mahant
religion
Quick Summary
A mahant is a religious superior or elder, primarily in India. The term originates from Sanskrit and Prakrit words meaning "great".1
In Hinduism, there's a distinction between sacerdotal (priestly) roles and monastic roles. While a Brahman caste male can perform Vedic rituals, a monk, even from a Brahman family, cannot perform sacerdotal services after monastic ordination. Monastic ordination cancels sacerdotal status, as monks withdraw from worldly concerns, unlike priests who focus on societal well-being.2
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