sadhu

sadhu
   A sadhu (from Sanskrit fisadhvi, “good”) is a renunciant, most commonly a mendicant who wanders in search of alms. Such people are regarded as good, pure, and religiously devoted. The terms sadhu and SANNYASI (more rarely their feminine forms sadhvi and sannyasini) are gener-ally used interchangeably for wandering mendi-cants. The name SWAMI is also sometimes used.
   Customs and characteristics vary greatly among sadhus and depend upon the sect to which they belong. They may be devoted to any divinity or to the BRAHMAN, the ultimate reality. Celibacy is universally required. Sadhus who worship Lord SHIVA may freely partake of hashish and marijuana to inspire their devotional chanting; for all others such drugs are strictly forbidden. Sadhus are very often devoted to a particular GURU (almost always a man) and follow his dictates strictly.
   The sadhu or wandering mendicant is a very familiar feature of the Indian landscape and a distinctive aspect of Hinduism. While they are typically welcomed, there has always been some skepticism about their authenticity as well.
   Further reading: Ramesh Bedi and Rajesh Bedi, Sadhus: The Holy Men of India (New Delhi: Brijbasi Printers, 1991); Agehananda Bharati, The Ochre Robe: An Auto-biography, 2d ed. (Santa Barbara, Calif.: Ross-Erikson, 1980); Robert Lewis Gross, The Sadhus of India: A Study of Hindu Asceticism (Jaipur: Rawat, 1992); Dolf Hartsui-ker, Sadhus: India’s Mystic Holy Men (London: Thames & Hudson, 1993).

Encyclopedia of Hinduism. . 2007.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sadhu — Sâdhu Deux Sâdhu à Katmandou Les hindouistes considèrent que le but ultime de toute vie est la moksha, la libération de l illusion (mâyâ), l arrêt du cycle des renaissances et la dissolution dans le divin, la fusion avec la conscience cosmique.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sadhu — in Varanasi …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sadhu — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Shadu con su discípulo Un sadhu (Saa dhu) es un asceta hindú o un monje que sigue el camino de la penitencia y la austeridad para obtener la iluminación. Es la cuarta fase de la vida en la religión hindú, después de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • SADHU — S DHU Le mot sanskrit s dhu , qui signifie «saint», «excellent», et qui dérive peut être de siddha , «celui qui détient un siddhi (pouvoir miraculeux)», sert à désigner les hindous qui font vœu de renoncer à la société. La classe des s dhus… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sadhu —   [Sanskrit »der Gute«] der, (s)/ s, im Hinduismus Ehrenname für einen Hindu, der als Eremit und bettelnder (Wander )Asket lebt. * * * Sad|hu, der; [s], s [sanskr. sādhu = der Gute]: als Eremit u. bettelnder Asket lebender Hindu …   Universal-Lexikon

  • sadhu — [sä′do͞o΄] n. [Sans < sādhu, straight, able < IE base * sēdh , to go straight to a goal > Gr ithyein, to go straight] a Hindu ascetic or holy man, often one who travels from place to place begging …   English World dictionary

  • Sadhu — A sadhu in Haridwar, India, during Kumbha Mela. A sadhu in Kathmand …   Wikipedia

  • Sâdhu — Deux Sâdhu à Katmandou …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sadhu — UK [ˈsɑːduː] / US [ˈsɑˌdu] noun [countable] Word forms sadhu : singular sadhu plural sadhus Indian English a Hindu holy man …   English dictionary

  • sadhu — also saddhu noun Etymology: Sanskrit sādhu Date: 1835 a usually Hindu mendicant ascetic …   New Collegiate Dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”