Divine Light and Melodies Lead the Way: The Santmat Tradition of Bihar
Religions March 28, 2019 Veena R. Howard
The Santmat tradition of Bihar, largely unstudied by scholars, synthesizes Vedic, rural Hindu, and esoteric elements drawn from medieval Sant poetry. Maharishi Mehi, a twentieth-century Sant, defines the tradition's goal as śānti—a state of deep stillness, equilibrium, and unity with the Divine, equally available to all people regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or status. He outlines a systematic path involving moral observances and detailed esoteric practices, including divine light (dṛṣti yoga) and sound (surat śabda yoga) meditation. This paper examines four structural principles—Guru, dhyān, satsaṅg, and sadācār—showing how they reorient practitioners from the mundane world toward the sacred inner experience of śānti.