SĀdhus and SĀdhvĪs
SĀDHUS AND SĀDHVĪS. The term sādhu (feminine, sādhvī) derives from the Sanskrit root sādh (meaning "accomplish") and also has the general sense of "a good or virtuous person." More specifically, within the Hindu religious tradition a sādhu or sādhvī (a sādhvī is also referred to as mai and "Mātājī") is someone who, under a guru, has undergone a ritual of renunciation known as saṃnyāsa and formally abandoned family life and conventional worldly means for making a livelihood. The saṃnyāsa rite, which is preceded by a preliminary initiation rite, is usually performed at a Kumbha Melā, the preeminent festival for sādhus. The rite is assisted by a guru and several Brahmin paṇḍits, thereby relieving the initiate's family of any future responsibility in that regard. Sādhus are usually buried in a seated position when they die, in distinction from the traditional Hindu practice of cremation.
The Hindu religious explanation for taking saṃnyāsa and becoming initiated as a sādhu is to "realize God" or obtain liberation (mokṣa), an objective considered to be difficult in worldly life. While some sādhus claim to have experienced a direct religious calling to renounce—occasionally in old age—others become sādhus to escape legal, financial, personal, or family problems.
This page contains 201 words.
Sādhus and Sādhvīs article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 2,984 words
(approx. 10 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Sadhu Article
