Daśanāmi Sampradaya

Aka the Order of Swamis, this is a highly respected and influential Hindu monastic tradition of wandering renunciates established by 8th-century Indian Vedic teacher Adi Shankara, considered to be an incarnation of Shiva, the major figure of Advaita Vedanta, with more than 300 texts attributed to him. There are 10 orders within this tradition: Aranya, Ashrama, Bharati, Giri, Parvata, Puri, Sarasvati, Sagara, Tirtha and Vana, attached to one of four autonomous monasteries (mathas) in the north, south, east and west of India. Everyone attached to a matha, including the head of the matha (the Sankaracarya), is expected to travel for most of the year. The Sangkaracaryas are held in high esteem by almost all Hindus.