ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SANT</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background:#EAF1F7 url('../images/gtbh.jpg') no-repeat fixed center; color: #0066CC} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SANT"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SANT, commonly translated as saint though not very exactly, for the English term, used in the adjectival sense &#8216saintly' for a person of great holiness, virtue or benevolence, has a formal connotation in the Western culture, is a modified form of <i>sat </i> meaning lasting, real, wise and venerable. <i>Sat </i> or <i>Satya </i> has been used since the Vedic times for the Ever-existent, Unchanging Reality or the Self-existent, Universal Spirit, Brahman or God. The term <i>sant </i> came into vogue much later. The word occurs frequently in the ancient P&#257l&#299 literature of Buddhism in the sense of tranquil, true or wise. From P&#257l&#299 it was resuscitated during the middle ages when Bhakti movement took its birth. The epithet <i>sant</i> was usually added to the names of the Vai&#7779&#7751ava <i>bhaktas</i> of Mah&#257r&#257sh&#7789ra belonging to Vi&#7789&#7789hal or V&#257rkar&#299 school such as Jñ&#257ndev, N&#257mdev, Ekn&#257th and Tuk&#257r&#257m. According to R.D.Ranade, <i>Mysticism in Maharashtra</i>, "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 <i>santas</i> par excellence." Within the Bhakti movement there is a distinct Sant tradition clearly distinguishable from South Indian &#346aiva <i>bhakti</i> and the Vai&#7779&#7751ava 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 <i>bhaktas</i>, they valued love-relationship between the individual and the deity, but their deity, although usually given Vai&#7779&#7751ava names, is the Absolute Reality, Unborn, Formless, All-pervading, Self-existent, <i>nirgu&#7751a</i> (without attributes) God, who makes Himself manifest in the Name (<i>n&#257m</i>) which may be uttered or meditated upon. Nirgu&#7751&#299 <i>bhaktas</i> refute <i>avat&#257rv&#257da</i> or incarnation, but they believe that the <i>sant</i>, through living a life of piety and practising <i>n&#257m</i>, can attain final release.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through Bhakti the term passed into the Sikh tradition. In the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib there is frequent mention of the status and significance of the <i>sant</i>, a holy man who represents the salt of the earth and the hope of mankind. Gur&#363 Arjan defines a <i>sant</i> thus : <i>jin&#257 s&#257si gir&#257si na visrai harin&#257m&#257&#7749 mani mantu/ dhannu si se&#299 n&#257nak&#257 p&#363ranu so&#299 santu</i>-- 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 N&#257nak! They are the perfect <i>sants</i>" (GG,319). Gur&#363 Arjan in another hymn :</p> <blockquote class="C1"><p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All the twenty-four hours of day and night,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He knows God to be close to his heart,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And to His will he cheerfully submits.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name alone is the sustenance of the <i>sant</i>;</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A <i>sant</i> considers himself to be the dust of the feet of all.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This, brothers, is the <i>sants</i>' way of life,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Beyond my power is it to describe its excellence.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name alone is their occupation,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In blissful <i>k&#299rtan</i> do they find their peace.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Friend and foe are to them alike.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides their God they acknowledge not another.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Myriad sins can a <i>sant</i> erase,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He is the dispeller of sorrow and the bestower of life.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heroes true to their word are the <i>sants</i>,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even poor <i>m&#257y&#257</i> is by them beguiled.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gods themselves tong for their company;</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To have a sight of them is fulfilling in the extreme,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To be able to serve them a blessing.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;N&#257nak does with folded hands supplicate:</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grant me this favour, O Treasure of Merit,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;that to the service of the <i>sants</i> do I dedicate myself. </p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (GG,392)</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote></p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>&#346abd&#257rath Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib</i>. Amritsar, 1975<BR> <li class="C1"> Ra&#7751dh&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sant Pad Nir&#7751ai</i>. Ludhiana, 1954<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">W. H. McLeod<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>