sattva

American  

[suht-vuh] / ˈsʌt və /

noun

Hinduism.

1. (in Sankhya and Vedantic philosophy) goodness or purity, one of the three fundamental qualities of matter said to be present in everything at varying levels.

---

Etymology

Origin of sattva

First recorded in 1780–90; from Sanskrit: “entity, essence, reality,” from sát “being, existing, living” ( see also sooth ( def. )) + -tva, abstract noun suffix ( see also -tude ( def. ))

Example Sentences

The individual aha@mkâras and senses are related to the individual buddhis by the developing sattva determinations from which they had come into being.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

Thus in the phenomenal product whatever energy there is is due to the element of rajas and rajas alone; all matter, resistance, stability, is due to tamas, and all conscious manifestation to sattva.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

Rajas and tamas represent the bad states of the mind and sattva the good ones.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

It also describes sattva as being light and illuminating, rajas as of the nature of energy and causing motion, and tamas as heavy and obstructing.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

Thus Îs'vara is believed to possess a mind of pure sattva alone.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath