A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

165 Sarasvatï
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
aesthetics.
of Hindu
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 successful
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 RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA’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 development.
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 alongside
that of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
and Swami Vivekänanda. In 1954 the
Ÿäradä Maflha was founded as independent
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 RÄMÄNUJA is
the Ÿaraæagatigadya, which extolls the
salvific effects of this practice. Madhva
wanted his followers to demonstrate
this self-surrender outwardly by branding
their bodies with the symbols of
Vi•æu. (See also PRAPATTI.)
Sarasvatï (1)
The wife of BRAHMÄ, goddess of speech
and learning, inventor of the Sanskrit