Asant (Sanskrit:सन्त्;IAST:Sant;[sɐn̪t̪]) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal level of "self, truth, [and] reality" inIndian religions, particularlyHinduism,Jainism,Sikhism, andBuddhism.[1][2] InSikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union withGod.[3]
"Sant" is sometimes translated as "saint", but this is afalse cognate (there is noetymological commonality) as "sant" is derived from theSanskrit rootsat,[4] which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin wordsanctus, which means "holy, sacred",[1] derived fromIndo-European rootsak-, "to sanctify".[5]
Schomer and McLeod explainsant as preceptor ofSat 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 ofsant is "truth-exemplar".[1]
Sant differs fromsaint 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 theBhakti movement inHinduism.
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 aSant Mat (teachings of a spiritual congregation).
The term is also used in a generic sense and in this respect is similar to the usage ofsaint to indicate a morally good person. As such, it has been applied to a wide range ofgurus (not to be confused withSikh gurus) and other religious leaders.
In Sikhism, asant,brahmgiani, orbhagat 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/Naam Simran). Sikhs commonly utilizereality 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 asKabir,Ravidas,Namdev,Farid,Bhikkan and others are known assants orbhagats, despite some being ofIslam orHindu faith. Divine knowledge is universal, and their knowledge after obtaining enlightenment throughNaam Simran has been compiled and included in the holy book of Sikhism, theSri Guru Granth Sahib.
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 ofsants (Sadh-Sangat), learn from them, and attain "santhood" through intensive reading and contemplation of Sikh scripture (gurbani) andNaam Simran.
The virtuous life associated with asant or abrahmgyani (one who has a perfect knowledge of God) is strenuously defined in Sikhgurbani, most notably in theSukhmani Sahib passage of theSri Guru Granth Sahib. 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.[9][3]
InHinduism, a Sant has an important place in the life of a devotee. Hinduscriptures also tell the importance of a sant.[10] According to theHindu 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]
^abKhalsa, Sant Singh (2007).Sri Guru Granth Sahib: English Translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Arizona: Hand Made Books (Mandeep Singh). pp. 12–263.
