When I reflect on the English word "sage" it seems to me that it must come from two different roots, of which one is to be found in Sanskrit, namely "swaga", and the other in Persian, "sara" or "saga." The first root means "heaven", which suggests that the one who tries to become a sage is trying to attain heaven or to become it himself. The other root suggests that a sage is a person who wishes to construct something, one who is constructive. But, of course, there is no such word as "sage" in any Eastern language, though they possess a similar word, "sant", which has the same meaning as "saint." Then there is the word "sadhana", which means "mastery"; and a Sadhu is one who masters life.