There is no formal
canonization process in
Hinduism, but over time many men and women have reached the status of
saints among their followers and among Hindus in general. Hindu saints have often renounced the world, and are variously called
gurus,
sadhus,
rishis,
swamis,
muni,
yogis,
yoginis and other names.[1]
Many people conflate the terms "saint" and "sant", because of their similar meanings. The term sant is a
Sanskrit word "which differs significantly from the
false cognate, 'saint'..." Traditionally, "sant" referred to devotional
Bhakti poet-saints of two groups:
Vaishnava and a group that is referred to as "
Saguna Bhakti".[2][3]
Some Hindu saints are given god-like status, being seen as
incarnations of
Vishnu,
Shiva, and other
aspects of God, sometimes many years after their deaths. This explains another common name for Hindu saints, "
godmen".[4]