TATTVÃLOKA APRIL 2012 Bhagavatpada Sankara and Dasanami Tradition

The pioneering effort in organising sannyasis into the Dasanami order is one of his most vibrant contributions.

CHOODIE SIVARAM

ankaracharya’s contribution to Mela, Hardvar, and the various Sanatana Dharma is revolutionary. assignments I have undertaken for SEvery aspect of Hinduism, every Hinduism Today, Hawaai, over the sacred place and temple in India bears years. his imprint. Hinduism owes to this Perhaps this was because of the great sage its very continuation to this difference between the approaches day. of North and South India to Sister Nivedita paid a glowing Sankara’s teachings. The South tribute to him: “Western people can stresses on Jnana, which, given the hardly imagine a personality like that high philosophy in his teachings, of Sankaracharya. We contemplate limits its reach to an elite, with wonder and delight the devotion intellectual minority. The North of Francis of Assisi, the intellect of emphasises Bhakti, making his Abelard, the virile force and freedom teachings universal in their appeal, of Martin Luther and the political transcending all barriers, as Sankara efficiency of Ignatius Loyola. But who sought it to be. could imagine all these in one person?” All-round Obeisance As a Smarta, I grew up closely The numerous sannyasis and aligned to the Sankara parampara. But Nagas I spoke to never failed to I began to comprehend his commence a conversation without omniscience and impact only after offering obeisance to Sankaracharya, journeys to the Himalayas, the Kumbh and speak about him at length with TATTVÃLOKA APRIL 2012 pride and devotion. They all belong Ashrama, Giri, Parvata, Sagara, Vana to the Dasanami sampradaya, which and Puri. Sankara established. The four monastic headquarters Sankara’s achievements are not were established to unify the groups limited to the philosophical realm of sannyasins and bring them under alone. He traversed the entire the banner of Vedic Dharma. The expanse of India thrice re-moulding, Dasanami sects were placed reorganising and propagating nominally under one of the four Sanatana Dharma by restoring the Mathas, but maintained their primacy of the scriptures over ritual. independence. To propagate and He established mathas, temples, uphold the scriptures, Sankara gurukulas and bastions of the Hindu assigned one Veda to each of the four faith that flourish even to this day. Mathas, and one Upanishad to each Vibrant Contribution of the Dasanamis. The maths also Sankara’s pioneering effort in served to facilitate the wandering organising sannyasis into the ascetics. Dasanami order is one of his most The Dasanami sanyasins are vibrant contributions. Before the divided into two categories— staff establishment of the Dasanami holders (dandadharis) and non-staff sampradaya, tantric sects were holders (paramahamsas). Another dominant. Uniting the diverse and functional categorisation of chaotic masses of ascetics into Dasanami sadhus are astradharis organised groups was no easy task; (weapon holders, militant ascetics) Hindu religion was fragmented and and sastradharis (scripture holders, fractured owing to frequent learned ascetics). The militant skirmishes between Buddhism, sannyasis are recruited from all ten Jainism, Tantric and Vaidik sects. orders, and are known as Naga Sankara institutionalised the sannyasis. The Naga headquarters celibate sannyasi culture through four is known as Akhada. Amnaya maths, many subsidiary Restructure of the Order maths and the Dasanami parampara. Sankara restructured the He restructured the sannyasin sannyasa order by freeing sannyasis orders, organising them into ten from all ritualistic sacrifices, traditional paths to reach Godhead, orienting them towards the and gave each of them a unique title scriptures by allocating them – Sarasvati, Tirtha, Aranya, Bharati, Vedantic disciplines connected with TATTVÃLOKA APRIL 2012 the Upanishadic texts, advocating intensely possessive of Sankara and renunciation (Vairagya) and the Dasanami tradition. “It is the mendicancy (Parivrajaka), stressing Sankara parampara that binds us upon the fourfold practice of together irrespective of the title we discrimination (viveka), detachment carry,” says one of the sannyasis of (vairagya), moral code (sat-sampatti) Niranjani Akhada. and liberation (moksha), and most Sankara’s role in unifying Indian importantly, creating a strong sannyasis cannot be underestimated. hierarchy and a strict guru-parampara “Imagine what the Sannyasa tradition to be followed to ensure that these would have been today, if Sankara precepts were enforced. had not given the Dasanami The guru, whilst initiating a pupil tradition,” avers elderly scholar into sannyasa, carefully chooses one Balaji. of the ten titles based on the physical An organiser par excellence, and mental disposition of the Sankara’s every action had a disciple. The title is a constant purpose. His foresight and vision reminder to the sannyasi to seek God created institutions that are pillars through the path prescribed by his of Hinduism even today. When I guru. asked Aashish Mishra, a journalist at Dasanami sannyasis preserve their Hardvar, “What was expected of a guru parampara fastidiously. “The sannyasi after he is elevated to Dasanami title not only carries a Mahamandaleshwar?” he replied, customised meaning to it but also “What more can present day holds a strong message of the sannyasis do, when everything has fundamental duty that the sannyasi already been done by has to perform,” says octogenarian Sankaracharya? They only need to Shantananda Puri Swamiji of earnestly follow the path laid out by Vashistha Guha in Rishikesh. him.” The akhadas are an important Meaning of Titles entity in the Sannyasa order. An Sankara explained the meaning Akhada can have sannyasis with of the titles unambiguously in his different Dasanami titles; they are work Matha Aamnaya. Here’s a not unique to an Akhada. The brief glance into the Dasanami relationship between different orders. Dasanami sannyasis and the different Aranya--one who lives in a forest akhadas is cordial. Akhadas are completely detached from mundane TATTVÃLOKA APRIL 2012 affairs, forsaking the material world, state, with the power to perfectly yet experiencing bliss of living in a discriminate between Truth and mystical garden. He possesses falsehood. He has realisation of Supreme happiness of merging with exalted ideals with steadfast the Divine and is duty bound to knowledge of the transient nature spread it. of the world. Ashrama--a monk living in a Puri--one who is full of the hermitage and thus freed from knowledge of Brahman. One with botheration of wandering; he has perfect (sampoorna) spiritual cast away the bonds of kama (desire), prowess. He is perpetually krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha immersed and installed in Absolute (delusion), mada (pride) and matsarya Bliss and Perfection. He is duty- (jealousy) and attained steadfastness bound to be completely engaged in and dispassionateness. He is duty Jnana and is not to mingle with the bound to propagate conquest of external world. desires, attachment and worldly Sagara--one who has dived into attractions. the depths of the ocean of Bharati--Carrying the treasure knowledge and collected the gems trove of learning, he forsakes all of Truth. He has to go in-depth into worldly burdens. Carrying the philosophical matters and his duty weight of Absolute knowledge, he is to spread this knowledge of transcends worldly sorrows. He is wisdom. duty bound to propagate all vidyas, Sarasvati--one who is greatly tarka, tantra and Jnana. learned and adept in yoga, one with Giri--steadfast like a mountain, his knowledge of pranayama, has he lives on the lofty peaks in mastered Vedic intonation and has seclusion away from people. proficiency of the Vedas. He Practicing the Gita perennially, he specialises in music and propagates cultivates firm, dignified and jnana of the fine arts. dispassionate intellect with lofty Tirtha--One who bathes in the ideals. “He has to internalise his confluence of the three rivers of sadhana for universal good and has knowledge and seeks realisation of to live in seclusion,” interprets the Truth through maha vakyas, such Shantananda Puri Swamiji. as Tattvam Asi (“Thou art That), with Parvata--one who resides at the the constant aim of unraveling their foothill of the mountains in samadhi hidden meaning. TATTVÃLOKA APRIL 2012 Vana--One who has transcended and lives in seclusion,” avers Swami all the snares of desires, unshackled Shantananda Puri from the worldly ties and lives quietly (The author is a freelance in the interiors of deep forests. “His writer closely associated with sadhana is internalised to merge with Sri Sharada Peetham and the Supreme for loka kalyana contributing mainly to (Universal good). He is not Hinduism Today, Kapaa, permitted to interact with people Hawaii.)

Matha Appellation Sampradaya Dwaraka Peetha Tirtha, Ashrama Kitavara (freedom from tendencies hurtful to creatures) Sringeri Sharada Peetha Sarasvati, Bharati, Bhurivara (Freedom from desire for worldly treasures) Puri Peetha Vana, Aranya Bhogavara (Freedom from desire for enjoyment) Jyotirmatha Giri, Parvata, Sagara Anandavara (freedom from desire for sensual pleasures)

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