Encyclopedia of Indian Christian Philosophy

SAMNYASA: The Sanskrit term samnyasa could be understood in two different

etymological meanings: (i sam!ni!asa (ghan suffi" to root as and (ii sat!nyasa# $n the first
formation% which is commonly acce&ted% it means com&lete renunciation (of things and beings of
the world# $n this sense% the term is ambiguous# $t means (a the rites which the renunciate &erforms
initially% (b the way of life that he leads after initiation# $n the second formation% it means the state of
being the trustee of reality and truth# 'iewed closely% these two meanings are (irtually one and the
same# To renounce the world of things and beings that a&&ear to be there and to be a trustee of reality
and truth are two sides of the same coin# Ta&asyananda of )amakrsna*'i(ekananda order translates
samnyasa as monasticism# As a samnyasin is not necessarily connected with monastery% this
translation would not be acce&table to all#
The term is not there in the 'edic te"ts and it is not there in the +uddhist and ,aina te"ts
either# $t is the +rahmanic tradition that ado&ted it around the second century +#-# There is some
e(idence that by the si"th century +#-#% the idea of renunciation of the world entered into all the
religious traditions and sects of North $ndia# This came into conflict with the Vaidika dharma% which
is society*centered and admits for adult men the role of married house*holders only# The all*
accommodati(e +rahminic tradition absorbed the institution of samnyasa by making both the life*
styles of the house*holder and the renunciate legitimate within the framework of four purusarthas
and four asramas# The purusarthas are dharma% artha% kama and moksa. whereas the four asramas
are brahmacarya% garhasthya% vanaprastha and samnyasa# Grhasthasrama is% according to the
Manu Smrti% the best of all the four as it is meant for all the vargas# Manu &rescribes that a
+rahmana should get initiated into samnyasa# A brahmana is coe(al with dvija and vipra as by
samskara% one becomes a dvija% by mastering the Vedas (body of knowledge% one becomes vipra
and by leaning about +rahman% one becomes brahmana# Mahima /harma% which originated in
0disa% seeks to accommodate house*holders within the enfoldment of samnyasa# $t has been
remarked by 1ouis /umont that the secret of 2induism may be found in the dialogue between the
renouncer and the man*in*the*world# 2induism is% howe(er% a misnomer# Vaidika or sanatana
dharma is the right term# A distinction is made in the Katha Upanisad between what man
instincti(ely desires (preya and what he should rationally desire (sreya# This forms the guiding
&rinci&le of the institution of asramas# Accordingly% samnyasa is not denial or demeaning of life# $t
is rather realisation and fulfillment of life# The Kaivalyopanisad and the Narayanopanisad &roclaim
that the uncommon indi(iduals attain immortality by samnyasa alone% not by action% or by birth% or
by wealth# 3There is no ho&e of immortality through wealth%4 Ya5na(alkya tells Maitreyi#
Adi Samkaracarya (circa 677*789 became the chief &rotagonist of the idea of samnyasa# The
Ad(aita 'edantin ad(ocates samnyasa in the strict sense of the term in the foot*ste&s of Samkara#
According to Samkara% samnyasa means tyaga (gi(ing away% not niksepa (throwing away
:3tyagartha na nikseparthah4;# 0ne gi(es away by con(iction% not under com&ulsion% by o&tion% not
by coercion# 0ne (iew is that samnyasa is ado&ted when the three other stages of life% brahmacarya%
garhasthya% and vanaprastha are li(ed fully in se<uence% each stage being assigned a s&an of twenty*
four years# The Vaikhanasa Dharmasastra clearly states that a brahmana could &ass through all the
stages and achie(e all the four ob5ecti(es of life. a ksatriya three stages and three ob5ecti(es. a
vaisya two of each and a sudra one stage and one ob5ecti(e of life only# Vanaprastha is regarded as
the &re&aratory stage for mental samnyasa% which is the e"clusi(e commitment for moksa# Vairagya
(non*attachment and ahimsa (non*(iolence are the two e"clusi(e commitments for samnyasa# +ut
then a different (iew is that one with the right mental make*u& can ado&t samnyasa immediately#
The Narada Parivrajakopanisad says%

bramhacari bhutva grhi bhavet=
grhi bhutva vani bhavet==
vani bhutva pravrajyet=
yat ahareva virajet tat pravrajyet==
A &ros&ecti(e renunciate must be at least twenty*four years of age and ha(ing his training for
samnyasa before twenty*fi(e# >lse% he should ado&t samnyasa after se(enty*two in the ordinary
course# >"tremely uncommon and e"ce&tional Samkara% howe(er% ado&ted samnyasa at a (ery
tender age# $n a com&osition entitled Dhyana staka% he e"tols the life of a samnyasin as a life of
ha&&iness:
tyaktva grhe ratim adhogatihetubhutam!
atmechayopanisad artharasam pibantah!!
vitasprha visayabhogapade viraktah!
dhanyascaranti vijanesu viraktasangah==
(?utting out all lo(e for ones own house which is the basic cause of all our miserable downfall%
goaded by the cra(ing for self*knowledge% drinking the eli"ir of the truth of the Upanisadic
statements% de(oid of all desires at heart% with e"treme dis&assion for the host of the ob5ects of
en5oyment% fortunate souls wander in solitude gi(ing u& all com&any and attachment#
Samnyasa is renunciation in action% not renunciation of action# The "hagavadgita terms it as
karmasmnyasa# ?hysical se&aration means homelessness% whereas mental detachment means
desirelessness for the result of ones action# Samnyasa is not gi(ing u& the world% or lea(ing the
society# $t is li(ing in the society with a sublime attitude towards men and matters# Samnyasa is
gi(ing u& of all e"&ectations as these are beyond his determination to bring about and this is called
yoga# 2e% who does not ha(e the attitude of mine and thine% does not ha(e cra(ings for anything at
any time% and tides o(er all dualities of life like gain or loss and success or failure% is a man of
relentless renunciation (nitya samnyasa# $n other words% this is renunciation of doershi& (kartutva
and en5oyershi& (bhoktrtva and sacrifice of all interests of his own self in fa(our of the interests of
all sel(es# Samnyasa is not a means of getting something * merit (punya or bliss (ananda#
Samnyasa is the rational o&tion when all getting and cra(ing to get are e"amined and trascended#
The samnyasin turns into something and is only ready to gi(e all his resources at the ser(ice of the
society# Thus% one% who sets foot on the &ath of samnyasa# is led to the attainment of brahmanhood%
according to the "hagavadgita# The initial stage of samnyasa is known as aparamartha samnyasa as
the seeker has not attained &erfection and is not &oised in knowledge# The final stage of the
&rogression is known as paramartha samnyasa#
Swami Si(ananda Saraswati states that samnyasa and 'edanta go hand in hand# Samnyasa
em&ties the indi(idual of his egoity% whereas 'edanta fills it with su&reme Truth and )eality#
According to some others% the contention that there is no need of abandoning family and society and
that renunciation of egoity is all that is re<uired% is a &er(erted reading of the source te"ts like the
"hagavadgita and the Upanisads and misuse of &hiloso&hical arguments to 5ustify worldly
en5oyment# They &oint out that all that we see in this world and re(el in are ob5ects of our own
imagination# +liss is not there in clinging to these# 2ence it is better to re(el in the freedom of Self*
)ealisation and aim at samnyasa#
@hen an as&irant is initiated to samnyasa% he has to &erform some rites# There is no uniform
(ersion of such rites# 2owe(er% there is broad agreement with regard to certain main features# The
initiation takes &lace o(er a &eriod of two days# 0n the first day% the as&irant offers nine oblations for
the dead in his family% the ninth one being for himself# 0n the second day% he makes sacrifice of all
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his worldly &ossessions# 2e sacrifices the use of fire for good as he de&osits it within himself by
certain symbolic rites like inhaling its smoke% burning utensils used in the ritual of viraja homa and
e"tinguishing the sacred fire# At the end% he makes a &ronouncement thrice% 3samnyastam maya4 (3$
ha(e renounced4 and he makes abhayadana (gift of security to all creatures not to in5ure them e(er#
Then he carries the emblem (yatilinga of his new state in the form of a staff and a begging bowl and
becomes a paribrat (itinerant#
The rites that the as&irant &erforms for initiation to samnyasa are regarded as his ritual death#
Ander the &ro(isions of 2indu 1aw% the ritual death is treated at the same &ar as the &hysical death of
the &erson although his &hysical form continues with a different name# 2is renunciation im&lies legal
succession of his heir to all his be<ueathed &ro&erties# 2is marriage is treated as dissol(ed and his
wife is entitled for remarriage according to the Narada Smrti# A samnyasin is debarred from
&artici&ating in legal transactions and released from contractual obligations including debts and
loans# 2e cannot a&&ear as witness in courts of law#
There are different orders of samnyasa and differences in their obser(ances# +rahma tells
Narada that samnyasa is of one kind only. but due to ignorance% inability and non*&erformance of
karmas (of &ersons% there comes to be three di(isions and then four: (i vairagya*samnyasa% (ii
ajnana*samnyasa% (iii jnana vairagya*samnyasa% and (i( karma*samnyasa# Samnyasa has a
different four*fold di(ision: (i vidvat*samnyasa% (ii jnana*samnyasa% (iii vividisa*samnyasa% and
(i( karma*samnyasa% the last one ha(ing two sub*di(isions like (a nimitta and (b animitta# There
is a hierarchy of renunciates based on the degree of relin<uishment of social norms and worldly
affairs: (i kuticaka% (ii bahudaka% (iii hamsa% (i( paramahamsa% (( turiyatita% and ((i avaduta#
Samnyasins initiated in the Ad(aitic tradition are known under one of the following ten
names and so they are known as Dasnami Samnyasins# This a&&ears to be a se<uel to the
establishment of monasteries by the early +uddhists with &ermanent communities of monks and
abandonment of wandering mode of life# Samkara reformed the 'edic order of samnyasa kee&ing in
(iew the changing circumstances# Still% itinerant life for samnyasins remained as the ideal order# The
ins&irational names are: (i +harati% (ii Biri% (iii ?uri% (i( Saraswati% (( Tirtha% ((i Aranya% ((ii
Asrama% ((iii ?ar(ata% (i" Sagara% and (" 'ana# A samnyasin is initiated into a new name% so that
he would com&letely forget his &re(ious stages of life (purvasrama and start a renewed and real life#
Samnyasins in the first fi(e names are generally seen at &resent# There is a different name Swami#
+ut then this one is not uni<ue and confined to seekers initiated into samnyasa in the Ad(aitic
tradition#
$t is worth noting that while drawing a distinction between the status of Tamil and Sanskrit% it
has been made clear that monasticism is o&en to all in the Tamil culture% whereas it is restricted to
+rahmins in the Sanskrit culture# The case of 'i(ekananda marked an e"ce&tion# Although he was
not a +rahmin% he was initiated into samnyasa in the ?uri order o(erriding the e"isting &rinci&les
and &ractice# This shows that there is no absoluteness about social categorisation and that the 'edic
tradition is not restricti(e% e"clusi(e and rigid# The criteria for social categorisation in this tradition
are a&titude and ability of indi(iduals# The characteristic features of a +rahmin are brought out by
the Mahabharata thus: 3Such wise &ersons are eligible for the title of +rahmin as are without
e"&ectation (nirasisam% ostentation (anarasam% subordination% &hysical or (erbal (nirnamaskaram%
astutim% degeneration (aksinam and action (ksinakarmanam#4 Sudra% in contrast% is ksudra (mean%
that is% ksina (degenerated# 2e is not untouchable or unteachable# The meanness of a sudra in the
&sycho*beha(ioural le(el can be minimised by teaching and training% although &roceeding unto the
le(el of wisdom of the samnyasa height might be too arduous for him# Cemales are not allowed into
the +rahmanic samnyasa order# +uddhism% ,ainism and some other sects accommodate female
renouncers (nuns into their order# Mahima /harma admits females in its samnyasa order#
D
The samnyasin does not ha(e anything in &articular to do for the world# 2e has only three
duties to &erform: (i sauca (cleanliness% (ii bhiksa (begging alms% and (iii dhyana (meditation#
Actions and duties are for the worldly man% not for the samnyasin# The samnyasin is the re&ository
of /i(ine @isdom# 2e discards the idea of oneself and another and sets at rest the thoughts of good
and e(il# 2e does not s&eak to anyone unless he is s&oken to% nor to one who asks im&ro&erly# As he
mo(es from door to door for a few morsels of food% he shares his wisdom with the householders who
as&ire to know# tri Smrti says that the samnyasin is the mo(ing form of +rahma# 2e does not
lament for not getting something% nor does he delight for getting something# 2e needs only things as
less as &ossible in order to remain ali(e till death comes# 2e does not in(ite death. he does not
celebrate life either# The Samnyasopanisad says that a samnyasin shall take food as medicine (i#e#% in
great moderation# 2e must not be worried about its <uantity as well as a(ailability# 2e may acce&t a
tattered cloth or a bark dress as gift# The garb only &uts a check on the as&irant from de(iating from
his ob5ecti(e#
The +uddhist monks carried +uddhism to the @est# Their doctrine and &ractice of
renunciation got a &lace in -hristianity% which recognised the same as a feature of their ecclesiastical
order# +ut the idea% or rather the ideal% of samnyasa is different from the @estern idea of
renunciation# The latter admits of degrees and is confined to abandonment of co(eted ob5ects% of
cherished wishes and su&&ression of some ideal of life# $t is o&&osed to altruism# $t might in(ol(e
di(ersion of acti(ities% but not their com&lete secession# $n the @est% a &erson sometimes renounces
his con(ictions or ideals on small and selfish grounds# $n $ndia samnyasa means se(ering of all ties
and surrender of all worldly ho&es and &ossessions# The sole &ur&ose is the welfare of the whole
world of things and beings either directly through &ro&agation of wisdom% or indirectly through
com&lete abstinence from en5oyment of the resources of the world# This is not% howe(er% cra(ing for
an indolent life free from an"iety and care% as some @estern scholars understand it# They are right
when they say that those who ado&t asceticism in order to fly away from duties and res&onsibilities
are a burden% loss and source of danger to the country# $t is worth noting that samnyasins do not fall
into this re&rehensible category% but the o&&osite of it#
$t has been assumed that the @estern -hristianised ideal of renunciation works better for the
well*being of the society than the 'edic ideal of samnyasa% which is of no (alue for the society# $t is
contended that the idea or ideal ad(ocated and &racticed by the organisations like +rahmo Sama5 and
Arya Sama5 is influenced by the -hristian ideal# As A#S# Beden &uts it% 3$t may be that in all
instances% there has been the ins&iration% indirect and unacknowledged% of -hristian e"am&le#4 (>d#
,ames 2astings% $ncyclopedia o% &eligion and $thics% &# 6D9 Such understanding of the cultural
ideas of an alien culture is misdirected% to say the least# /oing of &hilanthro&ic acti(ities might be
common to both the 'edantic ideal of samnyasa and the -hristian ideal of renunciation% its su&&osed
counter&art# +ut the distinction between the two is much dee&er# Cor a &ro&er assessment of the
&ractical bearings of the ideal of samnyasa% one must intimately know the form of life% which the
culture that &ro5ects the ideal &romises# Eee&ing in (iew the life e"&ectancy% resources of the land
and other conditions of life and li(ing% the ideal is &ro5ected for a slow and steady &re&aration of the
indi(idual for the ine(itable end in the interest of all# Samnyasa satisfies the structural urge of man to
stri(e for the attainment of the ordinarily unattainable% as it offers a righteous way for the gradual
growth of a human being into a /i(ine being% the finite into the $nfinite% the mortal frame into Sat'
(hit'nanda# The ideal of samnyasa ensures a ha&&y blend of immense idealism with immense
&racticality in the li(ed life of man#
$n this com&le"% globalised and techno*tronic world% no asrama% es&ecially aranyaka and
samnyasa% is &ossible in its &ristine form# 1ife of man has become a cauldron of fire with his senses
drawn more and more intensely towards and clinging to material goods# 1ife would be good and
F
li(ing would be smooth if a man could &ersuade himself to li(e the life of a nitya samnyasin as &er
the model &ro(ided by the "hagavadgita#
G.P.Das 86#98#89G9
REFERENCES:
G# The Samnyasopanisad#
8# The )avalopanisad#
D# The Narada Parivrajaka Upanisad#
F# The "rhadaranyaka Upanisad#
H# The "hagavadgita#
I# The Manusmrti#
6# (>d# ,ames 2astings% $ncyclopedia o% &eligion and $thics% -harles Scribners Sons% New York#
7# (>d*in*-hief Mircea >liade% $ncyclopedia o% &eligion% Macmillan ?ublishing -om&any% New
York#
H