SANT
The term Sant has its root in Sanskrit word ‘Sanyat’ which means disciplined, forbearing, continent, peaceful,one who has control over sexual organs. Sant has nothing to do with English word ‘saint’. Saint in English has been derived from Latin word ‘sanctus’, which means to sanctify. In Christianity it means to elevate someone to God-like stature. In Pali ‘sant’ means: exhausted as well as truthful person.
In Guru Granth Sahib ‘sant’ word has been used for 1. Those who meditate upon the Name of God (Gurmukhs) 2. Guru Sahib 3. God. In Guru Granth Sahib, the priestly type people have been condemned as thugs, fake, imposters etc.
In Indian context, there has also been a ‘Sant Samparda’ among the Bhagats. This school emphasized monotheism and devotion of God but not through ‘Awtaars’ (the so-called divine incarnations).
Christianity too has an institution of saintdom.
In the Sikhism, there is no concept of human ‘sant’ as someone in between God and man. But, nowadays, several phony religious chiefs call themselves or are addressed as ‘sant’ or ‘baba’; but none of them deserves to be called so. They seem to be more of Mafia/cult/gang type leaders than being spiritual. These parasites are, strictly speaking, more dangerous to the institution of religion than even atheists/agnostics. It is a tragedy of the Sikh nation that there are more such (so-called) sants than even missionaries, and, illiterate and ignorant people respect them (the so-called sants) more than Guru Granth Sahib. Those missionaries, who live and preach the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib and bring people in the refuge of Guru Granth Sahib, are real saintly persons (but not saint).
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)