Dashanami Sampradaya - Later Organization

Later Organization

Widespread Buddhism saw a decline in the number of Hindu monks in India. With the decline of Buddhism, there was no organised structure that could provide an impetus for the resurgence of the Vedic Dharma. One of the major achievements of Sri Adi Shankara was to organize a section of the Ekadandi monks under an umbrella grouping of ten names, to provide an organized base for the growth of Hinduism. Several other Hindu monastic and Ekadandi traditions remained outside the organization of the Dasanāmis .

Adi Sankara organized the Hindu monks of these ten sects or names under four maths with the headquarters at Dvārakā in the West, Jagannatha Puri in the East, Sringeri in the South and Badrikashrama in the North . These also became the four sacred dhāms or holy places of the Hindus. Adi Śankarācārya also enumerated some details of the ten orders of Hindu monks, grouped under these heads, for their external identity. For example, monks of the Giri branch wear yellow robes while those of the Saraswatī branch wear orange robes.

However, monks 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 Adi Śankara. While the dasanāmis associated with the Sankara maths 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 Sankara maths.

The association of the dasanāmis with the Smartha tradition or Advaita Vedānta is also doubtful. One example is the Kriyā Yoga tradition that considers itself eclectic (see: Eclecticism), with ancient unchangeable beliefs, and outside the ambit of differences in the understanding of Vedanta. Other examples are the tantric avadhūta sampradāyas and ekadandi sannyāsa traditions outside the control of the Sankara maths . The dasanāmis / ekadandis also founded, and continue to found or affiliate themselves with maths, āsrams and temples outside the control of the Sankara maths .

In North India, the Ekadandi monks have been organizing themselves into yoga akhadas, generally known as Akhāḍas. In the 16th century, Madhusudana Saraswati organised a section of the Naga tradition of armed sannyasis in order to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Mughal rulers. These are also called Gusain, Gussain, Gosain, Gossain, Gosine, Gosavi, Sannyāsi, Dasnāmi or Goswami in popular parlance. Some examples of akhadas currently are the Shri Panchadashanam Juna Akhada of the Dashanami nagas, Shri Panchayati Mahanirwani Akhada, Shri Taponidhi Niranjani Akhada, Shri Taponidhi Anand Akhada, Shri Panchayati Atal Akhada, Shri Panchadashnam Awahan Akhada, Shri Pancha Agni Akhada and Shri Panchayati Akhada at Allahabad . Each akhada is divided into sub-branches and traditions. An example is the Datt Akhada of the naked sadhus of Juna Naga establishment.

The Naga sadhus generally remain in the ambit of non-violence presently, though some sections are also known to practice the sport of 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 Dasanāmis are generally believed to be celibate, and grihastas or householder sannyāsis such as Lahiri Mahasaya and Bhupendranath Sanyal (Sanyal Mahāsaya) were a rarity.