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{{short description|Type of mystic or saint who acts without consideration for standard social etiquette}}
'''''Avadhūta''''' ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]] ''{{IAST|avadhūta}}'', written as अवधूत) is a [[Sanskrit]] term from the root 'to shake' (see V. S. Apte and [[Monier Monier-Williams|Monier-Williams]]) that, among its many uses, in some Indian religions indicates a type of [[mysticism|mystic]] or [[saint]] who is beyond egoic-consciousness, duality and common worldly concerns and acts without consideration for standard social etiquette. Avadhūta is a [[Jivanmukta]] who gives his insight to others and teaches them about his realisation of the true nature of the ultimate reality ([[Brahman]]) and self ([[Ātman (Hinduism)|Ātman]]) and takes the role of a [[guru]] to show the path of ''[[moksha]]'' to others.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=alH0Y_Lnoe0C&pg=PA83&dq=Avadhut+texts&hl=en&ei=XP_lS_jUJ86HkQXrk4j-Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=falses Roaming: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases] (accessed: Sunday May 9, 2010)</ref> Some Avadhūta also achieve the title of ''[[Paramahamsa]]''.

Similar figures (colloquially called 'mad/crazy monks') are also known in Buddhist traditions, such as the medieval Zen monk [[Ikkyū]], and the 20th century Tibetan [[tulku]] [[Chögyam Trungpa]] Rinpoche. In [[Tibetan Buddhism]] the equivalent type is called a [[nyönpa]] ({{bo|w=smyon pa}}).

==Types of avadhūtas==
[[Georg Feuerstein|Feuerstein]] (1991: p. 105) frames how the term ''avadhūta'' came to be associated with the mad or eccentric holiness or '[[crazy wisdom]]' of some [[antinomian]] ''[[paramahamsa]]'' who were often 'skyclad' or 'naked' (Sanskrit: [[digambara]]):
{{quote|The appellation "avadhūta," more than any other, came to be associated with the apparently crazy modes of behaviour of some paramahamsas, who dramatize the reversal of social norms, a behaviour characteristic of their spontaneous lifestyle. Their frequent nakedness is perhaps the most symbolic expression of this reversal."<ref>[[Georg Feuerstein|Feuerstein, Georg]] (1991). 'Holy Madness'. In ''Yoga Journal'' May/June 1991. With calligraphy by Robin Spaan. Source: [https://books.google.com/books?id=lekDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=Avadhoota+crazy+wisdom&source=bl&ots=jQwXOGppzy&sig=FZCjrFMPpmuBHutRtpctp_6KpN0&hl=en&ei=5YVzS7D2L4uTkAXE25nzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBYQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Avadhoota%20crazy%20wisdom&f=false] (accessed: Thursday February 11, 2010), p.105</ref>}}

===Sacrifice===
[[Sarat Chandra Das]] ''et al.''. (1902: p. 20) equates [[Chöd]] practitioners ({{bo|t=གཅོད་པ|w=chod pa}}) as a type of avadhūta:
{{quote|ཀུ་སུ་ལུ་པ ku-su-lu-pa is a word of Tantrik mysticism, its proper Tibetan equivalent being གཅོད་པ, the art of exorcism. The mystic Tantrik rites of the Avadhauts, called Avadhūtipa in Tibet, exist in India.<ref>Sarat Chandra Das, Graham Sandberg & Augustus William Heyde (1902). ''Tibetan-English Dictionary with Sanskrit Synonyms''. Calcutta, India: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, p.20. Source: [https://books.google.com/books?id=8AbIHweo7PMC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=Avadhauts&source=bl&ots=otPppa3w8u&sig=dKZoJzveyvIBeRlj60nHoBSIBWY&hl=en&ei=b9VwS5DEH8qHkAWYp9SFCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Avadhauts&f=false] (accessed: Tuesday February 9, 2010)</ref>}}

The rites of Chöd differ between lineages but essentially there is an offering of their body as food, a blessing to demons and other entities to whom this kind of offering may be of benefit, the [[ganachakra]]. This leitmotif and [[sādhanā]] is common to another denizen of the [[charnel ground]], [[Dattatreya|Dattātreya]] the avadhūta, to whom has been attributed the esteemed non-dual medieval song, the ''[[Avadhuta Gita|Avadhūta Gītā]]''. Dattātreya was a founding guru ([[:wikt:adi-guru|ādiguru]]) of the [[Aghori]] according to Barrett (2008: p. 33):
{{quote|Lord Dattatreya, an antinomian form of Shiva closely associated with the cremation ground, who appeared to Baba Kina Ram atop Girnar Mountain in Gujarat. Considered to be the ''adi guru'' (ancient spiritual teacher) and founding deity of Aghor, Lord Dattatreya offered his own flesh to the young ascetic as ''prasād'' (a kind of blessing), conferring upon him the power of clairvoyance and establishing a guru-disciple relationship between them.<ref>Barrett, Ron (2008). ''Aghor medicine: pollution, death, and healing in northern India''. Edition: illustrated. University of California Press. {{ISBN|0-520-25218-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-520-25218-9}}. Source: [https://books.google.com/books?id=BSeYR93tIzwC&pg=PA33&dq=dattatreya+aghor&ei=fhCBS-zuIYfulQSl8oCUCg&client=opera&cd=1#v=onepage&q=dattatreya%20aghor&f=false] (accessed: Sunday February 21, 2010), p.33</ref>}}

===Mahānirvāṇatantram===
[[John Woodroffe]], in his translation of the ''[[Mahānirvāṇatantraṃ]]'' from the original Sanskrit into English under the [[pen name]] "Arthur Avalon", may be the opening discourse of the archetype of "avadhūta" to the English reading public, as none of the avadhūta upanishads were translated amongst the collections of minor upanishads such as the ''[[Thirty Minor Upanishads]]'' (Aiyar: 1914).<ref>Source: [https://www.scribd.com/doc/23298197/Thirty-Minor-Upanishads-tr-by-K-Narayanasvami-Aiyar-translator-of-Laghu-Yoga-Vasishtha-1914] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715213720/http://www.scribd.com/doc/23298197/Thirty-Minor-Upanishads-tr-by-K-Narayanasvami-Aiyar-translator-of-Laghu-Yoga-Vasishtha-1914 |date=2014-07-15 }} (accessed: Tuesday May 4, 2010)</ref> The ''Mahānirvāṇatantraṃ'' is an example of a [[nondualism|nondualist]] tantra and the translation of this work had a profound impact on the [[Indology|Indologists]] of the early to mid 20th century. The work is notable for many reasons and importantly mentions four kinds of avadhūta.<ref>[[John Woodroffe|Woodroffe, Sir John]] (2007). ''Mahanirvana Tantra.'' NuVision Publications. {{ISBN|1-59547-911-2}}, {{ISBN|978-1-59547-911-2}}. Source: [https://books.google.com/books?id=TbQQYHZVtgYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mahanirvana+tantra&hl=en&ei=L9PeS_GzAcuHkAWgvs3JBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false] (accessed: Monday May 3, 2010), p.175</ref>

===Brahmanirvāṇatantram===
The ''Brahmanirvantantra'' describes how to identify the avadhuts of the following types:
# '''Brahmāvadhūta''' : An avadhuta from birth who appears in any class of society. Completely indifferent to the world or worldly matters.
# '''Shaivāvadhūta''' : Avadhutas who have taken to the renounced order of life ([[sannyasa]]), often with unkempt long hair (''jata''), or who dress in the manner of [[Shaivism|Shaivites]] and spend almost all of their time in trance ([[samadhi]]), or [[meditation]].
# '''Vīrāvadhūta''' : This person looks like a [[sadhu]] who has put red colored sandal paste on his body and wears [[saffron]] clothes. His hair is very well grown and is normally furling in the wind. They wear in their neck [[Hindu prayer beads]] made of [[Rudraksha]] or a string with bones. They hold a wooden stick in their hand and additionally they always have a [[parashu]] (ritual ax) or [[damaru]] (small drum) with them.
# '''Kulāvadhūta''' : These people are supposed to have taken initiation from the [[Kaula (Hinduism)|Kaula]] ''[[sampradaya]]'' or people who awakened their Kundalini and capable of merging it at Sahasrāra Chakra or people who are capable of raising their awareness to [[Turiya]] and Turiyatita states. They are adepts in Kundalini Tantra. It is very difficult to recognize these people as they do not wear any signs outside which can identify them from others. The speciality of these people is that they remain and live like usual people do. They can show themselves in the form of Kings, a warrior, a family man or a beggar. That is, a Kulavadhuta shows no outside signs of their spiritual status.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5246/avadhuta |title = What is Avadhuta? - Definition from Yogapedia}}</ref>

==Relationship with the Nath sampradaya==
The [[Nath]] ''sampradaya'' is a form of ''avadhūta'' ''[[panthan]]''. In this ''sampradaya'', Guru and [[yoga]] are of extreme importance. The important book for the Nath is the ''Avadhuta Gita''. [[Gorakshanath]] is considered the topmost form of the avadhuta-state.

==Books==
* ''Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati'' is a very early extant [[hatha yoga]] Sanskrit text attributed to [[Gorakshanath]] by the indigenous tradition, as [[Georg Feuerstein]] (1991: p. 105) relates:
{{quote|One of the earliest hatha yoga scriptures, the ''Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati'', contains many verses that describe the avadhūta. One stanza (VI.20) in particular refers to his chameleon-like capacity to animate any character or role. At times, it is said, he behaves like a worldling or even a king, at other times like an ascetic or naked renunciant."<ref>Feuerstein, Georg (1991). 'Holy Madness'. In ''Yoga Journal'' May/June 1991. With calligraphy by Robin Spaan. Source: [https://books.google.com/books?id=lekDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105&dq=Siddha+Siddhanta+Paddhati&hl=en&ei=46hfTZ3TIJGovQPp073dAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=Siddha%20Siddhanta%20Paddhati&f=false] (accessed: February 29, 2011)</ref>}}
* [[Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar]]'s ''Avadhoota: Reason & Reverence'', Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore, 1958.
* The ''[[Avadhutaka Upanishad|Avadhūtaka Upaniṣad]]'' is the 79th book of the [[Muktikā]] canon of Upaniṣads. It is a sannyāsa upaniṣad associated with the [[Yajurveda#Krishna Yajurveda|Black Yajurveda]] (कृष्णयजुर्वेद).
* According to the International Nath Order of the Nath sampradāya, the ''Avadhūta Gītā'' is a text of [[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita Vedānta]] sung by Dattātreya and recorded by his disciples Svāmī and Kārtika.<ref>International Nath Order [Wiki] (April 2008). 'Avadhūta Gita'. Source: [http://internationalnathorder.org/wiki/avadhūta_Gita]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (accessed: Tuesday February 9, 2010)</ref>

==See also==
* [[Nityananda]]
* [[Mast (Sufism)]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041020032634/http://oaks.nvg.org/pv6bk7.html Avadhut Gita by Dattatreya]
* [http://internationalnathorder.org/wiki/Avadhut 'Avadhut' (April, 2008) by the International Nath Order]
* [https://archive.today/20140609041713/http://samyogi.com/Avadhoota-gita-by-dattatreya.html avadhūta Gita Translation available as mp3 audio]

[[Category:Hindu asceticism]]
[[Category:Buddhist asceticism]]

Avadhuta - Revision history

UpdateBot at 02:06, 16 January 2022