Avadhoota & Paramahamsa (fwd)

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 15 Aug 2001, Ashish Chandra wrote:

> As per the Jivanmuktiviveka of Sri Swami Vidyaranya, jivanmukti is the
> prerequisite for vidvat sannyasa. Only paramhamsas can take vidvat sannyas
> because they become paramhamsas on the onset of jivanmukti.

There is no seperate vidvat sannyasa to be taken.  It is the culmination
of sanyasa and it *is* jivanmukti.

> So Sri
> Ramakrishna was a Paramhamsa. He never formally took sannyas diksha but
> even that is not necessary as we see that Rishi Yajnavalkya took vidvat
> sannyasa without any initiation. In fact, no diksha is necessary for taking
> vidvat sannyasa - the only prerequisite being jivanmukti.

However note that when Yajnavalkya felt he had achieved jnana he gave away
all his property and left Maitreyi.  If Ramakrishna remained married that
is no sort of sannyasa at all by Vedantic standards.  But in the Tantric
tradition that would be acceptable.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>