Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 2
Paramahaṁsa-Dharma: The Avadhūta-like Sannyāsī and Prahlāda’s Dialogue with the ‘Python’ Saint
बिभृयाद् यद्यसौ वास: कौपीनाच्छादनं परम् । त्यक्तं न लिङ्गाद् दण्डादेरन्यत् किञ्चिदनापदि ॥ २ ॥
bibhṛyād yady asau vāsaḥ kaupīnācchādanaṁ param tyaktaṁ na liṅgād daṇḍāder anyat kiñcid anāpadi
A sannyāsī should, as far as possible, avoid even bodily covering; if he wears anything, let it be only a loincloth. When there is no necessity, he should not accept even the daṇḍa and other insignia; apart from the daṇḍa and kamaṇḍalu, he should carry nothing.
FAQs
This verse teaches radical simplicity: a renunciant should keep only the bare minimum (even just a loincloth) and avoid acquiring anything beyond the essential signs of the order, except in emergencies.
He is defining the conduct of an advanced renunciant—showing that external markers like a staff may remain as signs of the order, but attachment to additional items contradicts the goal of complete detachment.
Keep only what supports your dharma and devotional practice, reduce nonessential accumulation, and treat conveniences as optional—using them only when truly needed.