05-17-2006, 11:05 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Singhi Kaya+May 14 2006, 08:27 AM-->QUOTE(Singhi Kaya @ May 14 2006, 08:27 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->It is generally regarded that they were unlike other ahimsha sadhus extremely millitant and fought toe-to-toe battle with moslems....Is this true?
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There is a whole book written on warrior sAdhus by Lorenzen, which of course approaches the whole matter from a Western anti-Hindu bias. But you may still look up the book for the wealth of data Lorenzen has gathered on various shaiva groups. Briefly the Nagas are actually members of the orthodox sannyAsi fraternity established by shri shaMkara-bhagavatpAda, the advaitAchArya know as dashanAmI. They belong to giri and sarasvati sect of the dashanAmI. Ramakrishna Paramhamsa is supposed to have studied advaita under one such Naga. Under the islamic tyrany the Nagas grew increasingly militaristic and were indeed involved in fierce fights against different Islamic chief. However, they were also involved in conficts with other Hindus at times. Some say this phase saw decline in their yogic and philosophical orientation. Despite the what the secularists say the Nagas clearly provided safe havens for the oppressed Hindus via their military successes in the Bundelkhand region. There is also an early report of sAdhus fighting Timur when sought to defile Ganga with blood of Hindus, but we do not know who exactly they were.
Of course other dashanAmIs were also involved in political activties like vidyAraNya who was instrumental in the foundation of Vijayanagara. Then there was swami rAmadas a vaiShNava sadhu who helped shivaji and Swami brahmendra in Bajirao' s times.
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There is a whole book written on warrior sAdhus by Lorenzen, which of course approaches the whole matter from a Western anti-Hindu bias. But you may still look up the book for the wealth of data Lorenzen has gathered on various shaiva groups. Briefly the Nagas are actually members of the orthodox sannyAsi fraternity established by shri shaMkara-bhagavatpAda, the advaitAchArya know as dashanAmI. They belong to giri and sarasvati sect of the dashanAmI. Ramakrishna Paramhamsa is supposed to have studied advaita under one such Naga. Under the islamic tyrany the Nagas grew increasingly militaristic and were indeed involved in fierce fights against different Islamic chief. However, they were also involved in conficts with other Hindus at times. Some say this phase saw decline in their yogic and philosophical orientation. Despite the what the secularists say the Nagas clearly provided safe havens for the oppressed Hindus via their military successes in the Bundelkhand region. There is also an early report of sAdhus fighting Timur when sought to defile Ganga with blood of Hindus, but we do not know who exactly they were.
Of course other dashanAmIs were also involved in political activties like vidyAraNya who was instrumental in the foundation of Vijayanagara. Then there was swami rAmadas a vaiShNava sadhu who helped shivaji and Swami brahmendra in Bajirao' s times.