Mahamandaleshwar

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Mahamandaleshwar (or Maha Mandaleshwar) is a title used by some Hindu monks of the Dashanami order of renunciates ("swamis") founded by Shankaracharya. A person called Mahamandaleshwar has been elevated by his peers to the highest level of traditional, Hindu spiritual guardianship. Today India has 80 Mahamandaleshwars who carry on the work begun by Adi Shankaracharya 1200 years ago.

Literally, "Mahamandaleshwar" means "Superior of great and/or numerous monasteries" or "Superior of a religious district or province" (maha = great, mandala = district, ishwara = head, sovereign). There are two systems of organization in the dashanami order. Each of the ten names (dasha = ten, nami = name), which is appended to a monk's given name at initiation, is assigned to one of the four cardinal monastic seats founded by Shankaracharya and presided over by his direct succesors at Joshimath in North India, Dwarka in the West, Shringeri in the South and Puri in the East.

The other system is the akhara system of which the Mahamandaleshwaras are a part. Their origin dates from the early days of Islamic invasions into India (around or just prior to 1000 CE) when many monks became the targets of murderous attacks. In order to protect themselves, they formed "regiments" of monk-warriors who, to this day, preserve the traditional martial arts of India in addition to their spiritual practices. So in addition to being a way to organize the orders at a local level they have historically also served as paramilitary regiments with the Mahamandaleshwaras as generals, as it were, of these regiments.

The Acharya Mahamandaleshwar is the first person in the Akhara, followed by other Mahamandaleshwaras (as in Mahanirvani and Niranjani Akhara). In Juna Akhara there is only one Mahamandaleshwar (Acharya) followed by Mandaleshwaras and Shree Mahants.

[edit] Famous Maha Mandaleshwaras

Among the famous Mahamandaleshwaras in the Hindu traditions are:

  • Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Samvidananda Saraswati
  • Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avadheshananda Giriji
  • Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Yug Purush Swami Parmanandji Giri Maharaj
  • Anant Shri Vibhusit Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Sri 108 Swami Shivendra Puriji Maharaj
  • Mahamandaleshwar Nirmal Das Maharaj
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Hansadasji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Dr. Kishordasji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Nrityagopaladasji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Kamalananda Giriji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Atmananda Puriji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Bhakt Hari
  • Mahamandaleshwar Dr. Swami Shaswatananda Giri
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Hari Chetananandaji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Guru Sharanandaji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityananda
  • Mahamandaleshwar Sita Sharan Das
  • Mahamandaleshwar Santoshi Mataji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Swami Shri Arjun Puriji Maharaj
  • Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Swami Virendra
  • Mahamandaleshwar Dr. Swami Veda Bharati
  • Mahamandaleshwar Shakti Sant Shiromani Ma Yogashakti Saraswati
  • Mahamandaleshwar Shri Pawahari Balkrishn Yatiji
  • Mahamandaleshwar Mohananandagiri Maharaj
  • Namdar Shrimant Mahamandaleshwar Maharajadhiraj Maharana Shri Mohandevji Dharma Dev Rana Raja
  • Namdar Shrimant Mahamandaleshwar Maharajadhiraj Maharana Shri Lakshmandevji Jagatshah Sahib
  • Niranjan Peethadhishwar Santan Ratna Anat Sri Vibhushit Paravrajkacharya Tapomurti Sri Sri 1008 Mahamandaleshwar Santoshi Mataji
  • Rishi Mahamandaleshwar Sri Shambhavananda
  • Shankaracharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Satyamitrananda Giriji
  • Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda
  • Mahamandaleshwar Bhagwandev Paramhans (Sankatmochni Devi Trust, Kakdoli Dham,Bhiwani District, Haryana, India)