A ''sant'' ( sa, सन्त्; IAST: ; ) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal of "self, truth, ndreality" in

Indic religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...

, particularly

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

, and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. In

it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

Etymology

"''Sant''" is sometimes translated as " saint", but this is a

false cognate False cognates are pairs of words that seem to be cognates because of similar sounds and meaning, but have different etymologies; they can be within the same language or from different languages, even within the same family. For example, the Engl ...

(there is no

etymological Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words a ...

commonality) as "''sant''" is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

root ''

sat The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

'', which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin word , which means "holy, sacred",William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, , page 181 footnote 3 derived from

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...

root ''sak-'', "to sanctify". Schomer and McLeod explain ''sant'' as preceptor of ''Sat'' or "truth, reality", in the sense of "'one who knows the truth' or 'one who has experienced Ultimate Reality', that is a person who has achieved a state of spiritual enlightenment or mystical self-realisation". William Pinch suggests the best translation of ''sant'' is "truth-exemplar".

Usage

''Sant'' differs from ''saint'' not merely in the etymological sense but also in usage. The word is used in various contexts:John Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer (2008), Songs of the Saints of India, Oxford University Press, , pages 2-8 *In fifteenth- and sixteenth-century India under Islamic rule, it was used generally to describe teachers and poet-scholars who led worshippers and communities the praises of god or goddess within the Bhakti movement in

. *In modern era, the term sometimes describes any holy man or woman who advocates a particular form of spirituality or members of the group that leads a ''

Sant Mat Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following ''sants'' and their teac ...

'' (teachings of a spiritual congregation). *The term is also used in a generic sense and in this respect is similar to the usage of ''saint'' to indicate a morally good person. As such, it has been applied to a wide range of

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

s (not to be confused with

Sikh gurus The Sikh gurus (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the founde ...

) and other religious leaders.

Sikhism

*In Sikhism, a ''sant'', ''

brahmgiani ''Brahmgiani'' (Punjabi: ਬ੍ਰਹਮਗਿਆਨੀ ) or ''The Brahm Giani'' in Sikhism is a highly enlightened individual being who is one with Waheguru. In Sikhism, such a person has also been named a '' Gurmukh'', ''Sadhu'' or '' Sant''. ...

'', or ''

bhagat Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness.It is also one of the clan in Mahar caste with clan totem as King Cobrahttp:/ ...

'' is any human being that has attained God realization and spiritual communion with God. Sikhs believe that the divine energy of God can be experienced by humans on Earth. This is attained through continual recitation and spiritual internalization of God's name (

Naam Japo In Sikhism, Nām Japō ( Gurmukhi ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ), also known as Naam Japna or Naam Simran, refers to the meditation or contemplation of the various Names of God (or qualities of God), especially the chanting of the word " Waheguru" ('Wo ...

/''Naam Simran''). Sikhs commonly utilize

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

as the name of God which cannot be simply uttered by the mouth but must be lived thru truthfullness. * ''Sants'' can originate from any religion. Figures such as

Kabir Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das ...

Ravidas Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a ''guru'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punj ...

Namdev Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj (Pronunciation: aːmdeʋ, also transliterated as Nam Dayv, Namdeo, Namadeva, (traditionally, ) was a Marathi Bahujan saint from Narsi, Hingoli, Maharashtra, India within the Varkari tradition of Hinduism. He li ...

Farid Farid (Arabic: فَرِيد ''fariyd'', ''farīd''), also spelt Fareed or Ferid and accented Férid, is an Arabic and Persian masculine personal name or surname meaning "unique, singular ("the One"), incomparable". For many communities, including i ...

, Bhikkan and others are known as ''sants'' or ''bhagats'', despite some being of Islam or

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

faith. Divine knowledge is universal, and their knowledge after obtaining enlightenment through ''Naam Simran'' has been compiled and included in the holy book of Sikhism, the

Sri Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...

. * ''Sants'' are holy persons of very exalted status, one of being the ideal human being. As such, Sikhs are encouraged to seek the company and holy congregation of ''sants'' (Sadh-Sangat), learn from them, and attain "santhood" through intensive reading and contemplation of Sikh scripture (

gurbani Gurbani ( pa, ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ) is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the central text of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahi ...

) and ''Naam Simran''. * The virtuous life associated with a ''sant'' or a ''brahmgyani'' (one who has a perfect knowledge of God) is strenuously defined in Sikh

, most notably in the ''Sukhmani Sahib'' passage of the

. Sikhism advocates for people of all faiths to realize and become one with God, and attaining union with God is the highest form of spiritual enlightenment.

Hinduism

, a saint has an important place in the life of a devotee. Hindu

scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...

also tell the importance of a saint. According to the

scriptures, worshipers are freed from the disease of birth and death by taking refuge in a true saint and doing devotion according to the scriptures. The identity of the true saint is also stated in the holy scriptures of Hinduism that one who is a true saint will have complete knowledge of all the holy books and will initiate three types of mantras (names) thrice.

References

Bibliography