Sadhu (Sanskrit:साधु,IAST:sādhu (male),sādhvī orsādhvīne (female), also spelledsaddhu) is a religiousascetic,mendicant or any holy person inHinduism andJainism who has renounced the worldly life.[1][2][3] They are sometimes alternatively referred to asyogi,sannyasi orvairagi.[1]
Sādhu means one who follows a path ofsadhana(spiritual discipline).[4] Although the vast majority of sādhus areyogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. A sādhu's life is solely dedicated to achievingmokṣa (liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth), the fourth and finalaśrama (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation ofBrahman. Sādhus often wear simple clothing, such assaffron-coloured clothing in Hinduism and white or nothing in Jainism, symbolising theirsannyāsa (renunciation of worldly possessions). A female mendicant in Hinduism and Jainism is often called asadhvi, or in some texts asaryika.[2][3]
InSikhism, a person who has becomeBrahmgiani is considered asadhu. However, asceticism, celibacy and begging are prohibited in Sikhism.[5]
The termsadhu (Sanskrit: साधु) appears inRigveda andAtharvaveda where it means "straight, right, leading straight to goal", according toMonier Monier-Williams.[6][note 1] In theBrahmanas layer of Vedic literature, the term connotes someone who is "well disposed, kind, willing, effective or efficient, peaceful, secure, good, virtuous, honourable, righteous, noble" depending on the context.[6] In the Hindu Epics, the term implies someone who is a "saint, sage, seer, holy man, virtuous, chaste, honest or right".[6]
The Sanskrit termssādhu ("good man") andsādhvī ("good woman") refer to renouncers who have chosen to live lives apart from or on the edges of society to focus on their own spiritual practices.[7]
The words come from the rootsādh, which means to "reach one's goal", "straighten", or "master".[8] The same root is used in the wordsādhanā, which means "spiritual practice".[4]
Sadhus are widely considered holy.[9] It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off theirkarma and that of the community at large. Thus seen as benefiting society, sadhus are supported by donations from many people. However, reverence of sadhus is by no means universal in India. For example,Nath yogi sadhus have been viewed with a certain degree of suspicion particularly amongst the urban populations of India, but they have been revered and are popular in rural India.[10][11]
There are naked (digambara, or "sky-clad") sadhus who wear their hair in thickdreadlocks calledjata. Sadhus engage in a wide variety of religious practices. Some practice asceticism and solitary meditation, while others prefer group praying, chanting or meditating. They typically live a simple lifestyle, and have very few or no possessions. Many sadhus have rules for alms collection, and do not visit the same place twice on different days to avoid bothering the residents. They generally walk or travel over distant places, homeless, visiting temples and pilgrimage centers as a part of their spiritual practice.[12][13]Celibacy is common, but some sects experiment with consensualtantric sex as a part of their practice. Sex is viewed by them as a transcendence from a personal, intimate act to something impersonal and ascetic.[14]
Shaiva sadhus are renunciants devoted toShiva, andVaishnava sadhus are renouncers devoted toVishnu (or his avatars, such as Rama or Krishna). The Vaishnava sadhus are sometimes referred to asvairagis.[1] Less numerous areShakta sadhus, who are devoted toShakti. Within these general divisions are numerous sects and sub-sects, reflecting different lineages and philosophical schools and traditions often referred to as "sampradayas". Each sampradaya has several "orders" calledparampara based on the lineage of the founder of the order. Each sampradaya and parampara may have several monastic and martialakharas.
Within the Shaiva sadhus are many subgroups. Most Shaiva sadhus wear aTripundra mark on their forehead, dress in saffron, red or orange-coloured clothes, and live a monastic life. Some sadhus such as theAghori share the practices of ancientKapalikas, in which they beg with a skull, smear their body with ashes from the cremation ground, and experiment with substances or practices that are generally abhorred by society.[15][16]
Among the Shaiva sadhus, theDashanami Sampradaya belong to theSmarta Tradition. They are said to have been formed by the philosopher and renunciantAdi Shankara, believed to have lived in the 8th century CE, though the full history of the sect's formation is not clear. Among them are theNaga subgroups, naked sadhu known for carrying weapons like tridents, swords, canes, and spears. Said to have once functioned as an armed order to protect Hindus from theMughal rulers, they were involved in a number of military defence campaigns.[17][18] Generally in the ambit of non-violence at present, some sections are known to practicewrestling andmartial arts. Their retreats are still calledchhaavni or armed camps (akhara), and mock duels are still sometimes held between them.
Female sadhus (sadhvis) exist in many sects. In many cases, the women that take to the life of renunciation are widows, and these types of sadhvis often live secluded lives in ascetic compounds. Sadhvis are sometimes regarded by some as manifestations or forms of the Goddess, or Devi, and are honoured as such. There have been a number of charismatic sadhvis that have risen to fame as religious teachers in contemporary India, e.g. Anandamayi Ma,Sarada Devi,Mata Amritanandamayi, and Karunamayi.[19]
The Jain community is traditionally discussed in its texts with four terms:sadhu (monks),sadhvi or aryika (nuns),sravaka (laymen householders) andsravika (laywomen householders). As in Hinduism, the Jain householders support the monastic community.[2] Thesadhus andsadhvis are intertwined with the Jain lay society, performmurtipuja (Jina idol worship) and lead festive rituals, and they are organized in a strongly hierarchical monastic structure.[20]
There are differences between theDigambara andŚvetāmbara sadhus and sadhvi traditions.[20] The Digambara sadhus own no clothes as a part of their interpretation ofFive vows, and they live their ascetic austere lives in nakedness. The Digambara sadhvis wear white clothes. The Śvetāmbara sadhus and sadhvis both wear white clothes. According to a 2009 publication by Harvey J. Sindima, Jain monastic community had 6,000 sadhvis of which less than 100 belong to the Digambara tradition and rest to Śvetāmbara.[21]
Kumbh Mela, a mass gathering of sadhus from all parts of India, takes place every three years at one of four points along sacred rivers throughout India. In 2007, it was held in Nasik, Maharashtra. Peter Owen-Jones filmed one episode of "Extreme Pilgrim" there during this event. It took place again in Haridwar in 2010.[22] Sadhus of all sects join in this reunion. Millions of non-sadhu pilgrims also attend the festivals, and theKumbh Mela is the largest gathering of human beings for a single religious purpose on the planet. The Kumbh Mela of 2013 started on 14 January of that year atAllahabad.[23] At the festival, sadhus appear in large numbers, including those "completely naked with ash-smeared bodies, [who] sprint into the chilly waters for a dip at the crack of dawn".[24]
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