sannyasi

A sannyasi is a renunciate in Hinduism who has taken sannyasa, the renunciation stage of life (ashrama). The term derives from Sanskrit sannyāsa, renunciation of worldly ties to pursue spiritual liberation (moksha). A sannyasi typically renounces family, property, and social duties and adopts a life of mendicancy, study, and meditation.

Renunciates may wander or reside in a temple or ashram, depending on lineage. They often wear saffron or ochre robes and carry symbolic items such as a danda (staff) and kamandalu (water pot). They practice celibacy and non-possessiveness, live on alms (bhiksha), and follow a guru or spiritual lineage. Initiation into sannyasa is traditionally granted by a guru; the sannyasi is expected to follow the vows and disciplines of their order, which can include strict discipline, celibacy, ahimsa, truth, and detachment from social status.

Sannyasis belong to various monastic traditions within Hinduism. Some are part of established orders founded by teachers such as Adi Shankaracharya's Dashanami Sampradaya; others are wandering ascetics or naga sannyasis within specific sects, particularly in Vaishnava and Shaiva communities. Sannyasa is considered the fourth ashrama, following the student (brahmacharya), householder (grihastha), and forest-dweller (vanaprastha) stages. In contemporary usage, the term can refer to renunciants who have taken sannyasa, regardless of the particular lineage, or to monks or swamis who bear that title.