Sadhu

Religious ascetic or holy person in Hinduism

This article is about Hindu/Jain holy persons. For Buddhist use of the term, see Sādhu (Pali word). For the 1994 film, see Sadhu (film).

Not to be confused with Sadu.

Two Sadhus, or Hindu Holy Men, near Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu Part of a series on

Hinduism

* Hindus
* Mythology

Origins

Historical

* History
* Indus Valley Civilisation
* Vedic religion
* Dravidian folk religion
* Śramaṇa
* Tribal religions in India

Traditional

* Itihasa-Purana
* Epic-Puranic royal genealogies
* Epic-Puranic chronology

Sampradaya (traditions)

Major Sampradaya (traditions)

* Vaishnavism
* Pancharatra
* Shaivism
* Kapalika
* Pashupata
* Pratyabhijña
* Shaktism
* Smartism

Other Sampradaya (traditions)

Deities

Absolute Reality / Unifying Force

* Brahman

Trimurti

* Brahma
* Vishnu
* Shiva

Tridevi

* Saraswati
* Lakshmi
* Parvati

Other major Devas / Devis

Vedic Deities:

* Tridasha
* Adityas
* Rudras
* Vasus
* Ashvins
* Mahadevi
* Other Vedic Deities

Post-Vedic:

* Avatar
* Dashavatara
* Durga
* Navadurga
* Mahavidya
* Kartikeya
* Ganesha
* Hanuman
* Radha
* Shakti
* Sita

Devatas

* Vishvakarma
* Kubera

Concepts

Worldview

* Cosmology
* Mythology

Ontology

* Tattvas
* Subtle elements
* Panchikarana
* Gross elements
* Guṇas
* Purusha
* Prakṛti

Supreme reality

* Brahman
* Nirguna
* Saguna
* Om
* Saccidānanda

God

* Ishvara
* Devas / Devi
* Devatas
* God in Hinduism
* God and gender

Puruṣārtha (meaning of life)

* Dharma
* Artha
* Kama
* Moksha

Āśrama (stages of life)

* Brahmacharya
* Gṛhastha
* Vānaprastha
* Sannyasa

Three paths to liberation

* Bhakti yoga
* Jnana yoga
* Karma yoga

Liberation

Mokṣa-related topics:

* Paramātman
* Maya
* Karma
* Saṃsāra

Mind

* Ātman (self)
* Anātman (non-self)
* Sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body)
* Antaḥkaraṇa (mental organs)

* Prajña (wisdom)
* Ānanda (happiness)
* Viveka (discernment)
* Vairagya (dispassion)
* Sama (equanimity)
* Dama (temperance)
* Uparati (self-settledness)
* Titiksha (forbearance)
* Shraddha (faith)
* Samadhana (concentration)
* Arishadvargas (six enemies)
* Ahamkara (attachment)

Ethics

* Niti śastra
* Yamas
* Niyama
* Ahimsa
* Achourya
* Aparigraha
* Brahmacharya
* Satya
* Damah
* Dayā
* Akrodha
* Arjava
* Santosha
* Tapas
* Svādhyāya
* Shaucha
* Mitahara
* Dāna
* Sources of dharma

Epistemology

* Pratyakṣa (perception)
* Anumāṇa (inference)
* Upamāṇa (comparison, analogy)
* Arthāpatti (postulation, presumption)
* Anupalabdi (non-perception, negation)
* Śabda (word, testimony)

Practices

Worship, sacrifice, and charity

* Puja
* Ārtī
* Prarthana
* Śrauta
* Temple
* Murti
* Bhakti
* Japa
* Bhajana
* Kīrtana
* Yajna
* Homa
* Tarpana
* Vrata
* Prāyaścitta
* Tirtha
* Yatra
* Tirthadana
* Matha
* Nritta-Nritya
* Dāna
* Sevā
* Yoga
* Exorcism

Meditation

* Tapas
* Dhyana
* Samādhāna
* Nididhyāsana

Yoga

* Sadhu
* Yogi
* Yogini
* Asana
* Sādhanā
* Hatha yoga
* Jnana yoga
* Bhakti yoga
* Karma yoga
* Rāja yoga
* Kundalini yoga

Arts

* Bharatanatyam
* Kathak
* Kathakali
* Kuchipudi
* Manipuri
* Mohiniyattam
* Odissi
* Sattriya
* Bhagavata Mela
* Yakshagana
* Dandiya Raas
* Carnatic music
* Pandav Lila
* Kalaripayattu
* Silambam
* Adimurai

Rites of passage

* Garbhadhana
* Pumsavana
* Pumsavana Simantonayana
* Simantonnayana
* Jatakarma
* Nāmakaraṇa
* Nishkramana
* Annaprashana
* Chudakarana
* Karnavedha
* Vidyāraṃbhaṃ
* Upanayana
* Keshanta
* Ritushuddhi
* Samavartanam
* Vivaha
* Antyesti

Festivals

* Diwali
* Holi
* Maha Shivaratri
* Navaratri
* Durga Puja
* Ramlila
* Vijayadashami-Dussehra
* Raksha Bandhan
* Ganesh Chaturthi
* Vasant Panchami
* Rama Navami
* Janmashtami
* Onam
* Makar Sankranti
* Kumbh Mela
* Pongal
* Ugadi
* Vaisakhi
* Bihu
* Puthandu
* Vishu
* Ratha Yatra

Philosophical schools

Six Astika schools

* Samkhya
* Yoga
* Nyaya
* Vaisheshika
* Mīmāṃsā
* Vedanta
* Advaita
* Dvaita
* Vishishtadvaita
* Achintya Bheda Abheda
* Shuddhadvaita
* Svabhavika Bhedabheda
* Akshar Purushottam Darshan

Other schools

* Ājīvika
* Buddhism
* Jainism
* Charvaka

Gurus, Rishi, philosophers

Ancient

* Saptarshi
* Vashistha
* Kashyapa
* Atri
* Jamadagni
* Gotama
* Vishvamitra
* Bharadwaja
* Agastya
* Angiras
* Aruni
* Ashtavakra
* Jaimini
* Kanada
* Kapila
* Patanjali
* Pāṇini
* Prashastapada
* Raikva
* Satyakama Jabala
* Valmiki
* Vyasa
* Yajnavalkya

Medieval

* Abhinavagupta
* Adi Shankara
* Akka Mahadevi
* Allama Prabhu
* Alvars
* Basava
* Chaitanya
* Ramdas Kathiababa
* Chakradhara
* Chāngadeva
* Dadu Dayal
* Eknath
* Gangesha Upadhyaya
* Gaudapada
* Gorakshanatha
* Haridasa Thakur
* Harivansh
* Jagannatha Dasa
* Jayanta Bhatta
* Jayatīrtha
* Jiva Goswami
* Jñāneśvar
* Kabir
* Kanaka Dasa
* Kumārila Bhaṭṭa
* Madhusūdana
* Madhva
* Matsyendranatha
* Morya Gosavi
* Mukundarāja
* Namadeva
* Narahari Tirtha
* Narasimha Saraswati
* Nayanars
* Nimbarkacharya
* Srinivasacharya
* Prabhākara
* Purandara Dasa
* Raghavendra Swami
* Raghunatha Siromani
* Raghuttama Tirtha
* Ram Charan
* Ramananda
* Ramanuja
* Ramprasad Sen
* Ravidas
* Rupa Goswami
* Samarth Ramdas
* Sankardev
* Satyanatha Tirtha
* Siddheshwar
* Sripada Srivallabha
* Sripadaraja
* Surdas
* Swaminarayan
* Śyāma Śastri
* Tukaram
* Tulsidas
* Tyagaraja
* Vācaspati Miśra
* Vadiraja Tirtha
* Vallabha
* Valluvar
* Vedanta Desika
* Vidyaranya
* Vyasaraja

Modern

* Aurobindo
* Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
* Bhaktivinoda Thakur
* Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
* Chinmayananda
* Dayananda Saraswati
* Jaggi Vasudev
* Krishnananda Saraswati
* Mahavatar Babaji
* Mahesh Yogi
* Narayana Guru
* Nigamananda
* Nisargadatta Maharaj
* Prabhupada
* Radhakrishnan
* R. D. Ranade
* Ramakrishna
* Rama Tirtha
* Ramana Maharshi
* Ravi Shankar
* Ramdas
* Samarth
* Sathya Sai Baba
* Shirdi Sai Baba
* Shraddhanand
* Satyadhyana Tirtha
* Siddharameshwar Maharaj
* Sivananda
* Trailanga
* U. G. Krishnamurti
* Upasni Maharaj
* Vethathiri Maharishi
* Vivekananda
* Yogananda

Texts

Sources and classification of scripture

* Śruti
* Smṛti
* Ācāra
* Ātmatuṣṭi

Scriptures

* Timeline of Hindu texts

Vedas

* Rigveda
* Yajurveda
* Samaveda
* Atharvaveda

Divisions

* Samhita
* Brahmana
* Aranyaka
* Upanishads

Upanishads

Principal Upanishads

Rigveda:

* Aitareya
* Kaushitaki

Yajurveda:

* Brihadaranyaka
* Isha
* Taittiriya
* Katha
* Shvetashvatara
* Maitri

Samaveda:

* Chandogya
* Kena

Atharvaveda:

* Mundaka
* Mandukya
* Prashna

Vedangas

* Shiksha
* Chandas
* Vyākaraṇa
* Nirukta
* Kalpa
* Jyotisha

Other scriptures

* Bhagavad Gita
* Agamas (Hinduism)

Itihasas

* Ramayana
* Mahabharata

Puranas

* Vishnu Purana
* Bhagavata Purana
* Devi Bhagavata Purana
* Naradiya Purana
* Vāmana Purana
* Matsya Purana
* Garuda Purana
* Brahma Purana
* Brahmanda Purana
* Brahma Vaivarta Purana
* Bhavishya Purana
* Padma Purana
* Agni Purana
* Shiva Purana
* Linga Purana
* Kūrma Purana
* Skanda Purana
* Varaha Purana
* Markandeya Purana

Upavedas

* Ayurveda
* Dhanurveda
* Gandharvaveda
* Sthapatyaveda

Shastras, sutras, and samhitas

* Dharma Shastra
* Artha Śastra
* Shilpa Shastras
* Kama Sutra
* Brahma Sutras
* Samkhya Sutras
* Mimamsa Sutras
* Nyāya Sūtras
* Vaiśeṣika Sūtra
* Yoga Sutras
* Pramana Sutras
* Charaka Samhita
* Sushruta Samhita
* Natya Shastra
* Panchatantra
* Naalayira Divya Prabandham
* Tirumurai
* Ramcharitmanas
* Yoga Vasistha
* Swara yoga
* Panchadasi

Stotras, stutis and Bhashya

* Kanakadhara Stotra
* Shiva Stuti
* Vayu Stuti

Tamil literature

* Tirumurai
* Naalayira Divya Prabandham
* Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai
* Tiruppukal
* Kural
* Kamba Ramayanam/Ramavataram
* Five Great Epics
* Eighteen Greater Texts
* Eighteen Lesser Texts
* Athichudi
* Iraiyanar Akapporul
* Abirami Antati
* Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam
* Vinayagar Agaval

Other texts

Hindu culture & society

Society

* Varna
* Brahmin
* Kshatriya
* Kayastha
* Vaishya
* Shudra
* Dalit
* Jāti
* Gotra
* Dvija
* Dasa

Hindu art

* Hindu art
* Hindu iconography
* Shilpa Shastras
* Rasa (aesthetics)
* Indian aesthetics
* Yantra

Hindu architecture

* Hindu architecture
* Hindu temple architecture
* Vastu shastra
* Talamana

Hindu music

* Hindu music
* Shruti (music)
* Svara
* Alankāra
* Tala (music)
* Raga
* Rasa (aesthetics)
* Sangita
* Vadya
* Natya Shastra

Food & diet customs

* Ahimsa
* Diet in Hinduism
* Sattvic diet
* Mitahara
* Jhatka
* Vrata

Time keeping practices

* Hindu units of time
* Hindu calendar
* Panchangam
* Vikram Samvat
* Shaka era

Hindu pilgrimage

* Pilgrimage sites

Other society-related topics

* Discrimination
* Persecution
* Nationalism
* Hindutva
* Organisations
* Reform movements

Other topics

Hinduism by country

* Greater India
* Balinese Hinduism
* Caribbean Shaktism
* Template:Hindu scriptures and texts

Hinduism & other religions

* Hinduism and Jainism / and Buddhism / and Sikhism / and Judaism / and Christianity / and Islam

Other related links (templates)

* Hindu scriptures & texts
* Hindu philosphy
* Sampradayas (traditions)
* Shaivism
* Vaishnavism
* Shaktism

* Glossary
* Outline

* Hinduism portal

* v
* t
* e

Sadhu in Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sadhu (Sanskrit: साधु, IAST: sādhu (male), sādhvī or sādhvīne (female), also spelled saddhu) is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life.[1][2][3] They are sometimes alternatively referred to as yogi, sannyasi or vairagi.[1]

Sādhu means one who practises a 'sadhana' or keenly follows a path of spiritual discipline.[4] Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. A sādhu's life is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa (liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth), the fourth and final aśrama (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation of Brahman. Sādhus often wear simple clothing, such as saffron-coloured clothing in Hinduism and white or nothing in Jainism, symbolising their sannyāsa (renunciation of worldly possessions). A female mendicant in Hinduism and Jainism is often called a sadhvi, or in some texts as aryika.[2][3]

In Sikhism, a person who has become Brahmgiani is considered a sadhu. However, asceticism, celibacy and begging are prohibited in Sikhism. A Sikh has to be married and do an honest job for a living.[5]

## Etymology

[edit]

A sadhu in yoga position, reading a book in Varanasi

The term sadhu (Sanskrit: साधु) appears in Rigveda and Atharvaveda where it means "straight, right, leading straight to goal", according to Monier Monier-Williams.[6][note 1] In the Brahmanas 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 terms sādhu ("good man") and sādhvī ("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 root sādh, which means "reach one's goal", "make straight", or "gain power over".[8] The same root is used in the word sādhanā, which means "spiritual practice". It literally means one who practises a ″sadhana″ or a path of spiritual discipline.[4]

## Demographics and lifestyle

[edit]

Sadhus are widely considered holy.[9] It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off their karma 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 thick dreadlocks called jata. 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 consensual tantric 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]

## Sadhu sects

[edit]

A female sadhvi with a Vishnu mark on her forehead Sadhus gathered at Assam's Kamakhya Temple for the Ambubachi Mela

### Hinduism

[edit]

See also: Sampradayas, Parampara, and Akhara

Shaiva sadhus are renunciants devoted to Shiva, and Vaishnava sadhus are renouncers devoted to Vishnu (or his avatars, such as Rama or Krishna). The Vaishnava sadhus are sometimes referred to as vairagis.[1] Less numerous are Shakta sadhus, who are devoted to Shakti. 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" called parampara based on the lineage of the founder of the order. Each sampradaya and parampara may have several monastic and martial akharas.

Within the Shaiva sadhus are many subgroups. Most Shaiva sadhus wear a Tripundra mark on their forehead, dress in saffron, red or orange-coloured clothes, and live a monastic life. Some sadhus such as the Aghori share the practices of ancient Kapalikas, 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, the Dashanami Sampradaya belong to the Smarta Tradition. They are said to have been formed by the philosopher and renunciant Adi 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 the Naga 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 the Mughal 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 practice wrestling and martial arts. Their retreats are still called chhaavni 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]

### Jainism

[edit]

The Jain community is traditionally discussed in its texts with four terms: sadhu (monks), sadhvi or aryika (nuns), sravaka (laymen householders) and sravika (laywomen householders). As in Hinduism, the Jain householders support the monastic community.[2] The sadhus and sadhvis are intertwined with the Jain lay society, perform murtipuja (Jina idol worship) and lead festive rituals, and they are organized in a strongly hierarchical monastic structure.[20]

There are differences between the Digambara and Śvetāmbara sadhus and sadhvi traditions.[20] The Digambara sadhus own no clothes as a part of their interpretation of Five 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]

## Festive gatherings

[edit]

A sadhu in Madurai, India.

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 in India, including the holy river Ganges. 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 the Kumbh 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 at Allahabad.[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]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Sadhu
* Sadhu in Orchha

* A sadhu in Kathmandu, Nepal

* Sadhu in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

* Sadhus walking on Durbar Square, Kathmandu

* Sadhu from Vârânasî

* Sadhu by the Ghats on the Ganges

* Sadhus at Kathmandu Durbar Square

* A sadhu playing flute

* Sadhu in Varanasi, India.

* Sadhu at Kaathe Swyambhu, Kathmandu

* Sadhu in India

* Sadhvi or female Sadhu at the Gangasagar Fair transit camp, Kolkata

* Sadhu at a river bank

* Sadhu in Nepal

* Shiva sadhu in Pushkar, India

* Sadhu in Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal

* A female sādhvī in Chanpatia, India, 1906.

* A sadhu at a market in Debe, Trinidad and Tobago

* A sadhu at Bhadrachalam on the eve of Ram Navami

## See also

[edit]

* Hinduism portal
* Sikhism portal

* Types
* Aghori
* Godman
* Nath
* Shramana
* Lineage
* Guru–shishya tradition
* Parampara
* Sampradaya
* Lifestyle
* Akhara
* Chillum
* Kaupinam
* Kacchera
* Langota
* Personalities
* Amar Bharati

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ See for example:
अग्ने विश्वेभिः स्वनीक देवैरूर्णावन्तं प्रथमः सीद योनिम् । कुलायिनं घृतवन्तं सवित्रे यज्ञं नय यजमानाय साधु ॥१६॥ – Rigveda 6.15.16 (Rigveda Hymn सूक्तं ६.१५, Wikisource)
प्र यज्ञ एतु हेत्वो न सप्तिरुद्यच्छध्वं समनसो घृताचीः । स्तृणीत बर्हिरध्वराय साधूर्ध्वा शोचींषि देवयून्यस्थुः ॥२॥ – Rigveda 7.43.2 (Rigveda Hymn सूक्तं ७.४३, Wikisource)
यथाहान्यनुपूर्वं भवन्ति यथ ऋतव ऋतुभिर्यन्ति साधु । यथा न पूर्वमपरो जहात्येवा धातरायूंषि कल्पयैषाम् ॥५॥ – Rigveda 10.18.5 (Rigveda Hymn सूक्तं १०.१८, Wikisource), etc.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "sadhu and swami | Hindu ascetic | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica.
2. ^ a b c Jaini 1991, p. xxviii, 180.
3. ^ a b Klaus K. Klostermaier (2007). A Survey of Hinduism: Third Edition. State University of New York Press. p. 299\. ISBN 978-0-7914-7082-4.
4. ^ a b ″Autobiography of an Yogi″, Yogananda, Paramhamsa, Jaico Publishing House, 127, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bombay Fort Road, Bombay (Mumbai) – 400 0023 (ed.1997) p.16
5. ^ Winternitz, M., History of Indian Literature. Tr. S. Ketkar. Calcutta, 1927
6. ^ a b c Sadhu, Monier Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology, Oxford University Press, page 1201
7. ^ Flood, Gavin. An introduction to Hinduism. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1996) p. 92. ISBN 0-521-43878-0
8. ^ Arthur Anthony Macdonell. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. p. 346.
9. ^ Dolf Hartsuiker. Sadhus and Yogis of India Archived 15 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
10. ^ White, David Gordon (2012), The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India, University of Chicago Press, pp. 7–8
11. ^ David N. Lorenzen and Adrián Muñoz (2012), Yogi Heroes and Poets: Histories and Legends of the Naths, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-1438438900, pages x-xi
12. ^ M Khandelwal (2003), Women in Ochre Robes: Gendering Hindu Renunciation, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791459225, pages 24-29
13. ^ Mariasusai Dhavamony (2002), Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Theological Soundings and Perspectives, ISBN 978-9042015104, pages 97-98
14. ^ Gavin Flood (2005), The Ascetic Self: Subjectivity, Memory and Tradition, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521604017, Chapter 4 with pages 105-107 in particular
15. ^ Gavin Flood (2008). The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. John Wiley & Sons, pp. 212–213, ISBN 978-0-470-99868-7
16. ^ David N. Lorenzen (1972). The Kāpālikas and Kālāmukhas: Two Lost Śaivite Sects. University of California Press, pp. 4-16, ISBN 978-0-520-01842-6
17. ^ 1953: 116; cf. also Farquhar 1925; J. Ghose 1930; Lorenzen 1978
18. ^ "The Wrestler's Body". Publishing.cdlib.org. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
19. ^ "Home – Amma Sri Karunamayi". Retrieved 20 April 2015.
20. ^ a b Cort, John E. (1991). "The Svetambar Murtipujak Jain Mendicant". Man. 26 (4). Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland: 651–671\. doi:10.2307/2803774. JSTOR 2803774.
21. ^ Harvey J. Sindima (2009). Introduction to Religious Studies. University Press of America. pp. 100–101\. ISBN 978-0-7618-4762-5.
22. ^ Yardley, Jim; Kumar, Hari (14 April 2010). "Taking a Sacred Plunge, One Wave of Humanity at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
23. ^ "Lakhs of pilgrims flock to Allahabad as Maha Kumbh Mela begins". NDTV.
24. ^ Pandey, Geeta (14 January 2013). "Kumbh Mela: 'Eight million' bathers on first day of festival". BBC News.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1991), Gender and Salvation: Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-06820-3
* Indian Sadhus, by Govind Sadashiv Ghurye, L. N. Chapekar. Published by Popular Prakashan, 1964.
* Sadhus of India: The Sociological View, by Bansi Dhar Tripathi. Published by Popular Prakashan, 1978.
* The Sadhu: A Study in Mysticism and Practical Religion, by Burnett Hillman Streeter, Aiyadurai Jesudasen Appasamy. Published by Mittal, 1987. ISBN 0-8364-2097-7.
* The Way of the Vaishnava Sages: A Medieval Story of South Indian Sadhus : Based on the Sanskrit Notes of Vishnu-Vijay Swami, by N. S. Narasimha, Rāmānanda, Vishnu-Vijay. Published by University Press of America, 1987. ISBN 0-8191-6061-X.
* Sadhus: The Holy Men of India, by Rajesh Bedi. Published by Entourage Pub, 1993. ISBN 81-7107-021-3.
* Sadhus: Holy Men of India, by Dolf Hartsuiker. Published by Thames & Hudson, 1993. ISBN 0-500-27735-4.
* The Sadhus and Indian Civilisation, by Vijay Prakash Sharma. Published by Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 1998. ISBN 81-261-0108-3.
* Women in Ochre Robes: Gendering Hindu Renunciation, by Meena Khandelwal. Published by State University of New York Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7914-5922-5.
* Wandering with Sadhus: Ascetics in the Hindu Himalayas, Sondra L. Hausner, Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-253-21949-7
* Naked in Ashes, Paradise Filmworks International – Documentary on Naga Sadhus of Northern India.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sadhus.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Sadhu.

* Sadhus and Yogis of India
* "Sadhus from India"—Extract from The Last Free Men by José Manuel Novoa
* "Interview of a Sadhu Living Inside a Cave in the Himalayas"—Episode from Ganga Ma: A Pilgrimage to the Source by Pepe Ozan and Melitta Tchaicovsky

* v
* t
* e

Worship in Hinduism

Main topics|

* Ārati
* Bhajan
* Darshan
* Deities
* Festivals
* Homa (Yajna)
* Kirtan
* Mantra
* Murti
* Tilaka
* Utsava
* Vrata
* Yatra

Rituals|

| Puja|

* Abhisheka
* Bhog
* Panchamakara
* Panchamrita
* Parikrama
* Pranāma
* Prasada
* Pushpanjali

|

Homa|

* Yajna
* Agnicayana
* Agnihotra
* Agnikaryam
* Aupasana
* Dhuni
* Kamyakarma
* Pravargya
* Purushamedha
* Putrakameshti
* Viraja Homa

Other|

* Achamana
* Ashirvada
* Ashvamedha
* Karmakāṇḍa
* Kumbhabhishekham
* Nityakarma
* Ngejot
* Panchayatana puja
* Prana Pratishtha
* Sandhyavandanam
* Shuddhi
* Śrauta
* Tarpana
* Upakarma

* Prayer
* Meditation

* Ajapa japa
* Bhajan
* Brahmamuhurta
* Jagarana
* Jai Shri Ram
* Japa
* Kirtan
* Om
* Sandhyavandanam
* Śaktipāta
* Stotra
* Third eye
* Yoga

Mantras|

* Gayatri Mantra
* Hare Krishna
* Om
* Om Namah Shivaya
* Om Namo Narayanaya

Objects|

* Puja thali
* Altar
* Banalinga
* Banana leaf
* Biruda
* Coconut
* Dhunachi
* Dhuni
* Dhupa
* Diya
* Cāmara
* Garland
* Ghanta
* Agarabattī
* Kalasha
* Kamandalu
* Khirapat
* Kindi
* Kolam
* Mulavar
* Paduka
* Palki
* Panchamrita
* Pandal
* Pinda
* Prayer beads
* Rangoli
* Shankha
* Tilakamu
* Utsavar
* Yajnopavitam

Materials|

* Agarwood
* Alta
* Camphor
* Charu
* Ghee
* Incense
* Kumkuma
* Marigold
* Milk
* Panakam
* Panchagavya
* Rudraksha
* Candana
* Sindūra
* Soma
* Tulasi
* Turmeric
* Vibhuti

Instruments|

* Dholak
* Harmonium
* Karatalas
* Khol
* Manjira
* Mridangam
* Tabla
* Veena

Iconography|

* Ashtadhatu
* Lingam
* Murti
* Om
* Panchaloha
* Pindi
* Pillaiyar Suḻi
* Shaligram
* Swastika
* Yoni
* more...

Places|

* Ashram
* Dhvajastambham
* Ghat
* Temple tank
* Matha
* Temple
* Pilgrimage sites

Roles|

* Guru
* Pandit
* Pujari
* Purohita
* Rishi
* Sadhu
* Sannyasa
* Sant
* Satguru
* Swami
* Yogi
* more...

Sacred animals|

* Cow
* Horse
* Nāga

Sacred plants|

| Trees|

* Akshayavata
* Ashoka
* Banyan
* Kadamba
* Kalpavriksha
* Parijata
* Peepal
* Sacred groves

|

Fruits and other plants|

* Bael
* Kusha grass
* Lotus
* Tulasi (Tulasi Vrindavana)

See also|

* Firewalking
* Samskara
* Temple dance

Authority control databases: National |

* United States
* Czech Republic
* Israel

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template