Centre for Yoga Studies

The Art of Personal Sādhana

  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS
Skip to content
  • email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS
YOGA TEACHINGPersonal & Professional Study
YOGA JOURNALNews Views & Blog Posts
YOGA FREENOTESOnline Texts & Commentaries
  • WELCOME TO YOGA FREENOTES

    • Yoga Texts & Freenotes Overview
    • Saṃskṛta Indexed Word Glossary
    • Paul’s Contact Options
  • YOGA SŪTRA FREENOTES

    • Yoga Sūtra Freenotes Overview
    • Yoga Sūtra All Verses Online
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 1
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 2
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 3
    • – Yoga Sūtra – Chapter 4
    • Yoga Sūtra PDF Workbooks
    • Krishnamacharya’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Desikachar’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Paul’s Sūtra Quotes
    • Paul’s Sūtra Questions Collated
    • Paul’s Sūtra Key Words Collated
  • SĀṂKHYA KĀRIKĀ FREENOTES

    • Sāṃkhya Freenotes Overview
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā All Verses Online
    • Sāṃkhya Kārikā PDF Workbook
    • Desikachar’s Sāṃkhya Quotes
    • Paul’s Sāṃkhya Quotes
  • BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Bhagavad Gītā Freenotes Overview
    • Bhagavad Gītā Quotes Collated
    • Bhagavad Gītā All Verses Online
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 1-6
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 7-12
    • – Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 13-18
    • Bhagavad Gītā PDF Workbooks
    • Gītārtha Freenotes Overview
    • Gītārtha Quotes Collated
    • Gītārtha All Verses Online
    • Gītārtha PDF Workbook
  • UPANIṢAT TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Upaniṣat Texts Freenotes Overview
    • Upaniṣat Textual Quotes Collated
    • Upaniṣat Texts PDF Workbooks
  • HAṬHA YOGA TEXTS FREENOTES

    • Haṭha Yoga Freenotes Overview
    • Haṭha Pradīpikā All Verses Online
    • Yoga Rahasya Quotes Collated
    • Yoga Rahasya All Verses Online
  • ĀYURVEDA LIFESTYLE FREENOTES

    • Āyurveda Freenotes Overview
    • Āyurveda Collected Posts
  • WELCOME TO THE CENTRE FOR YOGA STUDIES

    sattva

    Devanāgarī: सत्त्व Translation: clarity; the quality of transparency or purity; luminous; honesty; the quality of goodness; material or elementary substance, entity, matter; nature, disposition of mind; being, existence, entity, reality Similar words:prasāda Opposite words:tamas, rajas Related concepts:guṇa, buddhi, prakṛti, abhyāsa

    Appears in

    Yoga Sūtra:

    Chapter 2: 41
    Chapter 3: 35 , 49 , 55

    Sāṃkhya Kārikā:

    13 , 23 , 25 , 54

    Bhagavad Gītā:

    Chapter 2: 45
    Chapter 17: 2


    Click here for complete Saṃskṛta Index

    Commentaries around

    “During such a moment, without distractions,
    the power of the source of perception,
    full of clarity and completeness, shines forth.”
    – T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3

    “From this state,
    a clarity of being,
    as seeing is from the
    source of perception.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3

    “Working together with and directed by past impressions,
    the three Guṇa, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas determine
    whether the mind is calm, agitated or dull.”
    – T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

    “Given the at all other times in this verse,
    we need to thwart the ploys of the mind to
    conform to its unhelpful fluctuations by reducing:
    1. The tendency of the mind to perceive in too many ways.
    2. The tendency of the mind to distort what we see.
    3. The tendency of the mind to fantasize.
    4. The tendency of the mind to go to sleep at inappropriate moments.
    5. The tendency of the mind to get lost in memory or impose memory on reality.
    When these old or other tendencies take over you are not there.
    So if you are not consistent with your efforts,
    you will not change your state of mind.
    Plus, the unhelpful aspects of the fluctuations reduce
    the tendency of the mind to experience a clarity of being.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

    “These five Kleśa surround the heart of every individual.
    They are related to the three Guṇa known as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
    As long as one chooses not to inquire into the true nature of one’s self and acts mechanically,
    they will unknowingly contribute to the dominance of the Kleśa.”
    – T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 3

    “Dhyānam is an activity of a mind
    dominated by Sattva linked to Ātma.
    So Ātma and Sattva required for Dhyānam to occur.”
    – T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

    “The mutual aim of Yoga and Sāṃkhya is to
    experience the more discerning aspects of the psyche,
    rather than just the more grasping aspects of the psyche.
    In the former, the tendency of the Buddhi to discern discriminately
    prevails over the tendency of Ahaṃkāra to grasp indiscriminately.
    In the latter, the tendency of the Ahaṃkāra to grasp indiscriminately
    prevails over the tendency of the Buddhi to discern discriminately.
    The former is a state known as Buddhi Sattva,
    where the clarity of discernment prevails over the
    indiscriminate grasping nature of the Ahaṃkāra.
    The latter is a state of Buddhi Tamas,
    where the discerning clarity of the Buddhi
    is obscured by the grasping nature of the Ahaṃkāra.
    Thus our Yoga Sādhana has but one primary Saṃkalpa,
    that of the reduction of the obscuration by Tamas in the Buddhi.
    This reduction of Tamas facilitates the advent of the clarity of Sattva,
    as in the metaphor of the reduction of the cloud facilitates the advent of the sun.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 49

    “Kaivalya is the outcome of the
    equality of Sattva and Puruṣa.
    The clarity of Sattva acquired
    through our efforts with Citta,
    coexisting with the eternal
    abiding awareness of Puruṣa.”
    – Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 55

    “The first Śloka sets the saga on the field of Dharma.
    Dharma is how we respond, whatever the situation,
    presuming we can sustain our view within the present.
    Karma is how we respond, having lost sight of our view,
    because it’s become obscured by the force of our memories.
    Then Karma is the force now driving us through our memories.
    So, Arjuna’s Dharma becomes obscured because of his Karma.”
    – Paul Harvey on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter One verse 1

    “In the Yoga Sūtra it is said that in the beginning of one’s Sādhana,
    clarity and confusion follow each other in cycles, like a wave form”
    – TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter One Page 9

    “We are always experiencing Duḥkha
    even though some of us might not be seeking clarity.”
    – TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Five Page 79

    “When there is clarity, there is silence.
    When there is intellectual clarity we are happy,
    we are pleased but this might not last.”
    – TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Six Page 90

    “The Yoga Sūtra says that as we practice Prāṇāyāma,
    more and more of the covering of the mind,
    Avidyā, is removed and there is clarity.”
    – TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Ten Page 137

    “Its the combination (of Guṇa) thats important.
    There is the simile of the oil lamp in the Sāṃkhya Kārikā Śloka 13.
    The cotton wick – Light Property (Sattva)
    The basin or bowl – Heavy Property (Tamas)
    The oil – Flows this way or that (Rajas)
    The moment you dip the cotton in the oil it takes on that property.
    Thus the Guṇa work together to produce the flame.”
    – TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

    “Lightness or Sattva is not always correct.
    Sometimes it is necessary to create
    heaviness and activity for memory, etc.”
    – TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

    “Clarity is the ability to see clearly three things and to understand them:
    the cause, the effect and that which knows both the cause and the effect.”
    – TKV Desikachar from unedited manuscript for ‘What are We Seeking?’.

    “Any technique that can help to pacify suffering is wonderful,
    but unfortunately only temporary.
    Any technique that will develop clarity is precious,
    since it contributes to resolving the cause of suffering .”
    – TKV Desikachar from unedited manuscript for ‘What are We Seeking?’.

    General Guidelines for Practice Planning:
    “Look to cultivate a quality of Sattva by
    diminishing Tamas and channelling Rajas.”
    – 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
    – The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

    Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
    “Furthermore, the consideration of movement
    or stasis sits within a relationship to the
    deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
    through the body and the breath, to the mind
    and beyond, through considerations such as:
    In relation to the fluctuations of the Guṇa.
    Ideally, dynamic work is a state of still movement,
    rather than a state of active movement, as in Rajas.
    Equally, static work is a state of bright stasis,
    rather than a state of dull stasis, as in Tamas.
    Thus, in relation to the Guṇa, the application
    of both movement and stasis in Āsana need to be
    appropriately supported by a quality of Sattva.
    As in a quality of stillness within dynamic work
    and a quality of brightness within static work.”
    – 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
    – The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

    Links to Related Posts:

    • T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
    • TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
    • Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra
    • Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords – Collected & Collated into Chapters
    • Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Questions – Collected & Collated into Chapters
    • Yoga Sūtra on Stress – An interview with TKV Desikachar

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
    • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
    • Click to print (Opens in new window)

    Related

    This glossary with its similar, opposite and related concepts categories, supplemented by textual references and additional commentaries around the key word, is a both work in progress and constantly ever-expanding in terms of further cross-references, textual cross links and commentaries.
    As it continues to develop your comments and suggestions on your experience and how it may be enhanced are very welcome via this link, thank you.
    Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: cysuk by Underscores.me.