A sant (; IAST: ; ) is a human being revered as a "truth-exemplar" for their abnormal of "self, truth, [and] reality" in Indic religions, particularly Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. In Sikhism it is used to describe a being who has attained spiritual enlightenment and divine knowledge and power through union with God. Etymology "Sant" is sometimes translated as "saint", but this is a false cognate (there is no etymological commonality) as "sant" is derived from the Sanskrit root sat, which can mean "truth, reality, essence", while "saint" is derived from the Latin word , which means "holy, sacred", derived from Indo-European root sak-, "to sanctify". Schomer and McLeod explain sant as preceptor of Sat 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". William Pinch suggests the best translation of sant is "truth-exemplar". Usage Sant differs from saint not merely in the etymological sense but also in usage. The word is used in various contexts: 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 the Bhakti movement in Hinduism. 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 a Sant Mat (teachings of a spiritual congregation). The term is also used in a generic sense and in this respect is similar to the usage of saint to indicate a morally good person. As such, it has been applied to a wide range of gurus (not to be confused with Sikh gurus) and other religious leaders. Sikhism In Sikhism, a sant, brahmgiani, or bhagat 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 utilize reality 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 as Kabir, Ravidas, Namdev, Farid, Bhikkan and others are known as sants or bhagats, despite some being of