[Advaita-l] Sanyasins

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

One of the names in the ashTottaraSata nAmastotra on Sankara bhagavatpAda, by vidyAraNyasvAmin, describes him as the uddhartA of the saMnyAsASrama. This indicates in the time immediately prior to the AcArya, the institution of saMnyAsa itself was in need of revitalization, whether as direct renunciation from brahmacaryASrama or at the end of life.

Sankara bhagavatpAda refers to both routes to renunciation in the bhAshyas. In many sections of brAhmaNa society, direct renunciation at a young age was frowned upon. Many sampradAyas insist that saMnyAsa should come after going through life in society as a gRhastha. Even in the SAnkara sampradAya, direct renunciation is allowed only after stringent constraints are met. As such, it is a rarity in terms of numbers. saMnyAsa from the brahmacarya stage is prominently visible because this tradition has been safeguarded well, especially in south India. In recent times, the newer institutions like the Ramakrishna Math are also ensuring that they maintain a high quality of saMnyAsins initiated directly from the student stage. 

In reality, the structure of saMnyAsa and maThas in the advaita vedAnta tradition reveals very little affinity with buddhist monastic practices. Various features of the monastic tradition are preserved from very ancient brAhmaNa dhArmika traditions.

best regards,
Vidyasankar

---Original Message---
From: "vijay kartik" <vijaykartik_2004 at yahoo.com>
Sent: 4/1/2013 2:38 am
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Sanyasins

Thanks for the responses.
My question is less with reference to the Vedic era and more with reference to the centuries before Adi Sankara. Was the phenomenon of "direct" sanyaasa very rare during these centuries? The names quoted are more in the Vedic era. In other words, is it to be understood that it was only after Sankara's period and preachings that "direct" Sanyaasa gained prominence (for want of a better phrase). Was it somehow influenced by the Buddhist monkhood practices?

Vijay




________________________________
 From: Venkata sriram P <venkatasriramp at yahoo.in>
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org 
Sent: Monday, April 1, 2013 1:54 AM
Subject: [Advaita-l] Sanyasins
 
In rg veda, the word *vAtarashana kEsha* (10.136.2) word denoted malIna-vastra-dhara tapasvins.  So, the sanyAsa dharma was anAdi which was mentioned in our shruti,smriti & purANAs.   Study of all the sanyAsa upanishads would also reinforce this fact that yati parampara existed even prior to acharya sankara.  
However, in what form and whether there was yOga paTTa or not we don't know becauseSankara Bhagavatpada was the trendsetter in muttamnAya anushAsana and dasanamisampradAya.  
As per nArada parivrAjaka & bhikshu upanishad, shvEtakEtu, rubhu, nidAgha, jaDabharata,durvAsa, saMvartaka, sanatsujAta, vaidEha, vaTasiddha, shuka, vAmadEva, dattAtrEya, raivataka, gOrakSa, harItaka were paramahamsAs; and gautama, bhAradwAja, yAjnavalkya, vashishta were kutichakAs. 
However, the most prominent yati sampradAya which is anAdi and and vibrant even today is the dattAtrEya sampradAya which is known for it's *avadhUta parampara*.
Jagatguru dattAtrEya was born to Atri and Anasuya.  He remained as a brahmachAri and is a trilOka sanchAri. In Kali Yuga, He took 16 avatArAs to bless His devotees. The speciality of the datta avatara unlike other avataras is that there is noavatAra parisamApti for Him.  
He roams like a mad man, naked (sometimes with a loin cloth to save His lajjatva), with dust and mud all over His body and sometimes seen with sandal paste and bhasma smeared all over His body.  He is sometimes seen among the group of drunkards and sometimes among the group of mad men; He is sometimes seenalone performing the haTa yOga with utmost ease; He is sometimes seenimmersed in nAda yOga; He is sometimes seen as a young lad and sometimes asas an old man; He is sometimes seen as an outcast with 4 dogs behind and quiteoften seen as an hardcore vaidika brAhmaNa doing the swAdhyAya of the shAstrAs.

regs,sriram



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