Our country is known for its saints and philosophical values, that have been transforming making and has been helping people to be a better version of themselves. Many different saints have emerged in our country in different time periods in the country. Many people have followed their ideologies and have become their keen disciples. Here are the top ten famous saints of all times from India.
1. Ramanuja:
Ramanuja is known as one of the earliest saints belonging to the Bhakti movement, and is also one of the greatest successors of his guru Yamunamuni. He has travelled all over the country and settled down in the small city of Srirangam in Tamilnadu. He has established Vaishnavism on a solid foundation. He has also known to have founded the Visistadvaita Siddhanta. He believes that the only way to salvation is through the principles of Karma, Gyan and Bhakti. He has also written the Sribasya, Gitbhasya.
2. Chaitanya:
Chaitanya was one of the most revered saints of the Bhakti movement. He was born in Nawadwip, Bengal, and was previously known as Vishwambhar Mishra. He is one of the foremost saints who was responsible for the expansion of Vaishnavism in Bengal and rose to prominence through his Kirtans. He was also recognized for founding the Bengal School of Theology and preaching the religion of passionate faith, which is associated with Hari. He died at Puri, where he had made his permanent home, and his followers systematized his teachings after his death, as well as writing his biography, Chaitanya Charitamrita.
3. Tulsidas:
Tulsidas was a Vaishnava saint and poet who entirely committed himself to the Lord Rama. He is well-known for his Sanskrit writings, the most notable of which is Hanuman Chalisa. Tulsidas spent most of his life in the towns of Banaras and Ayodhya. He established the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Varanasi, which is considered to be the site where he first encountered the deity. Tulsidas established the Ramlila Plays, a folk theatre adaptation of the Ramayana. He is regarded as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature. Tulsidas and his works had a far-reaching impact on Indian art, culture, and society, as evidenced by the vernacular language used today.
4. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa:
Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa was born on February 18, 1836, in the little village of Kamarpukur, many miles from Kolkata, to a poor Brahmin family. His boyhood name, Gadadhar, was popular among the peasantry. He is widely considered the best saint of the nineteenth century. He was a master mystic and a true yogi. He worshiped the goddess Kali and saw himself as a modern-day avatar of Lord Vishnu, but he never said so.
5. Mahavira:
Mahavira founded Jainism and was the 24th Tirthankara or the supreme teacher. He was the spiritual heir of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early sixth century BCE to a royal Jain family from ancient India. His parents’ names were Trishala and Siddhartha. They were lay devotees of Parshvanatha. At the age of about 30, Mahavira gave up all worldly possessions and left home in search of spiritual awakening, eventually becoming an ascetic. For twelve and a half years, Mahavira practiced deep meditation and rigorous austerities before attaining Kevala Jnana or omniscience.
6. Guru Gobind Singh:
Guru Gobind Singh was the ninth and final Sikh guru. He was a poet, warrior, and philosopher. After Emperor Aurangzeb executed his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, he was formally installed as Sikh leader in 1675, at the age of nine. Among his notable contributions to Sikhism were the founding of the Sikh warrior force known as Khalsa in 1699 and the introduction of the Five Ks, the five articles of faith worn by Khalsa Sikhs at all times.
7. Guru Nanak:
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first guru of Sikhism, which is indeed considered to be a monotheistic religion, having both Muslim and Hindu roots. His teachings are reflected in his devotional hymns, and many of these hymns still exist. He emphasized on deliverance from reincarnation by meditation on the divine name. He is a revered guru among the modern Sikhs, as the inventor and the greatest master of the Punjabi devotional hymnody.
8. Kabir:
Kabir Das was born near Benaras and he lived an ordinary life of a householder. Being a Ramananda follower, his purpose was to spread the religion of love, and would help to unify people of all castes and creeds. He highlighted on the unity of God, whom he is referred to by different names such as Rama, Hari and Allah. He also criticized the caste system and the practice of untouchability. He emphasized on individual improvement, under the tutelage of his spiritual guru. All of his Dohas and Sakhi poems are preserved in the Bijak.
9. Meerabai:
Meerabai, a 16th-century saint, poet, and Lord Krishna follower, was born in Kudki, Rajasthan, in 1498 to a noble Rajput family. She was deeply dedicated to Krishna from an early age and regarded him to be her eternal husband. Despite her marriage to Bhoj Raj, Mewar’s crown prince, Meerabai’s persistent devotion to Krishna distinguished her. Meerabai abandoned her regal life after her husband died and traveled around India, visiting spiritual sites such as Vrindavan and Dwarka. Meerabai’s songs of spiritual longing and surrender remain a vital component of the Bhakti movement, inspiring devotion and love for God across generations.
10. Swami Vivekananda:
Swami Vivekananda was a well-known Indian spiritual leader, philosopher, and social reformer who helped introduce Indian philosophy to the West. Born Narendranath Datta in Kolkata, he was heavily affected by his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who instilled in him the values of spiritual unity and service to humanity. In 1897, he launched the Ramakrishna Mission, which focuses on selfless service, education, and spiritual enlightenment.
Our country has seen a number of saints apart from those given in this list, who have contributed to the indigenous history and exceptional teachings to the mankind. All these saints preach on humanity and their postulates contribute to the society’s betterment.
