Panth (also panthan, meaning "path" in Sanskrit), also called the
Sampradaya
''Sampradaya'' (/ səmpɾəd̪ɑjə/,; ), in Indian-origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and transmissi ...
, is the term used for several religious traditions in India. A panth is founded by a
guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
or an
acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings i ...
in
guru-shishya parampara, and is often led by scholars or senior practitioners of the tradition.
List of prominent Panths
Some of the major panths in India are:
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(
Sikh
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
)
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Sahaja Panth (
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
)
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Kabir Panth
Kabir Panth () is a Sant Mat denomination and philosophy based on the teachings of the 15th century saint and poet, Kabir. It is based on devotion to him as one guru as a means to salvation. The adherents of Kabir Panth are from many religi ...
(Part of the
Sant Mat
Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following '' sants'' and their tea ...
)
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Dadu Panth (Part of the Sant Mat)
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Tera Panth (
Jain)
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Digambara Terapanth
Digambara Terapanth is one of the sects of Digambara Jainism, the other being the ''Bispanthi'' sect. It formed out of strong opposition to the religious domination of traditional religious leaders called ''bhattarakas'' during the 12th-16th ...
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Śvetāmbara Terapanth
Śvetāmbara Terapanth (तेरापंथ धर्मसंघ) is a sect of the Śvetāmbara, Śvetāmbara Jainism that was founded by Acharya Bhikshu (Jain Monk), Acharya Bhikshu in Vikram Samvat 1817. Acharya Bhikshu believed in strict ad ...
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Taran Panth
The Taran Panth, also known as Taran Svami Panth, Taran Samaj or Taranapanthi, is a sect of Digambara Jainism founded by Taran Svami in Bundelkhand in central India in c. 1505 CE.
Taran Svami
Taran Svami was a Jain religious teacher and fou ...
(Jain)
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Nath Panth (Hindu)
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Varkari Panth (Hindu)
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Mahanubhav Panth (Hindu)
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Sat Panth (
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
,
Shia
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
,
Islamic
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
)
#
Ravidas Panth (Independent religion)
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Satnampanth
Satnampanth, also called Satnami Samaj, Satnami movement, or Sadhanpanth, is the Satnami sect founded by Ghasidas in 1820. It is one of several Indian sects called ''Satnami'', the earliest being one founded by Bir Bhan of the Narnaul district in ...
See also
*
Indian-origin religions
References
* Kabir and the Kabir Panth by G. H. Wescott, South Asia Books; (July 1, 1986)
* The Bijak of Kabir by Linda Hess and Shukdev Singh, Oxford University Press, 2002
* One Hundred Poems of Kabir: Translated by Rabindranath Tagore. Assisted by Evelin Underhill, Adamant Media Corporation, 2005
* Crossing the Threshold: Understanding Religious Identities in South Asia by Dominique Sila-Khan, I. B. Tauris in Association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies; (November 4, 2004)
References
{{Islam topics
Indian religions
Sanskrit words and phrases