| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
 |
Sannyasa (Sanskrit: संन्यास, romanized: saṃnyāsa), sometimes spelled sanyasa, is the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as ashramas, the first three being brahmacharya (celibate student), grihastha (householder) and vanaprastha (forest dweller, retired).[1] Sannyasa is traditionally conceptualized for men or women in the last years of their life, but young brahmacharis have the choice to skip the householder and retirement stages, renounce worldly and materialistic pursuits and dedicate their lives to spiritual pursuits.
Sannyasa, a form of asceticism marked by renunciation of material desires and prejudices, is characterized by a state of disinterest in and detachment from material life, with the purpose of spending one's life in peaceful, spiritual pursuits.[2][3] An individual in Sanyasa is known as a sannyasi (male) or sannyasini (female) in Hinduism.[note 1] Sannyasa shares similarities with the Sadhu and Sadhvi traditions of Jain monasticism, and the sannyasi and sannyasini share similarity with the bhikkhus and bhikkhunis of Buddhism.[5]
Sannyasa has historically been a stage of renunciation, ahimsa (non-violence), a peaceful and simple life and spiritual pursuit in Indian traditions. However, this has not always been the case. After the invasions and establishment of Muslim rule in India, from the 12th century through the British Raj, parts of the Shaiva (Gossain) and Vaishnava (Bairagi) ascetics metamorphosed into a military order, where they developed martial arts, created military strategies, and engaged in guerrilla warfare.[6] These warrior sanyasi (ascetics) played an important role in helping European colonial powers establish themselves in the Indian subcontinent.[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
rkswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ S. Radhakrishnan (1922), The Hindu Dharma, International Journal of Ethics, 33(1): 1-22
- ^ DP Bhawuk (2011), The Paths of Bondage and Liberation, in Spirituality and Indian Psychology, Springer, ISBN 978-1-4419-8109-7, pages 93-110
- ^ Alessandro Monti (2002). Hindu Masculinities Across the Ages: Updating the Past. L'Harmattan Italia. pp. 41, 101–111. ISBN 978-88-88684-03-1. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ Harvey J. Sindima (2009), Introduction to Religious Studies, University Press of America, ISBN 978-0761847618, pages 93-94, 99-100
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
davidwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
pinchwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).