("Lord of the
Region") is a title given to a person who is in charge of Respect term for
the ascetics appointed to lead the Dashanami Sanyasis' Naga class in their
disputes with Christian missionaries.
The Dashanami Nagas are renunciant ascetics who are Shiva
worshipers (bhakta) who had previously worked as merchants and mercenary
troops.
Their improvisational talents made them good soldiers, but
they lacked the necessary preparation for formal debate.
The Nagas picked the Mandaleshvars from among the more
erudite Paramahamsa ascetics to provide a more cogent and compelling
counter-narrative to Christian missionaries.
As a Mandaleshvar, an ascetic serves as the spiritual
counsellor and teacher to the Dashanami Naga members of the akhara, who see him
as a spiritual preceptor on par with their own gurus.
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