Mandaleshvar

(“Lord of the Region”) Term of respect
for the ascetics chosen to head the Naga
class of the Dashanami Sanyasis in
their disputations with Christian missionaries. The Dashanami Nagas are
groups of renunciant ascetics who are
devotees (bhakta) of Shiva and who formerly made their living as traders and
mercenary soldiers. Their rough-andready qualities made them effective soldiers but gave them little preparation for
formal argument. The Mandaleshvars
were chosen by the Nagas from among
the more learned Paramahamsa
ascetics, providing a more coherent and
telling opposition to Christian missionaries. An ascetic who becomes a
Mandaleshvar becomes the spiritual
adviser and the teacher of the
Dashanami Naga members of the
akhara, who deem him a spiritual
preceptor as much as their own gurus.