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'''SANT''' commonly translated as '''saint''' though not very exactly, for the English term, used in the adjectival sense ‘saintly’ for a person of great holiness, virtue or benevolence, has a formal connotation in the Western culture, is a modified form of sat meaning '''lasting, real, wise and venerable'''. '''Sat or Satya''' has been used since the Vedic times for the Ever-existent, Unchanging Reality or the Self-existent, Universal Spirit, Brahman or God.
The term '''sant''' came into vogue much later. The word occurs frequently in the ancient Pali literature of Buddhism in the sense of tranquil, true or wise. From Pali it was resuscitated during the middle ages when Bhakti movement took its birth. The epithet sant was usually added to the names of the Vaisnava bhaktas of Maharashtra belonging to Vitthal or Varkari school such as Jnandev, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram. According to R.D. Ranade, Mysticism in Maharashtra, “Now ‘Santa’ is almost a technical word in the Vitthal Sampradaya, and means any man who is a follower of that Sampradaya. Not that followers of other Sampradayas are not ‘Santas’ but the followers of the Varkari Sampradaya are santas par excellence.” 
Within the Bhakti movement there is a distinct Sant tradition clearly distinguishable from South Indian Saiva bhakti and the Vaisnava tradition of Northern and Central India. The Sant-bhaktas were essentially non-sectarian.  They were strict monotheists and were opposed to Brahmanical ritualism, idol-worship and caste system. Like other bhaktas, they valued love-relationship between the individual and the deity, but their deity, although usually given Vaisnava names, is the Absolute Reality, Unborn, Formless, All-pervading, Self-existent, nirguna (without attributes) God, who makes Himself manifest the Name ([[naam]]) which may be uttered or meditated upon. Nirguni bhaktas refute avatarvada or incarnation, but they believe that the sant, through living a life of piety and practising nam, can attain final release.
Through Bhakti the term passed into the [[Sikh]] tradition. In the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] there is frequent mention of the status and significance of the sant, a holy man who represents the salt of the earth and the hope of mankind. Guru Arjan defines a sant thus: “'''jina sasi girasi na visrai harinaman mani mantu/ dhannu si sei nanaka puranu soi santu''' — They who do not put away from their minds the Name Divine even for the duration of a breath or as they swallow a morsel are indeed blessed, o Nanak! They are the perfect sants”  (GG, 319).  [[Guru Arjan]] in another hymn:
{{Quoter|All the twenty-four hours of day and night, <br>
He knows God to be close to his heart, <br>
And to His will he cheerfully submits. <br>
Name alone is the sustenance of the sant <br>
A sant considers himself to be the dust of the feet of all. <br>
This, brothers, is the sants’ way of life,  <br>
Beyond my power is it to describe its excellence. <br>
Name alone is their occupation, <br>
In blissful kirtan do they find their peace. <br>
Friend and foe are to them alike. <br>
Besides their God they acknowledge not another. <br>
Myriad sins can a Sant erase, <br>
He is the dispeller of sorrow and the bestower of life. <br>
Heroes true to their word are the sants, <br>
Even poor maya is by them beguiled. <br>
The gods themselves long for their company; <br>
To have a sight of them is fulfilling in the extreme, <br>
To be able to serve them a blessing. <br>
Nanak does with folded hands supplicate: <br>
Grant me this favour, O Treasure of Merit, <br>
that to the service of the sants do I <br>
dedicate myself.|SGGS page 392}}
== BIBLIOGRAPHY ==
1. Sabdarath Sri Guru Granth Sahib.  Amritsar, 1975
2. Randhir Singh, Bhai, Sant Pad Nirnai.  Ludhiana, 1954
'''Above adapted from article By W. H. McLeod''' of Global Sikh Studies
* [http://globalsikhstudies.net/r_link/articles.htm  Concepts In Sikhism - Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi]
=='''Sant''': Saint==
=='''Sant''': Saint==


Line 70: Line 119:
*''By great good fortune, the Lord has led me to meet His Saint. The Perfect Guru has placed the Sublime Essence of the Lord into my mouth. The unfortunate ones do not find the True Guru; the self-willed manmukhs continually endure reincarnation through the womb. ||3||'' SGGS Page 95
*''By great good fortune, the Lord has led me to meet His Saint. The Perfect Guru has placed the Sublime Essence of the Lord into my mouth. The unfortunate ones do not find the True Guru; the self-willed manmukhs continually endure reincarnation through the womb. ||3||'' SGGS Page 95


{{Sikhi:stub}}




[[category:Glossary of Sikh Terms]]
[[category:Glossary of Sikh Terms]]

Revision as of 18:57, 19 November 2005

SANT commonly translated as saint though not very exactly, for the English term, used in the adjectival sense ‘saintly’ for a person of great holiness, virtue or benevolence, has a formal connotation in the Western culture, is a modified form of sat meaning lasting, real, wise and venerable. Sat or Satya has been used since the Vedic times for the Ever-existent, Unchanging Reality or the Self-existent, Universal Spirit, Brahman or God.

The term sant came into vogue much later. The word occurs frequently in the ancient Pali literature of Buddhism in the sense of tranquil, true or wise. From Pali it was resuscitated during the middle ages when Bhakti movement took its birth. The epithet sant was usually added to the names of the Vaisnava bhaktas of Maharashtra belonging to Vitthal or Varkari school such as Jnandev, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram. According to R.D. Ranade, Mysticism in Maharashtra, “Now ‘Santa’ is almost a technical word in the Vitthal Sampradaya, and means any man who is a follower of that Sampradaya. Not that followers of other Sampradayas are not ‘Santas’ but the followers of the Varkari Sampradaya are santas par excellence.”


Within the Bhakti movement there is a distinct Sant tradition clearly distinguishable from South Indian Saiva bhakti and the Vaisnava tradition of Northern and Central India. The Sant-bhaktas were essentially non-sectarian. They were strict monotheists and were opposed to Brahmanical ritualism, idol-worship and caste system. Like other bhaktas, they valued love-relationship between the individual and the deity, but their deity, although usually given Vaisnava names, is the Absolute Reality, Unborn, Formless, All-pervading, Self-existent, nirguna (without attributes) God, who makes Himself manifest the Name (naam) which may be uttered or meditated upon. Nirguni bhaktas refute avatarvada or incarnation, but they believe that the sant, through living a life of piety and practising nam, can attain final release.


Through Bhakti the term passed into the Sikh tradition. In the Guru Granth Sahib there is frequent mention of the status and significance of the sant, a holy man who represents the salt of the earth and the hope of mankind. Guru Arjan defines a sant thus: “jina sasi girasi na visrai harinaman mani mantu/ dhannu si sei nanaka puranu soi santu — They who do not put away from their minds the Name Divine even for the duration of a breath or as they swallow a morsel are indeed blessed, o Nanak! They are the perfect sants” (GG, 319). Guru Arjan in another hymn:

All the twenty-four hours of day and night,

He knows God to be close to his heart,
And to His will he cheerfully submits.
Name alone is the sustenance of the sant
A sant considers himself to be the dust of the feet of all.
This, brothers, is the sants’ way of life,
Beyond my power is it to describe its excellence.
Name alone is their occupation,
In blissful kirtan do they find their peace.
Friend and foe are to them alike.
Besides their God they acknowledge not another.
Myriad sins can a Sant erase,
He is the dispeller of sorrow and the bestower of life.
Heroes true to their word are the sants,
Even poor maya is by them beguiled.
The gods themselves long for their company;
To have a sight of them is fulfilling in the extreme,
To be able to serve them a blessing.
Nanak does with folded hands supplicate:
Grant me this favour, O Treasure of Merit,
that to the service of the sants do I
dedicate myself.

SGGS page 392


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Sabdarath Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Amritsar, 1975

2. Randhir Singh, Bhai, Sant Pad Nirnai. Ludhiana, 1954


Above adapted from article By W. H. McLeod of Global Sikh Studies



Sant: Saint

'TOUCH-NOTHING SAINT’ EMANCIPATES EVERY ONE and IS :--

SPRITUALY.

1. VISIONARY,...................loves TRUTH’s Blessed Vision

2. TRUTHFUL,.....................does not touch falsehood;

3. CHOSEN ONE,..............loves Saints’ company,


POLITICALLY.

4. BOLD & SPOTLESS,.........renounces corruption,

5. IMPREGNABLE,.............does not listen to slander

6. INTROSPECTOR,............ banishes evil desires from mind,


SOCIALLY.

7. HUMILE,.................. deems himself to be the worst of all,

8. POISED,...................is free of the five sinful passions

9. MONOTHIST................ does not lusfully even gaze upon others' wives,

10. GENTLEMAN.................has conquered his misdirected sexual instincts

.........................................................SGGS (Page No 274)


PERSONALLY

11. EARLY RISER,..............gets up before 4th qtr of night.

12. INTROSPECTOR,.............Endlessly Teaches his ownself alone.

13. WISE,.....................rembers & lives by TRUTH’s commandments

14. SOLDIERLY,................charges on to day’s business early

15. AWARE & ALERT,............Sings & Shares 'TRUE IDEAs' through the day

16. FOLLOWS TRUE IDEAS,.......remembers & executes guru’s teachings


Note:- THESE WORDS OF TRUTH ARE BESTOWED UPON THOSE CONSIDERED WORTHY BY TRUTH. NANAK BEGS FOR THE FREGRANCE OFF THE FEET OF ONE WHO is a :-


17. PLANNER,..................trains & inspires himself

18. MORALE BOOSTER,...........trains &inspires others

19. WORKS FOR TRUTH...........dedicates all this & every moment of the day to no one, but TRUTH

.......................................................... SGGS (Page No 305)


A Sant or Saint is a person who is enlightened by God and has a full understanding of the way to salvation and liberation. This person is spiritually evolved and can give the masses the first-hand knowledge of all the way to obtaining peace and tranquillity in this world and the next.

Quotations from SGGS

  • The body-village is filled to overflowing with anger and sexual desire; these were broken into bits when I met with the Holy Saint. By pre-ordained destiny, I have met with the Guru. I have entered into the realm of the Lord’s Love. ||1|| Greet the Holy Saint with your palms pressed together; this is an act of great merit. Bow down before Him; this is a virtuous action indeed. ||1||Pause|| SGGS Page 13


  • By great good fortune, the Lord has led me to meet His Saint. The Perfect Guru has placed the Sublime Essence of the Lord into my mouth. The unfortunate ones do not find the True Guru; the self-willed manmukhs continually endure reincarnation through the womb. ||3|| SGGS Page 95
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