sadhu
noun
- religious ascetic or holy person in Hinduism
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈsɑːduː/ / /ˈsæduː/ / /-djuː/
name
Etymology: From Sanskrit साधु (sādhú, “good; good man, holy man”).
- A male given name from Sanskrit.
noun
Etymology: From Sanskrit साधु (sādhú, “good; good man, holy man”).
- An ascetic or practitioner of yoga (yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals of life: kama (enjoyment), artha (practical objectives) and even dharma (duty).
“Then again these figures take no account of the thousands of beggars who travel free in India. Many of these are religious "Sadhus", dressed often in nothing but a loin-cloth, or even less, and their bodies smeared with ashes. A large number of these men are nothing but impostors, but the Hindu railway staff usually are afraid to interfere with them.”
“It was clad in white in the manner of an Indian sadu or holy man, and it was walking barefoot on the grubby pavements.”