Theologically, the teachings are distinguished by inward, loving devotion by the individual soul (atma) to the Divine Principal God (Parmatma).
[6] The poet-sants expressed their teaching in vernacular verse, addressing themselves to the common folk in oral style in Hindi and other dialects and other languages such as Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi.
Some of the more notable sants include Namdev (d. 1350), Kabir (d. 1518), Nanak (d. 1539), Mira Bai (d. 1545), Surdas (d. 1573), Dadu Dayal (d. 1603), Tulsidas (d. 1623), and Tukaram (d. 1650).
Bhajans (devotional songs) attributed to past sants such as Mira Bai are widely listened to in India and in Hindu communities around the world.
The most notable being Baba Jaigurudev Satsang, situated in Ujjain Madhya Pradesh, whose current Living Master is Param Sant Baba Umakant Ji Maharaj, and Radhasoami Satsang Beas, situated on the banks of the river Beas, whose current Living Master is Baba Gurinder Singh and Radhasoami Satsang Dayalbagh (Agra), situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, whose current Living Master is Param Guru Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi Sahab.
According to Mark Juergensmeyer, that claim is also made by the Kabir-panthis, the Satpanthis, the Sikhs and other movements that continue to find the insights from the Sant tradition valid today.
[12] Prem Rawat and the Divine Light Mission (Elan Vital) are considered to be part of the Sant Mat tradition by J. Gordon Melton, Lucy DuPertuis, and Vishal Mangalwadi, but that characterization is disputed by Ron Geaves.