Sattva
In Vedic philosophy, sattva (Sanskrit sattva / सत्त्व "purity", literally "existence, reality"; adjectival sāttvika "pure", anglicised sattvic) is the most rarefied of the three gunas in Samkhya, sāttvika "pure", rājasika "excitable", and tāmasika "indifferent". Importantly, no value judgement is entailed as all guna are indivisible and mutually qualifying.
Sattvic objects
For an object or food to be sattvic, it must be uncontaminated and should not spread evil or disease in the world. On the contrary its presence must purify the surroundings. Thus when an individual consumes such a food, he must feel that he is eating pure food. The food should be healthy, nutritious and clean. It should also not weaken the power or equilibrium of mind. This idea disallows aphrodisiac or other drugs and intoxicants that can affect the mind in such a way. It also disallows food or objects obtained after killing or causing pain to a creature. This is because the object would then have source in an evil act. It also excludes stale and pungent-smelling food.
Some objects that are considered sattvic are:
- Flowers, fruits, and food that are allowed as offerings to God
- Neem tree
- The milk of a cow which has grown in good surroundings, is healthy and has been obtained after the calf of the cow has been fed well. In cases when the cow has been ill treated, it becomes sinful or evil to drink such milk (Note that the cow is sacred in Hinduism)
- Nature has always had a connotation with being sattvic. Because of this, Hindu philosophy does not encourage the eating of animals, or the destruction of nature and its habitats.
Sattva is a state of mind in which the mind is steady, calm and peaceful. A sattvic man or woman works with no attachment to the result. Other's disagree. Citing the Bhagavad Gita, all three gunas (satvas, rajas, tamas) are chains, be they of gold, silver or steel. Thus working without attachment requires rising above all three gunas, including the sattvic guna.
Sattvic beings
A person or being can be called sattvic if they have predominantly sattvic tendencies. The name "sattvik" implies one who is divine, pure, and spiritual.
Sattvic individuals always work for the welfare of their Future, they are sattvic because they think about the consequences of their actions. They work hard to evolve their spirit to a soul. They are disciplined through logic and continuously working at being more natural and normal. They effortlessly increase their intelligence by being more in tune with nature and the Pure Principles of the Multiverse. They live life enlightened by the fact of death and afterlife, so their lives are a preparation for that . A sattvic individual can be recognized if their mind, speech and actions synchronize: manasa, vacha, karmana are the three Sanskrit words used to describe such a state.
Some of the people considered by Hindus to be sattvic are:
- Holy men and bhaktas like Tulsidas, Tyagaraja, Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram
- Ancient rishis like Vashishta, Kashyapa
- Avatars of Vishnu that manifest here
- Divine beings in the heavens
- Some flora and fauna like lotus (symbolizes purity), cow (symbolizes the earth mother)