Sant

In Hinduism and other Indian religions, sant is a human being revered for his or her knowledge of "self, truth, reality" and as a "truth-exemplar".^[1][2]

Etymology

Sant is sometimes translated to "saint", but this is a false cognate - there is no etymological commonality.^[3] Sant is derived from the Sanskrit root sat, which among other things means "truth, reality, essence"; while saint is derived from Latin sanctus, which means "sacred".^[1]

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".^[4][5] William Pinch suggests the best translation of sant is "truth-exemplar".^[1]

Usage

Sant differs from saint not merely in the etymological sense but also in usage. The word is used in various contexts:^[2][4][6]

• 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 Hinduism.
• It referred to the Gurus of Sikhism religion that developed from the 15th century onwards, and other holy men who later taught Guru Granth Sahib.^[7]
• 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 (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 gurus and other religious leaders.

See also

• Sant Mat or Path of the Sants
• Satya
• List of Hindu gurus and sants
• Hindu reform movements

References

Citations

1. William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0520200616, page 181 footnote 3
2. Schomer & McLeod (1987), pp. 1-17
3. Schomer & McLeod (1987), p. 3
4. Hawley (1987), p. 57
5. Schomer & McLeod (1987), p. 2
6. John Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer (2008), Songs of the Saints of India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195694208, pages 2-8
7. Schomer & McLeod (1987), pp. 251-267

Bibliography

• Hawley, John Stratton, ed. (1987), Saints and Virtues, University of California Press, ISBN 9780520061637
• Schomer, Karine; McLeod, W. H., eds. (1987), The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 9788120802773