Sant (religion)
A sant (Sanskrit: सन्त्; IAST: Sant; [sɐn̪t̪]) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal level of "self, truth, [and] reality" in Indian religions, particularly Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.[1][2] In Sikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with God.[3]
Etymology
[edit]"Sant" is sometimes translated as "saint", but this is a false cognate (there is no etymological commonality) as "sant" is derived from the Sanskrit root sat,[4] which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin word sanctus, which means "holy, sacred",[1] derived from Indo-European root sak-, "to sanctify".[5]
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".[6][7] William Pinch suggests the best translation of sant is "truth-exemplar".[1]
Usage
[edit]Sant differs from saint not merely in the etymological sense but also in usage. The word is used in various contexts:[2][6][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 Hinduism.
- 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 (not to be confused with Sikh gurus) and other religious leaders.
Sikhism
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Hinduism
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In Hinduism, a Sant has an important place in the life of a devotee. Hindu scriptures also tell the importance of a sant.[10] According to the Hindu scriptures, worshipers are freed from the disease of birth and death by taking refuge in a true sant and doing devotion according to the scriptures. The identity of the true sant is also stated in the holy scriptures of Hinduism that one who is a true sant will have complete knowledge of all the holy books and will initiate three types of mantras (names) thrice.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0520200616, page 181 footnote 3
- ^ a b Schomer & McLeod (1987), pp. 1–17
- ^ a b Khalsa, Sant Singh (2007). Sri Guru Granth Sahib: English Translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Arizona: Hand Made Books (Mandeep Singh). pp. 12–263.
- ^ Schomer & McLeod (1987), p. 3
- ^ Watkins, Calvert. "American Heritage Dictionary Indo-European Roots Appendix". Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
- ^ a b Hawley (1987), p. 57
- ^ Schomer & McLeod (1987), p. 2
- ^ John Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer (2008), Songs of the Saints of India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195694208, pages 2-8
- ^ Schomer & McLeod (1987), pp. 251–267
- ^ "saint | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ^ "Identification of a True Sant or Satguru in the World - Jagat Guru Rampal Ji". www.jagatgururampalji.org. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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