By Swami Harshananda
Ekadaṇḍin literally means ‘One who holds a single staff’.
Classification[edit]
A daṇḍa or a staff is an important insignia of a sanyāsin[1] Among such sanyāsins called ‘daṇḍis’, there are two types:
- Ekadaṇḍis - They carry one staff of bamboo to facilitate carrying.
- Tridaṇḍis - They carry three staffs tied together to facilitate carrying.
Significance[edit]
Daṇḍa stands for dama or self-control. Tridaṇḍa stands for control over body, speech and mind. Ekadaṇḍa stands for control over the mind, since it automatically leads to the control of the other two.
Paramahaṅsa Sanyāsi's Daṇḍa[edit]
The paramahaṅsa sanyāsis accept a daṇḍa at the time of taking sanyāsa. It breaks it and discards it in a river, since they are supposed to have attained the highest state wherein they do not need to carry such insignias.
References[edit]
- ↑ Sanyāsin means a monk.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore