Sattva - Sattvic Creatures

Sattvic Creatures

A person or creature can be called sattvic if the creature has predominantly sattvic tendencies. The name "sattvik" implies one who is divine, pure, and spiritual.

Sattvic individuals always work for the welfare of the world. They are hardworking, alert, generous. They live life moderately, and have good memory and concentration. Sattvic qualities include leading a chaste life, eating moderately, using precise language and speaking truths palatably. A sattvic individual speaks compliments and avoids vulgar or insulting language, is never jealous, and is unaffected by greed and selfishness. Such an individual is confident and experiences abundance. It is not in the nature of a sattvic individual to cheat or mislead others. A sattvic person will show what is and describe destinations, but then allow others to choose for themselves. A sattvic person does not allow evil tendencies to enter his or her mind but supports an inner paradise that broadcasts out to the world; he or she will have keen interest in improving spiritual knowledge and will spend time worshiping divinity or meditating and, in an extreme state, may even perform penance or uninterrupted meditation. 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
• Modern day sages like Ramana Maharshi, Aurobindo, Vivekananda
• Divine beings in the heavens
• Some flora and fauna like lotus (symbolizes purity), cow (symbolizes the earth mother)