Sankara - Dasanami Parampara

Sankara - Dasanami Parampara :

Sankara institutionalised the celibate sanyasi culture through four amnaya maths, many subsidiary maths and the Dasanami parampara. 

The four monastic headquarters were established to unify the groups of sanyasins and bring them under the banner of vedic dharma. The Dasanami sects were placed nominally under one of the four mathas, but maintained their independence. To propagate and uphold the scriptures, Sankara assigned one veda to each of the four mathas, and one upanishad to each of the Dasanamis. Mathas also served to facilitate wandering ascetics.

The Dasanami sanyasins are divided into two categories — dandadharis or staff holders and paramahamsas or non-staff holders. Another functional categorisation of Dasanami sadhus are astradharis or weapon holders, militant ascetics and saastradharis or scripture holders, the learned ascetics. The ‘militant’ sanyasis are recruited from all 10 orders, and are known as Naga sanyasis and their headquarters, the Akhada.

Sankara restructured the sanyasa order by freeing sanyasis from all ritualistic sacrifices, orienting them towards the scriptures by allocating them vedantic disciplines connected with the upanishadic texts, advocating vairagya or renunciation and parivrajaka or mendicancy, stressing on the fourfold practice of viveka, discrimination; vairagya, detachment; sat-sampatti, moral code and moksha, liberation and most importantly, creating a strong hierarchy and a strict guru-parampara to be followed to ensure that these precepts were actioned.

The guru, whilst initiating a pupil into sanyasa, carefully chooses one of the 10 titles based on the physical and mental disposition of the disciple. The title is a constant reminder to the sanyasi to seek God through the path prescribed by his guru.

“The Dasanami title is a strong reminder of the fundamental duty that the sanyasi has to perform.

Om Namah Shivay.