Svecchācāra (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

; Sanskrit: स्वेच्छाचार) is an important concept in the

Nath Natha, also called Nath (), are a Shaivism, Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism, Tantra and Yoga traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Sampradaya. 'Svecchācāra' means: acting as one likes, arbitrariness, acting without restraint. The word appears to be a combination of three Sanskrit words: ''sva'' (self), ''iccha'' (will), and ''cāra'' (deportment), essentially adding up to "behaving as one desires" or "in accordance with one's will (iccha)". John Woodroffe (1951: p. 440) associates it with notions of

antinomianism Antinomianism ( [] 'against' and [] 'law') is any view which rejects laws or Legalism (theology), legalism and argues against moral, religious or social norms (), or is at least considered to do so. The term has both religious and secular meaning ...

and that it is evident in the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...

and Tantras:

"Lastly, the doctrine that the illuminated knower of Brahman (Brahmajnani) is above both good (Dharma) and evil (Adharma) should be noted. Such a one is a Svechacari whose way is Svechacara or "do as you will". Similar doctrine and practices in Europe are there called Antinomianism. The doctrine is not peculiar to the Tantras. It is to be found in the Upanishads, and is in fact a very commonly held doctrine in India."

Woodroffe (1951: pp. 440–441) also goes on to state that:

"In Svecchacara there is theoretical freedom, but it is not consciously availed of to do what is known to be wrong without fall and pollution."

Svecchācāra is important in the

Sampradaya evocation of their realized ideal, of the

Avadhuta ''Avadhūta'' (IAST ', written as अवधूत) is a Sanskrit term from the root 'to shake' (see V. S. Apte and Monier-Williams) that, among its many uses, in some Indian religions indicates a type of mystic or saint who is beyond egoic-conscio ...

; as Mahendranath states:

"Sveccha means one's own wish or free will. Svecchachara means a way of life where one acts as one wishes and does what is right in one's own eyes. Doing one's own Will. The concluding Sanskrit expression in the Avadhoota Upanishad is "Svecchachara Paro."
The term "Paro" means a mysterious or secret pattern to that action done by one's own Will. In other words, we do our Will but with discretion, not making it too obvious, nor to harm or hurt other people. Yet this is also a typical Nathism; a complete reversal of Vedic morals and philosophy.

This term is employed in the closure of the '' Avadhuta Upanishad''. The term 'svecchācāra' also appears nine times in the Mahanirvana Tantra first translated into the English from Sanskrit by Woodroffe (1913).Source

(accessed: Thursday March 11, 2010) NB: search using 'svecchAcAr' Svechchhachara, “following one's own

rue ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for i ...

will” is also evident in the Kali Tantra 8.19.

Notes

Hindu tantra Upanishadic concepts Vedanta {{Hinduism-stub

See also

Notes