Dashanami Sampradaya

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Dashanami Sampradaya (IAST Daśanāmi Saṃpradāya "Tradition of Ten Names") is a Hindu monastic tradition of "single-staff renunciation" (ēkadaṇḍisannyāsi)^[1][2][3] generally associated with the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

Single-staff renunciates are distinct in their practices from Shaiva trishuldhari or "trident-wielding renunciates" and Vaishnava traditions of Tridandi sannyāsis.^{[4][note 1][note 2]}

In the 8th century a section of the Ēkadaṇḍisannyāsins were organized by Adi Shankara into four maṭhas. However, the association of the Dasanāmis with the Shankara maṭhas remained nominal.^{[web 1]} Any Hindu, irrespective of class, caste, age or gender can seek sannyāsa as an Ēkadaṇḍi renunciate in the Dasanāmi tradition.

History

ēkadaṇḍis

ēkadandis were already known during what is sometimes referred to as "Golden Age of Hinduism" (ca. 320-650 CE^[5])

Golden Age of Hinduism

See also Gupta rule and Gupta and Pallava period

The "Golden Age of Hinduism"^[5] (ca. 320-650 CE^[5]) flourished during the Gupta Empire^[6] (320 to 550 CE) until the fall of the Harsha^[6] (606 to 647 CE). During this period, power was centralized, along with a growth of long distance trade, standardization of legal procedures, and a general spread of literacy.^[6] Mahayana Buddhism flourished, but orthodox Shrauta Hinduism was rejuvenated by the patronage of the Gupta dynasty.^[7] The position of the Brahmans was reinforced^[6] and the first Hindu temples emerged during the late Gupta age.^[6] The Mahābhārata, which probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period (c. 4th century),^[8] already mentions "ēkadaṇḍi" and "tridaṇḍi".^[9]

Wandering Ēkadaṇḍi ascetics

The Ēkadaṇḍis existed in the Tamil country during the south-Indian Pandyan Dynasty (3rd century BCE - 16th century CE) and the South-Indian Pallava dynasty (2nd - 9th centuries CE). Being wandering monastics, they were not settled in the brahmadeyas or settlement areas for Brahmins. There existed tax free bhiksha-bogams for feeding the Ēkadaṇḍi ascetics in the ancient Tamil country.^[10]

Ēkadaṇḍis and Tridandis were also active in Eastern India, and appear to have existed there during the North-Indian Gupta Empire (320 to 550 CE ).^[11]

According to R. Tirumalai, "There appears to have been no sectarian segregation of the Shaiva (Ēkadaṇḍi) and Srivaishnava (Tridandi Sannyāsins)".^[12]

Establishment of the Dasanami Sampradaya

At the beginning of what is referred to as "Late classical Hinduism",^[13] which lasted from 650 till 1100 CE,^[13] Shankara established the Dasanami Sampradaya.

Late-Classical Hinduism

See also Late-Classical Age and Hinduism Middle Ages

After the end of the Gupta Empire and the collapse of the Harsha Empire, power became decentralized in India. Several larger kingdoms emerged, with "countless vassal states":^[14] in the east the Pala Empire^[14] (770-1125 CE^[14]), in the west and north the Gurjara-Pratihara^[14] (7th-10th century^[14]), in the southwest the Rashtrakuta Dynasty^[14] (752-973^[14]), in the Dekkhan the Chalukya dynasty^[14] (7th-8th century^[14]), and in the south the Pallava dynasty^[14] (7th-9th century^[14]) and the Chola dynasty^[14] (9th century^[14]).

The kingdoms were ruled via a feudal system. Smaller kingdoms were dependent on the protection of the larger kingdoms. "The great king was remote, was exalted and deified",^[15] as reflected in the Tantric Mandala, which could also depict the king as the centre of the mandala.^[16]

The disintegration of central power also lead to regionalization of religiosity, and religious rivalry.^{[17][note 3]} Local cults and languages were enhanced, and the influence of "Brahmanic ritualistic Hinduism"^[17] was diminished.^[17] Rural and devotional movements arose, along with Shaivism, Vaisnavism, Bhakti and Tantra,^[17] though "sectarian groupings were only at the beginning of their development".^[17] Religious movements had to compete for recognition by the local lords.^[17] Buddhism lost its position, and began to disappear in India.^[17]

Establishment

Shankara, himself considered to be an incarnation of Shiva,^{[web 1]} established the Dashanami Sampradaya, organizing a section of the Ēkadaṇḍi monastics under an umbrella grouping of ten names.^{[web 1]} Several other Hindu monastic and Ēkadaṇḍi traditions remained outside the organization of the Dasanāmis.^[19][20][21]

Adi Shankara organized the Hindu monastics of these ten sects or names under four maṭhas or monasteries, with headquarters at Dvārakā in the west, Jagannatha Puri in the east, Sringeri in the south and Badrikashrama in the north.^{[web 1]} Each maṭha was headed by one of his four main disciples, who each continued the Vedanta Sampradaya.

Monastics 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 Shankara. While the Dasanāmis associated with the Shankara maṭhas 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 Shankara maṭhas.

The association of the Dasanāmis with the Smartha tradition or Advaita Vedānta is not all-embracing. One example is the Kriyā Yoga tradition that considers itself eclectic (see: Eclecticism), with ancient^{[web 2]} unchangeable beliefs, and outside the ambit of differences in the understanding of Vedanta. Other examples are the Tantric Avadhūta Sampradāyas and Ekadaṇḍi sannyāsa traditions outside the control of the Shankara maṭhas^[21] The Dasanāmis or Ēkadaṇḍis also founded, and continue to found or affiliate themselves with, maṭhas, ashrams and temples outside the control of the Shankara maṭhas.^{[web 2][web 3]}

The Advaita Sampradaya is not a Saiva sect,^{[web 1][22]} despite the historical links with Shaivism:

Advaitins are non-sectarian, and they advocate worship of Siva and Visnu equally with that of the other deities of Hinduism, like Sakti, Ganapati and others.^{[web 1]}

Nevertheless, contemporary Shankaracaryas have more influence among Saiva communities than among Vaisnava communities.^{[web 1]} The greatest influence of the gurus of the Advaita tradition has been among followers of the Smartha Tradition, who integrate the domestic Vedic ritual with devotional aspects of Hinduism.^{[web 1]}

According to Nakamura, these maṭhas contributed to the influence of Shankara, which was "due to institutional factors".^[23] The maṭhas which he built exist until today, and preserve the teachings and influence of Shankara, "while the writings of other scholars before him came to be forgotten with the passage of time".^[24]

The table below gives an overview of the four Amnaya maṭhas founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.^{[web 4]}

Shishya (lineage)	Direction	Maṭha	Mahāvākya	Veda	Sampradaya
Padmapāda	East	Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ	Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman)	Rig Veda	Bhogavala
Sureśvara	South	Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ	Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman)	Yajur Veda	Bhūrivala
Hastāmalakācārya	West	Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ	Tattvamasi (That thou art)	Sama Veda	Kitavala
Toṭakācārya	North	Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ	Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman)	Atharva Veda	Nandavala

Expansion of the Dasanami Sampradaya

According to the tradition in Kerala, after Shankara's samadhi at Vadakkunnathan Temple, his disciples founded four maṭhas in Thrissur, namely Naduvil Madhom, Thekke Madhom, Idayil Madhom and Vadakke Madhom.

According to Pandey, the ēkadaṇḍis or Dasanāmis had established monasteries in India and Nepal in the 13th and 14th century.^{[web 5]}

Naga Sadhus

In the 16th century, Madhusudana Saraswati of Bengal organised a section of the Naga (naked) tradition of armed sannyasis in order to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Mughal rulers. These are also called Gusain, Gussain, Gosain, Gossain, Gosine, Gosavi, Sannyāsi, Dasnāmi or Goswami in popular parlance.

Warrior-ascetics could be found in Hinduism from at least the 1500s and as late as the 1700s,^[25] although tradition attributes their creation to Sankaracharya^{[web 6]}

Some examples of akhara currently are the Shri Panchadashanam Juna Akhara of the Dashanami Naga, Shri Panchayati Mahanirwani Akhara, Shri Taponidhi Niranjani Akhara, Shri Taponidhi Anand Akhara, Shri Panchayati Atal Akhara, Shri Panchadashnam Awahan Akhara, Shri Pancha Agni Akhara and Shri Panchayati Akhara at Allahabad.^{[web 7]} Each akhara is divided into sub-branches and traditions. An example is the Dattatreya Akhara (Ujjain) of the naked sadhus of Juna Naga establishment.^{[web 8]}

The naga sadhus generally remain in the ambit of non-violence presently, though some sections are also known to practice the sport of wrestling. The Dasanāmi sannyāsins practice the Vedic and yogic Yama principles of ahimsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), aparigraha (non-covetousness) and brahmacārya (celibacy / moderation). The Dasanāmis are generally believed to be celibate, and grihastas or householder sannyāsis such as Lahiri Mahasaya and Bhupendranath Sanyal (Sanyal Mahāsaya) were a rarity.

The naga sadhus are prominent at Kumbha mela, where the order in which they enter the water is fixed by tradition. After the juna akhara, the Niranjani and Mahanirvani Akhara proceed to their bath. Ramakrishna Math Sevashram are almost the last in the procession.^[26]

Characteristics

Parampara

In the Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the Gods and to the Rishis who primarily envisioned the Vedas.

The current Acaryas, the heads of the maṭhas, trace their authority back to the four main disciples of Shankara,^{[web 9]} and each of the heads of these four maṭhas takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after Adi Shankara.

The Advaita guru-paramparā (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the mythological time of the Daiva-paramparā, followed by the vedic seers of the Ṛṣi-paramparā, and the Mānava-paramparā of historical times and personalities:^{[web 9][note 4]}

Daiva-paramparā

• Nārāyaṇa
• Sada Shiva
• Padmabhuva (Brahmā)

Ṛṣi-paramparā

• Vaśiṣṭha
• Śakti
• Parāśara
• Vyāsa^{[note 5]}
• Śuka

Mānava-paramparā

• Gauḍapāda
• Govinda bhagavatpāda
• Śankara bhagavatpāda, and then Shankara's four disciples
  • Padmapāda
  • Hastāmalaka
  • Toṭaka
  • Vārtikakāra (Sureśvara) and others

Ten Names

Hindus who enter sannyāsa in the ēkadaṇḍi tradition take up one of the ten names associated with this sampradaya.

1. Bhāratī^[28]
2. Giri^[29]
3. Puri^[30]
4. Saraswatī^[31]
5. Tīrtha^[32]
6. Aranya^[33]
7. Asrama
8. Parvata
9. Sagara
10. Vana

Saraswatī, Puri and Bhāratī are associated with the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Tīrtha and Asrama are associated with the Dvaraka Pitha. Giri, Parvata and Sagara are associated with Jyotirmath. Vana and Aranya are associated with the Govardhana matha at Puri.^{[web 11][web 1]}

Standardised List of Notable Dasanāmīs

This section enumerates, in standardised manner, members of the Dasanāmī Order, listing each under his formal title and name, without the use of the honorifics^[34] so cherished by fawning devotees and disciples. The word "swāmī" here is not an honorific. It is the title of an initiated member of the Dasanāmī Order. Entries are listed in standard form: TITLE (SWĀMĪ) + PERSONAL NAME + SUB-ORDER NAME. A few entries have the additional title (not honorific) of "Jagadguru Śankarācārya" which designates either one of the four supreme leaders of the order (somewhat similar to the position of Pope in Catholic Christianity). "Mahanta" is an administrative title designating an organizational position or office assigned to certain persons.

A

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Abhayānanda Puri	American self-appointed Vedānta teacher.
Swāmī Abhayānanda Sarasvatī	American disciple of Svāmī Muktānanda Sarasvatī.
Swāmī Abhedānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Abhinavavidyā Tīrtha	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Adbhutānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Adidevānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk.
Swāmī Advaitānanda Puri	Disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Agehānanda Bhāratī	Austrian American intellectual and expert on Indian languages and phonology.
Swāmī Agnivesha Sarasvatī	Activist; reformer; interfaith dialog advocate.
Swāmī Akhandānanda Puri	Disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Akhandānanda Sarasvatī	Preacher of Bhagavata Purana.
Swāmī Ānanda Tīrtha	Preceptor of Dvaita.
Swāmī Ashokānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk.
Swāmī Ātmajñānānanda Puri	American Ramakrishna monk.
Swāmī Ātmānanda Giri	Disciple of Swāmī Khevalānanda Giri and sannyās initiate of Paramahamsa Yogananda. Founder and President of Narod Baba Math
Swāmī Ātmānanda Giri	Pupil of Svāmī Hariharānanda Giri.
Swāminī Ātmaprajñānanda Sarasvatī	Sanskrit scholar, Vedānt ācārya, disciple and sannyās initiate of Svāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī.
Swāmī Ātmasthānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Avdheshānanda Giri	Mahāmandalesvara of the Juna Akhara. Member of the World Council of Religious Leaders.

B

Name	Notability	Reference
Svāmī Bhāratī Tīrtha	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Svāmī Bhāratīkrsna Tīrtha	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Puri and scholar of Indian mathematics. First Śankarācārya to visit the West. Authored Vedic Mathematics.
Svāmī Bhaskarānanda Sarasvatī	Scholar and anchorite of Benāres.
Svāmī Bhūmānanda Tīrtha	Social reformer. Teacher of Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana.
Svāmī Bhuteshānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Brahmānanda Giri	Disciple and sannyās initiate of Swāmī Ātmānanda Giri. Founder and President of Ātmānanda Mission. President of the Narod Baba Math.
Svāmī Brahmānanda Puri	Senior disciple of Rāmakrsna; President of Ramakrishna Mission; one of the six iśvarakoti.
Svāmī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī	Highly-respected Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Jyotirmāyā Pītha, Badrināth.
Svāmī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī	aka Rāmmūrti Mishra. Surgeon; Sanskrit scholar; yoga teacher in the USA.
Svāmī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī	Disciple of Śivānanda.

C

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Candrasekhara Bhāratī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Chandrasekharendra Sarasvatī	Pīthādhipati of Kāñcī Pītham. Featured in Paul Brunton's A Search in Secret India.
Swāmī Chetanānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic and Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Chetanānanda Sarasvatī	American disciple of Rudrānanda; sannyās initiate of Svāmī Muktānanda Sarasvatī.
Swāmī Chidānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Svāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī; President of Divine Life Society; interfaith advocate.
Swāmī Chidānanda Sarasvatī	founder of temples in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the USA.
Swāmī Chidbhavānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; prolific author.
Swāmī Chidvilasānanda Sarasvatī	disciple and designated successor of Muktānanda; sister of Nityānanda.
Swāmī Chinmāyānanda Sarasvatī	Hindu missionary. Disciple of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī and Swāmī Tapovanam Giri. Founder of Chinmaya Mission.

D

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī	Socio-religious reformer. Founder of the Arya Samaj.
Swāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī	Vedānt ācārya; founder of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

G

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Gahanānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Gambhirānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Ganapati Sarasvatī	long-lived yogī of Benāres.
Swāmī Ganeshānanda Sarasvatī	Yoga teacher. Pupil and sannyās initiate of Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī. Pupil of Swāmī Suraj Giri.
Swāmī Ghanānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk who was active in Europe.
Swāmī Ghanānanda Sarasvatī	Ghanaian disciple of Svāmī Krishnānanda Sarasvatī; possibly first Black African convert to Hinduism.
Swāmī Gītānanda Giri	Indian Canadian physician; yoga teacher; Mahanta of the Brighu Order; "Lion of Pondicherry".
Swāmī Gñānānanda Giri	Long-lived yogī; guru of French Catholic monastic Abhishiktānanda.
Swāmī Govindānanda Bhāratī	Long-lived yogī; traveled around the world; met Queen Victoria.

H

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Haridāsa Giri	Disciple of Svāmī Gñānānanda Giri.
Swāmī Hariharānanda Āranya	noted Samkhya Yogī.	[web 12][web 13]
Swāmī Hariharānanda Giri	Kriyā Yoga teacher. Pupil of Śrījukteśvara, Bhupendranāth Sanyal, Yogānanda, Satyānanda, and Bijoy Krishna.
Swāmī Hariharānanda Sarasvatī	respected Vedānt ācārya; disciple of Svāmī Brahmānanda Sarasvatī; met Yogānanda at Kumbh Mela.

I

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Indravesha Sarasvatī	sociopolitical activist.

J

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Janakānanda Sarasvatī	Danish disciple of Svāmī Satyānanda Sarasvatī; founder of Skandinavisk Yoga och Meditationsskola.
Swāmī Jayendra Sarasvatī	Disciple of Svāmī Chandrasekharendra Sarasvatī. Pītadhipathi of Kañci Pītham.
Swāmī Jyotirmāyānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Svāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī; founder of Yoga Research Foundation, Miami, Florida.

K

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Keshavānanda Tīrtha	disciple of Shyama Charan Lahiri; featured in Yogānanda's Autobiography.
Swāmī Kirtidānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic.
Swāmī Krishnānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; General Secretary of Divine Life Society.
Swāmī Kriyānanda Giri	American disciple of Yogānanda; founder of Ananda World Brotherhood Colonies.
Swāmī Krsnabodha Āśrama	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Jyotirmāyā Pītha, Śankara maṭha, Badrināth.
Swāmī Krsnacaitanya Bhāratī	Vaisnava teacher and scholar of Bengal; regarded as an avatār in Bangla Vaisnavism. Called "Caitanya Mahaprabhu" by devotees.

L

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Laksmanānanda Sarasvatī	humanitarian social relief worker of Orissa; assassinated by suspected Christian Maoists.

M

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Madhavānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī	Advaita Vedānt ācārya.
Swāminī Māyātitānanda Sarasvatī	Ayurveda teacher.
Swāmī Muktānanda Sarasvatī	famous meditation teacher in the USA; authored many books.

N

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Nāmānanda Giri	Disciple of Haridasa Giri.
Swāmī Nārāyanānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; rāja yoga teacher in Denmark.
Swāmī Nigamānanda Sarasvatī	bhakta, gyānī, yogī, tantrika of Eastern India.
Swāmī Nikhilānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic; Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Nirañjanānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna; one of the six iśvarakoti.
Swāmī Nirañjanānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Satyānanda; head of Bihar School of Yoga.
Swāmī Nirmalānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Niscalānanda Sarasvatī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Puri.
Swāmī Nityānanda Sarasvatī	disciple and designated successor of Muktānanda; ousted from SYDA by his sister Chidvilasānanda.
Swāmī Nrsimha Sarasvatī	Incarnation of Dattatreya.

P

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Paramānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Paramānanda Sarasvatī	Disciple of Śivānanda.
Swāmī Prabhananda Puri	Ramakrishna monk, Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order .
Swāmī Prabhavānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; Vedānta teacher in the USA.
Swāmī Prakāshānanda Sarasvatī	Rādhā-Krsna devotee, convict and fugitive in the USA; disciple of Rādhā-Krsna bhakta Kripalu.
Swāmī Prakāshānanda Sarasvatī	Hindu teacher in Trinidad.
Swami Pranavānanda Giri	Founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
Swāmī Pranavānanda Giri	Kriyā Yogī; disciple of Shyāmacharan Lahirī; given a whole chapter in Yogānanda's Autobiography of a Yogi.	[35]
Swāmī Pranavānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; Yoga-Vedānta teacher, Divine Life Society, Malaysia.
Swāmī Premānanda Bhāratī	first to preach Krsna bhakti in the USA.
Swāmī Premānanda Giri	Freemason; founder of Self-Revelation Church, USA.	[36]
Swāmī Premānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna; one of the six iśvarakoti.
Swāmī Purushottamānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk.

R

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Raghavendra Tīrtha	Vaisnava missionary of Tamil Nadu.
Swāmī Raghaveshwara Bhāratī	Advaita Vedāntin. 36th Pīthādhipati of Ramachandrapura Math, Hosanagara, Shimoga, Karnataka.
Swāmī Rāma Bhāratī	Yogī; founder of Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
Swāmī Rāma Tīrtha	Teacher of "Practical Vedanta".
Swāmī Rāmakrishnānanda Puri	Disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Rāmakrsna Puri	Temple priest, ascetic, mystic of Bengal. Regarded as an avatar (a "descent" or physical incarnation of God) by devotees.	[37][38][39]
Swāmī Rāmānanda Tīrtha	activist in Hyderābād.
Swāmī Rāmeshwarānanda Giri	Disciple and designated successor of Swāmī Brahmānanda Giri. Founder and President of Phi Foundation, Vice-President of the Environmental Foundation of Valencia, creator of the University of Consciousness Project and the RTD Phi Campus, Head of the Phi School of Yoga Vedanta and Meditation, President of the Interfaith Meeting Forum in Valencia (EEIV) and a Member of the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders.
Swāmī Ranganāthānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Rudrānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk in Fiji.
Swāmī Rudrānanda Sarasvatī	American spiritual teacher.

S

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Saccidānanda Bhāratī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Saccidānanda Bhāratī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Saccidānanda Śivābhinava Nrsimha Bhāratī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Sadaśivendra Sarasvatī	scholar, yogī-siddha, poet, avadhūta; mentioned in Yogānanda's Autobiography.
Swāmī Sahajānanda Sarasvatī	Indian nationalist.
Swāmī Sahajānanda Sarasvatī	South African spiritual teacher; disciple of Śivānanda.
Swāmī Śantānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; spiritual guide in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Swāmī Śaradānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna; author of the Śrī Śrī Rāmakrsna Līlaprasanga.
Swāmī Satchidānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; founder of Satchidananda Ashrams, USA.
Swāmī Satcidānandendra Sarasvatī	Vedānt ācārya.
Swāmī Sathyānanda Saraswathī	yoga teacher.
Swāmī Satyānanda Giri	Kriyā Yoga teacher; disciple of Śrījukteśvara.
Swāmī Satyānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; founder of Bihar School of Yoga.
Swāmī Satyaprajñānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Satyānanda Saraswatī. Founder of Viswatma Chetana Parishad.	[40]
Swāmī Shambhavānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk.
Swāmī Shambhavānanda Sarasvatī	American disciple of Rudrānanda; sannyās initiate of Muktānanda.
Swāmī Shankarānanda Giri	American disciple of Premānanda; Freemason.
Swāmī Shankarānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Shankarānanda Sarasvatī	American disciple of Muktānanda.
Swami Shankara Purushottama Tirtha	Siddhayoga teacher. Founder, Shankar Math, Uttarkashi.
Swāmī Shivānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Shivom Tīrtha	Siddhayoga teacher.
Swāmī Shraddhānanda Sarasvatī	Hindu social activist; assassinated by a Muslim.
Swāmī Shuddhānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī	founded Divine Life Society and Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, Rishikesh; authored 200 books.	[web 14]
Swāmī Śivānanda Rādhā Sarasvatī	Canadian yoga teacher; disciple of Sivānanda.
Swāmī Smaranānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk. Vice President of the Ramakrishna Order.
Swāmī Śrījukteśvara Giri	Kriyā Yoga adept; disciple of Shyāmacharan Lahirī; guru of Yogānanda.
Swāmī Subodhānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Swahānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic.
Swāmī Swarūpānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic.
Swāmī Swarūpānanda Sarasvatī	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Jyotirmāyā and Dwarka Pītha.

T

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Tapasyānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monastic.
Swāmī Tapovanam Giri	reclusive yogī of Uttar Kashi.
Swami Tejomayananda Saraswati	Current Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide.
Swāmī Totā Puri	wandering anchorite; taught advaita and meditation to Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Trigunatitānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Turiyānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Tyagānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; Hindu chaplain of MIT.

V

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Vasudevānanda Sarasvatī
Swāmī Venkateśānanda Sarasvatī	disciple of Śivānanda; founder of Sivananda Ashrams in South Africa and Mauritius.
Swāmī Vidyāprakāśānanda Giri	Telugu Hindu teacher.
Swāmī Vidyāranya Tīrtha	Jagadguru Śankarācārya of Śrngeri.
Swāmī Vijayendra Sarasvatī	Disciple and designated successor of Jayendra Sarasvatī.
Swāmī Vijñānānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna.
Swāmī Vipulānanda Puri	Srī Lankān Ramakrishna monastic and Hindu revivalist.
Swāmī Virajānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vireshwarānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vishnu Tīrtha	Siddhayoga teacher.
Swāmī Vishnudevānanda Sarasvatī	eminent Advaita Vedānt ācārya in India, unknown in the West.
Swāmī Vishnudevānanda Sarasvatī	yogī; most famous disciple of Svāmī Śivānanda Sarasvatī (the two of them are the most well-known members of the Sarasvati sub-order); founder of worldwide Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres; authored The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.
Swāmī Vishuddhānanda Puri	President of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Swāmī Vivekānanda Sarasvatī	Australian psychiatrist. Disciple of Satyananda Saraswati.
Swāmī Vivekānanda Sarasvatī	Charles Cannon. Disciple of Muktananda. Founder of Synchronicity Meditation.
Swāmī Vivekānanda Sarasvatī	Romanian disciple of Gregorian Bivolaru. Founded schools in Denmark and Thailand.
Swāmī Vivekānanda Puri	most famous of disciples of Ramakrishna (the two of them are the most well-known members of the Puri sub-order); most famous figure at first Parliament of the World's Religions (Chicago, 1893); organizer of the Ramakrishna Mission; one of the six iśvarakoti.

Y

Name	Notability	Reference
Swāmī Yatīśwarānanda Puri	Ramakrishna monk; spiritual teacher.
Swāmī Yogānanda Giri	Kriyā Yoga adept; disciple of Śrījukteśvara; founder of Self-Realization Fellowship Church and the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India; authored Autobiography of a Yogi; most well-known member of the Giri sub-order.
Swāmī Yogānanda Giri	Leading Hindu of Italy. Disciple of Gītānanda.
Swāmī Yogānanda Puri	disciple of Rāmakrsna; one of the six īśvarakoti.

Notes

References

Written references

Web-references

Sources

External links

• Sringeri Math
• advaita-vedanta.org, Danasami Sampradya- The monastic tradition
• Devasthanam, The Monastic Tradition