Within the Sant Mat stream, certain figures stand out whose writings have come to embody the inner path of light and sound. Among these, Kabir is often regarded as especially pivotal: his dohas and shabads, preserved in collections such as the *Kabir Bijak* and related anthologies, speak repeatedly of the inner Naam or Word and of a formless, transcendent Reality beyond ritual and sectarian boundaries. His verses offer a radical interiorization of spiritual practice, turning the seeker away from outer observances toward the direct experience of the divine presence within.

Closely allied to this current are the hymns of Guru Nanak and the Sikh Gurus, enshrined in the *Guru Granth Sahib*. These compositions emphasize the Shabd or inner Sound Current, the remembrance of Naam, and the journey of consciousness through subtle inner realms under the guidance of the Guru. The writings of other early sants, such as Dadu Dayal and Ravidas, also contribute significantly to this shared heritage, stressing devotion to the formless One and the primacy of inner realization over external forms.

In a later period, Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras gives a more systematic expression to these themes. His works, including the *Ghat Ramayan* and *Ratan Sagar*, articulate in detail the discipline of Surat Shabd Yoga, the union of the soul with the inner Sound, and thus serve as a bridge between the older bhakti sants and the more explicitly articulated Sant Mat lineages that follow. Tulsi Sahib’s writings gather and organize earlier insights into a coherent map of the inner ascent.

Building upon this foundation, Soami Shiv Dayal Singh (Soami Ji Maharaj) codifies many of these principles for the modern era of the path. His *Sar Bachan*, in both prose and poetry, sets forth the doctrines of the inner light and sound, the role of the living Satguru, and the stages of spiritual ascent in a clear and systematic fashion. Together, the writings of Kabir, the Sikh Gurus, Dadu Dayal, Ravidas, Tulsi Sahib, and Soami Ji Maharaj form a continuous thread, offering seekers a textual and experiential lineage that consistently points back to the same inner reality of Shabd and divine light.