Devanagari: संन्यासी ISO15919: saṁnyāsī also written as sanyasi, sannyasi
Someone who has completely given up material attachments and lives the rest of their life as a celibate monk in pursuit of God.
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The scriptures say that anyone, regardless of age or caste, can leave their worldly duties when they develop true detachment, yukta vairagya. The Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad warns that if someone gives up their duties on the outside, but holds on to material desires on the inside, it is a sin. Such a person is punished and sent to naraka. According to this Upanishad, sanmyasis are divided into four types, based on how deeply they have renounced the world:
kutichaka (Devanagari: कुटीचक ISO15919: kuṭīcaka), bahudaka (Devanagari: बहूदक ISO15919: bahūdaka), hamsa (Devanagari: हंस ISO15919: haṁsa) and paramahamsa (Devanagari: परमहंस ISO15919: paramahaṁsa).
Other Vedic scriptures define two more categories: turiyateet sanmyasi (Devanagari: तुरीयतीत संन्यासी ISO15919: turīyatīta saṁnyāsī) and avadhuta (Devanagari: अवधूत ISO15919: avadhūta), a highly enlightened being who has completely transcended worldly concerns, social norms and even religious rituals.
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