Forum: hinduism.stackexchange.com
Tags: <scripture><tradition><symbolism><sanyasi>
Title: What is the significance of the saffron color?
Question: Hindu sanyasis/monks wear saffron colored robes. Is there any scriptural reasons for saffron? Or is it just cultural since Buddhist monks also wear saffron ?

Answers:
sents: text: Quoting from About.com
text: If there is any color that can symbolize all aspects of Hinduism, it's saffron - the color of Agni or fire, which reflects the Supreme Being.
text: As such, the fire altar is regarded as a distinct symbol of ancient Vedic rites.
text: The saffron color, also auspicious to the Sikhs, the Buddhists and the Jains , seems to have obtained religious significance much before these religions came into being.
text: Fire worship had its origin in the Vedic age.
text: The foremost hymn in the Rig Veda glorifies fire: "Agnimile purohitam yagnasya devam rtvijam, hotaram ratna dhatamam.
text: " When sages moved from one ashram to another, it was customary to carry fire along.
text: The inconvenience to carry a burning substance over long distances may have given rise to the symbol of a saffron flag .
text: Triangular and often forked saffron flags are seen fluttering atop most Sikh and Hindu temples.
text: While Sikhs regard it as a militant color, Buddhist monks and Hindu saints wear robes of this color as a mark of renunciation of material life.
text: Apart from that wearing the color symbolizes the quest for light.
text: It is the battle color of the Rajputs, the warrior caste.
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/124/Mr. Alien
score: 10
sents: text: When Buddha gave up his mortal body, he was covered with a special robe dyed in saffron.
text: Ever since then, Buddhist monks have adopted saffron as the colour that can help them achieve their goal of 'moksha' or deliverance.
text: Saffron is omnipresent in all the religions that have branched out from Hinduism.
text: You see saffron in the garb of monks living on alms.
text: It is the colour of the religious standard that flutters over Sikh gurudwaras and Hindu temples.
text: For the Sikhs it represents fight against injustice, and for Hindus a religious fundamentalism.
text: Source: http://www.royalsaffron.com/spirit.htm
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/130/The Hungry Dictator
score: 4
sents: text: Saffron color is color of "Tyag" .
text: As hinduism believes nothing is yours, everything is given by supreme lord , the emotion of "Tyag" plays important role in hinduism.
text: Also , when first ray of Sun arises , which brigs you in light from dark , the color of that first ray of sun is Safron .
text: So , Safron is the first color which brings you from dark to light every day .
text: Thats why Saint Dhnyaneshwar Maharaj ( Popular saint from maharashtra, Pune) took Safron flag while going to "Sanjivan Samadhi".
text: Whoever has become popular in Hinduism , had the emotion of "Tyag" towards material life.
text: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
text: (Founder of maratha empire) has took Safron flag as the flag of Maratha Empire.
text: So , while describing how Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was , to his son Sambhaji Maharaj (of course after death of shivaji maharaj), Saint Ramadas Swami ( popular saint from Maharashtra , Satara) says : "Sakal Sukhancha Kela Tyag" i.e. By taking Safron flag in hand Chhatrapati Shivaji maharaj renunced all the material aspects in the life.
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/2869/C Sharper
score: 3
sents: text: Interesting information.
text: I have read about the Significance of Saffron in Hinduism in an interesting blog and that was the first time i read about it.
text: It is amazing to know that all of the symbols and colors associated with Hinduism has a deep meaning and significance with our daily life. http://www.ishtadevata.com/blog/significance-saffron-hinduism.html
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/4333/Harishchandra Mouli
score: 2
sents: text: The significance is that saffron or ochre are the colors of fire.
text: A sannyasin has renounced the world and his sradda ceremony is performed on the day he takes his vows, and it is done in front of him.
text: In many places in India a corpse is covered in ochre or saffron.
text: As a sannyasin is now dead to the world, he wears the colors of a corpse.
text: Buddhist monks wear the same as they were actually started as a sect of Hinduism.
text: Remember that the Buddha was a Hindu sannyasin and a reformer of Hinduism.
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/882/Swami Vishwananda
score: 2
sents: text: The purest element in this creation is fire.
text: The colour of fire is saffron.
text: Because a sannyasi is also required to be pure, he adopts the colour of the purest element.
text: Hope this clarifies.
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/4388/Gopaluni
score: 1
sents: text: Quoting from quora.com Hindu saints have always been amazed by nature.
text: One of the biggest components of Vedas is the "Aranyakas" - experiments with nature.
text: Two of the most impressive things that Hindu saints found were - Sandhya (time of sunset/sunrise) and Agni (fire).
text: Big chunk of Vedas are about extolling the virtues of the Sun and Fire.
text: Hindus thought that the fire symbolized everything about us.
text: The fire destroys everything it comes across into a lump of ash - whether it is your precious rug or an inexpensive cloth, just as a king eventually meets the same end as the poorest pauper.
text: The rich burns as well as the poor.
text: Fire is a symbol of sacrifice and renouncing ego.
text: During Yajna (fire worship), we offer plenty of dear things to the fire as an act of renunciation.
text: The three predominant colors of sunset and agni are yellow, orange/saffron and red.
text: These three thus became the holiest colors of Hinduism.
text: The bottom of the fire is usually red (where the coal is red hot), the middle is yellow and at the top it is orange.
text: Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-color-Saffron-so-important-in-Hinduism-as-well-as-otherwise/answer/Balaji-Viswanathan-2?srid=u9oBe&share=d466ab33
answer_details: author: hinduism.stackexchange.com/users/8964/DaSnipeKid
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
If there is any color that can symbolize all aspects of Hinduism, it's  saffron - the color of Agni or fire, which reflects the Supreme Being.  Saffron is omnipresent in all the religions that have branched out from Hinduism, including the Sikh religion and Buddhism.
Saffron symbolises Hinduism - it is the colour of Agni, or fire, which reflects the Supreme Being. It is found in all religions that have branched out from Hinduism. Saffron is the colour of the standard on Hindu temples and it represents religious fundamentalism. Hindu saints wear saffron robes as a sign of renunciation of a material life. Buddha was covered in a saffron robe when he gave up his mortal body. It is also the battle colour of the Rajputs, the warrior caste.