Satvika, Sātvika: 12 definitions

Introduction:

Satvika means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

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In Hinduism

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Source: archive.org: Illustrations of Indian Music and Dance in Western Indian Style

Sātvika (सात्विक) refers to one of the forty-seven tānas (tone) used in Indian music.—The illustration of Sātvika (as a deity) according to 15th-century Indian art is as follows.—The colour of his body is yellow. His face is similar to the face of a cuckoo. His right hand is in Pravacana-Mudrā, and a viṇā is in his left hand.

The illustrations (of, for example Sātvika) are found scattered throughout ancient Jain manuscripts from Gujarat. The descriptions of these illustrations of this citrāvalī are based on the ślokas of Vācanācārya Gaṇi Sudhākalaśa’s Saṅgītopaniṣatsāroddhāra (14th century) and Śārṅgadeva’s Saṅgītaratnākara (13th century).

Shilpashastra book cover
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Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

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Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: archive.org: Illustrations of Indian Music and Dance in Western Indian Style (natya)

Sātvika (सात्विक) or sātvikābhinaya refers to the first of four categories of abhinaya (histrionic representation). Sātvika expresses the understanding and interpretation of various state in relation to sentiment. Abhinaya is the imitation of the thing seen by self or is an expression of sentiment experienced by oneself.

Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (natya)

Sātvika (सात्विक) or Sātvikābhinaya refers to one of the four divisions of Abhinaya or “ways to convey or represent one’s emotion to others” (in Sanskrit Drama), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—Abhinaya (“acting”) is of four varieties, according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa. The last variety is called sātvika-abhinaya that deals with the feelings, emotions and expressions, conveyed by the actors. Flow of tears, horripilation, sweating, throbbing of heart and faultering speech come under the sātvika-abhinaya. It is important to note here that in the Nāṭyaśāstra the word bhāvabyañjaka is used for the sātvika-abhinaya. When the inner ideas of a dramatist are expressed by means of words, gestures, facial expressions and the representation of sattva, those are called bhāvas. In the Abhinavabhārati commentary, the word bhāva and sattva are established by Abhinavagupta in a similar sense through the term cittavṛtti i.e., the state of mind or feeling.

Natyashastra book cover
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Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Sātvika (सात्विक).—A brahmin, who was turned into a Rākṣasa due to a curse after he had entered heaven. His story has been told by sage Śaunaka to Bharata, brother of Śrī Rāma.

It was Bharata, who led the yājñic horse towards the north in connection with the Aśvamedha yajña performed by Śrī Rāma after he was crowned King. The horse, which started on its journey from Ayodhyā reached, after six months, Hemakūṭa on the limits of India. As soon as it got into a beautiful garden it was rendered stationary as though paralysed. All attempts to make the horse move failed. Śatrughna and some soldiers tried to lift the horse by its legs, to no purpose. Hanūmān bound its legs with his tail and pulled, again to no purpose, and surprised at this failure of his he spoke to Śatrughna and others thus. "It was only just now that I pulled out with my tail the Droṇa mountain so very easily; but this small horse does not stir at all. May be, it is all fate." Following Hanūmān’s speech, Śatrughna asked Sumālī the explanation for this state of the matter, but the latter could not find one for it. Then it was decided to find out a maharṣi and ask him for the explanation. The soldiers accompanied by Bharata went in search of a maharṣi, reached Śaunaka’s āśrama and submitted the case to him. (See full article at Story of Sātvika from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Sātvika (सात्विक) refers to a desirable characteristic of a ‘true practicioner’, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “(A true practitioner) is a hero (vīra) who exerts himself and is courageous. He is content, devoted to the teacher, not greedy, compassionate, industrious, self-controlled, of good appearance, sāttvika, deep, all his limbs are intact (and) active, he knows (true) devotion and the scriptures and crosses over into (higher) realities. He is devoted to the transmission which is free of thought (nirvikalpakrama), he eats what he has begged and is desireless. [...]”.

Shaktism book cover
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Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Sātvika (सात्विक) refers to “(one who is) full of sattva”, according to the Kiraṇatantra chapter 49 (dealing with vratacaryā).—Accordingly, “Garuḍa spoke: ‘You have taught me, O great Lord, the activities of the Neophyte, the Putraka and the Ācārya. Tell me those of the Sādhaka’. The Lord spoke: ‘The excellent Sādhaka [should be] full of sattva (sātvika), firm, capable of endurance, his mind fixed on [his] mantra, unassailable, of great wisdom, looking impartially on mud, stones and gold engaged, regular in [the performance of] oblations, always devoted to recitation and meditation, dexterous in the dispelling of obstacles, firm in [the practice of his] religious observance, calm, pure. [...]’”.

Shaivism book cover
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Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

sātvika (सात्विक).—a (S) Relating to satvaguṇa q. v.--Pure, honest, true, sincere, good, gentle, benevolent, amiable &c.: also mild, salutiferous, sanative &c.;--as articles of provision or medicine, actions and other points of regimen. 2 That has cream, pith, sap, solid substance; or that has vigor, virtue, spirit, strength, efficacy, active quality. 3 Real, existent, that has entity or real being. 4 That belongs or relates to the Satwika bhava. 5 as s m (bhāva being understood) One of the Bhavas or classes into which (in poetry and the drama) the affections of the mind, or the acts and movements expressing them, are distinguished. This class holds the middle place between the Sthayi and the Wyabhichari bhavas; and consists of those affections or emotions which are viewed as natural, spontaneous, honest, unconstrained, unfeigned &c., and of which the indication or expression lies especially in eight acts or external and corporeal affections; viz. Inability to move whilst the faculties or limbs are unaffected, perspiration, horripilation, inarticulate speech, trembling or tremor, change of color, shedding of tears, and loss of sense, through mental absorption, to every object but that which is the seat of the absorption. See vyabhicāribhāva, sthāyibhāva, & aṣṭabhāva.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

sātvika (सात्विक).—a Pure, honest. That has cream. Real.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sātvika (सात्विक).—mfn.

(-kaḥ-kī-kaṃ) 1. Spontaneous, sincere, (as applied to the actions or signs of the Satwika-Bhava.) 2. Relating to or proceeding from the Satwa quality; honest, true, good, gentle, amiable, &c. m.

(-kaḥ) 1. Brahmana. 2. One of the Bhavas or classes into which the affections of the mind or their expression, are distinguished, in poetry and the drama: this class holds a middle place between the Sthayi, and Vyabhichari-Bhavas, and implies the honest and spontaneous indication of strong feeling, as evinced especially in eight acts, viz:—inability to move whilst the faculties or limbs are unaffected, perspiration, horripilation, inarticulate speech, trembling or tremor, change of colour, tears, and mental absorption or indifference, approaching to loss of sense, to every object but one which engrosses the attention. f. (-kī) Durga. E. satva the Satwa-Guna or quality, and ṭhañ aff.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sātvika (सात्विक):—etc. See sāttvika, [column]1.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Sātvika (सात्विक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. Brahmā; quality of the mind indicating strong but honourable feelings. f. (ī) Durgā. a. Spontaneous; sincere; gentle.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Sātvika (ಸಾತ್ವಿಕ):—[adjective] = ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕ [sattvika]1.

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Sātvika (ಸಾತ್ವಿಕ):—[noun] = ಸಾತ್ತ್ವಿಕ [sattvika]2.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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