Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

sant (2)

Specific name for a group of late

medieval religious poets and teachers,

belonging to various denominations,

Hindus (e.g. Tulsïdäs), Sikhs (e.g. Gurü

Nänak), and Muslims (e.g. Kabïr),

usually from the lower strata of society,

but widely influential on account of the

appeal of their teachings.

sant sädhana

The teaching of the SANTS(2), focusing

on the practice of the divine name

(näma), devotion to the divine guru

(satguru) and the company of fellow

devotees (satsaög).

Ÿäntä

The daughter of Daÿaratha, she was

adopted by Lomapäda, and married to

ØÆYAŸØ¢GA.

ÿänta (‘tranquillity’)

One of the eight RASAS of Hindu

aesthetics.

ÿänti (‘peace’)

Often exclaimed (three times) at the end

of recitiations of religious texts as a

kind of blessing.

saæto•a (‘contentment’)

One of the Hindu virtues, listed in the

Yogasütras as generating inner peace

and happiness, a precondition for suc-

cessful meditation.

saptar•i

The seven great ØÆIS(sages): the names

are not the same in all the references.

Saptaÿatï (‘seven hundred [verses]’)

A name of the Devïmähätmya, which

consists of seven hundred ŸLOKAS

(couplets).

Saptasindhu, also

Saptasindhava

(‘the seven rivers’)

These are frequently mentioned in the

Vedas. Their names are: Gaögä,

Yamunä, Sarasvatï, Ÿutudri, Paru•æi,

Marudvødhä, Ärjïkïyä. Not all are

clearly identifiable today.

Säradä Devï (1853–1920)

As RAMAKRISHNAPARAMAHAMSA’s wife

and, after his death, his successor as

‘The Holy Mother’ she had great

influence on the formation of the

Ramakrishna Mission. Ramakrishna

never consummated the marriage with

Säradä Devï, worshipping her instead as

Ÿakti incarnate. Her own vision of Kälï

set off her personal spiritual develop-

ment. As long as Ramakrishna was alive

she took care of his material needs,

especially cooking his food. After his

death she grew into the role of the ‘Holy

Mother’. Her picture is found in all

Ramakrishna Mission temples along-

side that of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

and Swami Vivekänanda. In 1954 the

Ÿäradä Maflha was founded as indepen-

dent monastic institution for women

alongside the Ramakrishna Mission,

which has only male monastics.

ÿaraæä-gati

(‘taking refuge [in the Lord]’)

The highest act of devotion in

VAIÆŒAVISM, the last formal step in the

process of becoming a bhakta(devotee).

One of the last works of RÄMÄNUJAis

the Ÿaraæagatigadya, which extolls the

salvific effects of this practice. Madhva

wanted his followers to demonstrate

this self-surrender outwardly by brand-

ing their bodies with the symbols of

Vi•æu. (See alsoPRAPATTI.)

Sarasvatï (1)

The wife of BRAHMÄ, goddess of speech

and learning, inventor of the Sanskrit

165 Sarasvatï

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