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Revision as of 04:21, 2 November 2024 by 49.206.6.57 (talk) (→Hinduism: The article says that Sant is incorrectly translated as Saint. This paragraph in original is thus self-contradictory as it uses 'Saint' instead of Sant. Except in the links, the word Saint has been replaced as Sant.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Truth-exemplar in Indian religionsThis article is about teachers and spiritual leaders in Hinduism and Sikhism. For other uses, see Sant (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Saint.
A sant (Template:Lang-sa; IAST: Sant; [sɐn̪t̪]) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal level of "self, truth, reality" in Indian religions, particularly Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. In Sikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with God.
Etymology
"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, which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin word sanctus, which means "holy, sacred", derived from Indo-European 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:
- 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
Hinduism
In Hinduism, a Sant has an important place in the life of a devotee. Hindu scriptures also tell the importance of a sant. 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.
See also
References
- ^ William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0520200616, page 181 footnote 3
- ^ Schomer & McLeod (1987), pp. 1–17
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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
- 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