedia of Śaivism, p.82
  11. Shanmuga Velayutham Subramanian, Heritage of the Tamils: temple arts, p.154
  12. Bhagwati Charan Verma, Socio-religious, Economic, Literary Condition of Bihar
  13. R. Tirumalai, The Pandyan Townships: The Pandyan townships, their organisation and functioning
  14. Kiyokazu Okita (2014). Hindu Theology in Early Modern South Asia: The Rise of Devotionalism and the Politics of Genealogy. Oxford University Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0198709268.
  15. 1 2 Michaels 2004, p. 41-43.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Michaels 2004, p. 41.
  17. White 2000, p. 25-28.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Michaels 2004, p. 42.
  19. McRae 2003.
  20. Karigoudar Ishwaran, Ascetic Culture
  21. Wendy Sinclair-Brull, Female Ascetics
  22. 1 2 H.A. Rose, Ibbetson, Denzil Ibbetson Sir, and Maclagan, Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, page 857
  23. Nakamura 2004, p. 782-783.
  24. Nakamura 2004, p. 680.
  25. Nakamura 2004, p. 680-681.
  26. A history of Dasnami Naga Sanyasis, Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Sri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, Allahabad, http://dspace.wbpublibnet.gov.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10689/9526/5/Chapter%201_1%20-%20108p.pdf Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  27. Naga sadhus steal the show at Kumbh, Nandita Sengupta, TNN Feb 13, 2010://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-13/india/28140014_1_naga-sadhus-juna-akhara-holy-dip
  28. Book: Shri Gowdapadacharya & Shri Kavale Math (A Commemoration volume). P. 38.
  29. Sharma 2000, p. 525.

Web-references

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Devasthananam, Sankara Acarya Biography: Monastic Tradition". Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Kalyanagiri". Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  3. "Prajnana Mission". Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  4. "Adi Shankara's four Amnaya Peethams". Archived from the original on 26 June 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
  5. "The maṭhas of Dasanami Sanyasis of Lalitpur, Kathmandu Valley". Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  6. Nagas: Once were warriors. Gautam Siddharth, TNN Jan 15, 2013
  7. "Prem Panicker, Where did the Akharas come from?". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  8. "divinerevelation.org, Kumbh Melas in Haridwar and Ujjain". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  9. 1 2 "The Advaita Vedânta Home Page — Advaita Parampara". Advaita-vedanta.org. 5 May 1999. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  10. "Under Page: BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ABOUT SANKARA AND GAUDAPAD". Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  11. "The Dashanami Sampradaya- the Monastic Tradition". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2006.

Bibliography

  • Sharma, B. N. Krishnamurti (2000). A History of the Dvaita School of Vedānta and Its Literature, 3rd Edition. Motilal Banarsidass (2008 Reprint). ISBN 978-8120815759.

Sources

  • McRae, John (2003), Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, The University Press Group Ltd, ISBN 9780520237988
  • Michaels, Axel (2004), Hinduism. Past and present, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press
  • Nakamura, Hajime (2004), A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy. Part Two, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
  • White, David Gordon, ed. (2000). Tantra in Practice. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05779-8.
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