What is Dashanami Sampradaya ?

what is Dashanami Sampradaya ?

Dashanami Sampradaya  is a Hindu monastic tradition of Ekadandi sannyasins  generally associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition. They are distinct in their practices from the Saiva Tridandi sannyāsins or "trident renunciates" and from Vaisnava sannyāsins.The Tridandi sannyāsins continue to wear the sacred thread after renunciation, while Ekadandi sannyāsins do not.

The Ekadandi Vedāntins aim for moksha as the existence of the self in its natural condition indicated by the destruction of all its specific qualities. Any Hindu, irrespective of class, caste, age or gender can seek sannyāsa as an Ekadandi monk under the Dasanāmi tradition.

The Ekadandis or Dasanāmis had established monasteries in India and Nepal in ancient times. After the decline of Buddhism, a section of the Ekadandis were organized by Adi Shankara in the 8th century in India to be associated with four maṭhas to provide a base for the growth of Hinduism. However, the association of the Dasanāmis with the Sankara maṭhas remained nominal.

The Encyclopaedia of Śaivism by Swāmi Parmeshwarānand  states: "Farquhar informs us that both these expressions, 'Ekadandi' and 'Tridandi' occur in the Mahābhārata. We have not been able to trace the former of these".

However, the Ekadandis existed in the Tamil country in the Pandya and Pallava period but being wandering monks, they were not settled in the brahmadeyas or settlement areas for Brahmins. The book Heritage of the Tamils: temple arts (pg 154) by Shanmuga Velayutham Subramanian informs us of the existence of tax free bhiksha-bogams for feeding the Ekadandi ascetics in the ancient Tamil country. Another book The Pandyan Townships : The Pandyan townships, their organisation and functioning by R. Tirumalai, informs us that "there appears to have been no sectarian segregation of the Saivite (Ekadandi) and Srivaishnava (Tridandi Sannyāsins)".

According to the book Socio-religious, Economic, Literary Condition of Bihar by Bhagwati Charan Verma, Ekadandis and Tridandis were active in Eastern India, and appear to have existed there during the Gupta Empire.

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 dasanaamis with the Smartha tradition or Advaita Vedānta is also doubtful. One example is the Kriyaa Yoga tradition that considers itself eclectic , with ancient  unchangeable beliefs, and outside the ambit of differences in the understanding of Vedanta. Other examples are the tantric avadhoota sampradaayas and ekadandi sannyaasa traditions outside the control of the Sankara maths. The dasanaamis / ekadandis also founded, and continue to found or affiliate themselves with maths, aasrams and temples outside the control of the Sankara maths.