# सत्त्व (sattva)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/sattva

सत्त्व (sattva) is a Sanskrit word meaning being, existence, entity, reality, true essence, nature, mental disposition, and character, spiritual essence, spirit, or mind, life, vital breath, or consciousness, strength, firmness, or energy, courage or resolution. Its 24 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Existence, Essence, Nature, Sattva Guṇa (Philosophical Quality of Goodness), Proper Name.

- **Etymology:** E. षद् to perish, aff. त्वत्; or सत् being, good, excellent, &c., त्व aff. of the abstract: one त being rejected also, it is read सत्व । — E. ṣad to perish, aff. tvat; or sat being, good, excellent, &c., tva aff. of the abstract: one ta being rejected also, it is read satva
- **SLP1:** `sattva`  **IAST:** sattva  **Devanagari:** सत्त्व
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/sattva/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Existence, Essence, Nature (7 definitions)
- being, existence, entity, reality  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 1135,2] सत् - त्व (sat-tva) b n. ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) being, existence, entity, reality ( ईश्वर - स् (īśvara-s) ° (°), ‘the existence of a Supreme Being’), TS. &c. &c. [ ID=229727 ]
- true essence, nature, mental disposition, and character  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > true essence, nature, disposition of mind, character, PañcavBr.; MBh. &c. [ ID=229728 ]
- 1. Being, existence, or reality. 2. Essence, nature, or innate disposition. 3. Energy, resolution, or courage. 4. Absolute goodness, the first quality of Prakriti. 5. Spirit, vital breath, or life. 6. Substance or entity. 7. A living being or animal. 8. A ghost, demon, or goblin.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 330-3 ] सत्त्व (sattva) sat-tvá, n. [being-ness] V., C. : being, existence, reality; essence, nature, innate disposition, character; C. : strong character, energy, resolution, courage; absolute goodness ( the first of the three qualities inherent in Prakṛti ); spirit; vital breath, life; entity, substance, thing ( rare ); m. n. living being, animal; ghost, demon, goblin ( rare ). [ ID=18620 ]
- 1. Existence, reality, life, breath, or mind. 2. Substance or wealth. 3. Natural quality, power, vigor, or self-possession. 4. The quality of truth and genuine goodness. 5. An animal or living being.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 805-a ] सत्त्व (sattva) ( त्त्वं ) ((ttvaṃ)) 1. n. Existence, reality; life, breath, mind; substance, wealth; natural quality or power; vigor; self-possession; the quality of truth and genuine goodness. m. n. Animal being. [ ID=39791 ]
- 1. Being, existence, or entity. 2. Life, spirit, mind, or consciousness. 3. An embryo. 4. Substance or wealth. 5. An elementary substance. 6. Any living being, animal, or beast. 7. An evil being, demon, or ghost.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 750-14 ] सत्त्व (sattva) (I) m.n. 1. Being, existence, entity; 2. life, spirit, mind, consciousness; 3. an embryo; 4. substance, wealth; 5. an elementary substance (such as earth, air, fire &c.); 6. any living being, animal, beast, सत्वानामपि लक्ष्यते विकृतिमच्चित्तं भयक्रोधयोः (satvānāmapi lakṣyate vikṛtimaccittaṃ bhayakrodhayoḥ) Sak. ii., R. xv.15; 7. an evil being, a demon, a ghost. [ ID=39398 ]
- 1. Being, existence, reality, nature, or character. 2. Firmness, resolution, energy, or courage. 3. Goodness. 4. Spirit, vital breath, or spiritual being. 5. A real object or thing. 6. A living or sentient being, especially an animal or beast. 7. A phantom, spectre, imp, or goblin.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 579 ] सत्त्व (sattva) n. being, existence, reality, nature, character; firmness, resolution, energy, courage; goodness (ph.); spiritual or intellectual being, spirit or vital. breath; real being, thing, object; (also m. ) living or sentient being, esp. animal, beast; phantom, spectre, imp, goblin. [ ID=34437 ]
- 1. Existence or being. 2. Goodness or the highest of the three qualities. 3. A living being or creature.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 265-a ] sattvá, —1. n. condition of being, beingness, being, existence, essent-ia; —2. n. condition of being good, absolutely good being, goodness, the highest of the three qualities ( see guṇa ), 66 8 N.; —3. m. n. a living being, creature, 28 14, 48 2. [formed from sant (1239), just as the artificial Lat. essent-ia, ‘being-ness, that on which a thing depends for being what it is,’ from essens, a quasi- ppl. of esse. ] [ ID=4374 ]

### Sattva Guṇa (Philosophical Quality of Goodness) (4 definitions)
- the quality of purity or goodness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the quality of purity or goodness (regarded in the Sāṃkhya phil. as the highest of the three Guṇas [ q.v. ] or constituents of Prakṛti because it renders a person true, honest, wise &c., and a thing pure, clean &c.), MaitrUp.; Mn.; Yājñ. &c., MBh.; R. [ ID=229731 ]
- 1. The quality of excellence, goodness, or enlightenment. 2. A substance or thing. 3. Mind or intellect. 4. Natural property or disposition. 5. Vigour, power, or strength. 6. Self-possession. 7. Breath. 8. Being or existence. 9. Essence. 10. Wealth. 11. Certainty. 12. Life. 13. A substantive noun. 14. A demon or goblin. 15. An animal or living being.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत (ta) ् (sat) त (ta) ्व (tva) (sattva) [Printed book page 885 ] सत (ta) ् (sat) त (ta) ्व (tva) (sattva) n. ( - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ं (-ttvaṃ) ) 1 One of the three Guṇas or properties of man and nature; the quality of excellence or goodness: that which enlightens, constitutes knowledge, and is the cause of truth, and the predominance of which renders the person, in whom it resides, virtuous, gentle, devout, charitable, chaste, honest, &c., and the thing, pure, mild, &c. 2 Substance, thing, either elementary substance, as earth, air, fire, &c. or any thing of which some property may be predicated. 3 Mind, intellect. 4 Nature, natural property or disposition. 5 Vigour, power. 6 Strength. 7 Self-possession or command. 8 Breath. 9 Being, existence. 10 Essence, substance. 11 Wealth. 12 Certainty. 13 Life, the principle of being. 14 A substantive noun. 15 A demon, a goblin. mn. ( - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ः - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ं (-ttvaṃ) (-ttvaḥ-ttvaṃ) ) An animal, a being. E. षद (ṣada) to perish, aff. त (ta) ्व (tva) त (ta) ् (tvat), or सत (ta) ् (sat) being, good, excellent, &c. त (ta) ्व (tva) aff. of the abstract; one त (ta) being rejected also, it is read सत (ta) ् (sat) व (satva). [ ID=40105 ]
- 1. A substantive or noun. 2. Goodness, virtue, or excellence. 3. Truth, certainty, or reality. 4. Strength, energy, courage, or self-command. 5. The principle of purity and goodness. 6. A natural property or characteristic.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) (II) n. 1. A substantive, a noun; 2. goodness, virtue, excellence; 3. truth, certainty, reality; 4. strength, energy, courage, self-command, e.g. क्रियासिद्धिः सत्वे भवति महतां नोपकरणेः (kriyāsiddhiḥ satve bhavati mahatāṃ nopakaraṇeḥ); 5. the principle of purity or goodness (regarded as the first and best of the three guṇas which are supposed to constitute the external world); 6. any natural property or characteristic. [ ID=39399 ]
- 1. The quality of goodness and truth, one of the three Gunas. 2. Substance or matter. 3. Mind or intellect. 4. Natural disposition. 5. Vigour or power. 6. Strength. 7. Self-possession. 8. Breath. 9. Being or existence. 10. Essence. 11. Wealth. 12. Certainty. 13. Life. 14. A noun. 15. A demon or goblin. 16. An animal or living being. 17. An embryo.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत (ta) ् (sat) त (ta) ्व (tva) (sattva) [Printed book page 753-b ] सत (ta) ् (sat) त (ta) ्व (tva) (sattva) n. ( - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ं (-ttvaṃ) ) 1. One of the three Guṇas or properties of man and nature; the quality of excellence or goodness: that which enlightens, constitutes knowledge, and is the cause of truth, and the predominance of which renders the person, in whom it resides, virtuous, gentle, devout, charitable, chaste, honest, &c., and the thing, pure, mild, &c. 2. Substance, thing, either elementary substance, as, earth, air fire, &c., or anything of which some property may be predicated. 3. Mind, intellect. 4. Nature, natural, property or disposition. 5. Vigour, power. 6. Strength. 7. Self-possession or command. 8. Breath. 9. Being, existence. 10. Essence, substance. 11. Wealth. 12. Certainty. 13. Life, the principle of being. 14. A substantive, noun. 15. A demon, a goblin. mn. ( - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ः - त (ta) ्त (ta) ्व (tva) ं (-ttvaṃ) (-ttvaḥ-ttvaṃ) ) 1. An animal, a being. 2. An embryo. E. षद् (ṣad) to perish, aff. त (ta) ्व (tva) त (ta) ्; (tvat;) or सत (ta) ् (sat) being, good, excellent, &c., त (ta) ्व (tva) aff. of the abstract: one त (ta) being rejected also, it is read सत (ta) ् (sat) व । (satva.) [ ID=42091 ]

### Proper Name (3 definitions)
- Name of a son of Dhritarashtra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a son of Dhṛta-rāṣṭra, MBh. [ ID=229737 ]
- a son of Dhritarashtra  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 625-2 ] Sattva, a son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. § 182 (Dhṛtarāṣṭraputra. nāmak.): I, 117, 4543. [ ID=9684 ]
- Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Sattva(ṃ) = Śiva (1000 names). [ ID=9685 ]

### Cross-reference/Pointer (2 definitions)
- See below.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 1134,3] सत् (sat) — त्व (—tva) a See below. [ ID=229587 ]
- See page 1135, column 2.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 1138,2] सत् - त्व (sat-tva) c See p. 1135, col. 2. [ ID=230480 ]

### Living Being, Creature, Animal (2 definitions)
- A living or sentient being, creature, or animal.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > सत् - त्व (sat-tva) m. n. a living or sentient being, creature, animal, Mn.; MBh. &c. [ ID=229734 ]
- 1. An animal, beast, or monster. 2. A being. 3. Being or existence. 4. Life. 5. Nature or character. 6. Essence. 7. Certainty. 8. Breath. 9. Mind. 10. Strength, power, or courage. 11. Self-possession. 12. A demon or goblin. 13. The quality of goodness or virtue.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > सत्त्व (sattva) [Printed book page 0998-a ] सत्त्व (sattva) sattva, i. e. sant ( ptcple. pres. of 1. as ), + tva, I. m. and n. 1. An animal, Pañc. 69, 5 ( n. ); Hit. 56, 20; Lass. 2. ed. 44, 3 ( m. ); a beast, Ragh. 15, 15; a monster, Rām. 1, 40, 20. 2. A being, Pañc. 165, 9; Rām. 3, 55, 48 ( n. ). II. n. 1. Being, existence. 2. Life, Śāk. d. 42. 3. Nature, natural pro- perty, Hit. ii. d. 39; character, 100, 6. 4. Essence, true essence, Bhag. 2, 45; 10, 36. 5. Certainty, Vedāntas. in Chr. 204, 17. 6. Breath. 7. Mind, Draup. 7, 15. 8. Strength, power, Hit. 67, 5, M.M.; courage, Hit. ii. d. 78. 9. Self-posses- sion, Arj. 6, 20. 10. A demon, a goblin. 11. The quality of goodness, Man. 3, 40; virtue, Lass. 2. ed. 44, 2. — Comp. A-, I. n. non-existence. II. adj. with- out energy, Rām. 6, 89, 2. A-dīna-, adj. happy, Draup. 2, 13. Āpanna- ( vb. pad ), adj. f. vā, pregnant, Śāk. 65, 9. Gata- ( vb. gam ), adj. lifeless, Nal. 16, 30. Deva-, adj. having the nature of a deity, Rām. 2, 1, 29 Gorr. Nis-, adj. 1. deprived of living beings, Pañc. 55, 8. 2. deprived of strength, Hit. i. d. 133, M.M. ( niḥ-sattva + tā, f. misery, Mālat. 79, 12). Bodhi-, m. a Bauddha saint. Ati-bodhi-sattva, adj. surpassing a bodhisattva, Mālat. 171, 9 ( corr. dhi ). Mahā-, adj. good, vir- tuous, Hit. 100, 12. Mūḍha- ( vb. muh ), adj. insane, silly, Draup. 7, 15. Sa-, f. vā, pregnant, a pregnant woman, Ragh. 3, 9. [ ID=15417 ]

### Mind, Spirit, Inner Strength & Virtues (2 definitions)
- spiritual essence, spirit, or mind  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > spiritual essence, spirit, mind, MuṇḍUp.; Yājñ.; MBh.; BhP. [ ID=229729 ]
- 1. Life, vital breath, or consciousness. 2. Strength, firmness, or energy. 3. Courage or resolution. 4. Wisdom or good sense. 5. Magnanimity.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > vital breath, life, consciousness, strength of character, strength, firmness, energy, resolution, courage, self-command, good sense, wisdom, magnanimity, MBh.; R. &c. [ ID=229730 ]

### Embryo, Fetus (1 definition)
- embryo, fetus  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > सत् - त्व (sat-tva) m. embryo, fetus, rudiment of life (see - लक्षणा (-lakṣaṇā) ) [ ID=229735 ]

### Grammatical Term: Noun/Substantive (1 definition)
- a noun  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a substantive, noun, W. [ ID=229733 ]

### Material Substance, Thing, Wealth (1 definition)
- material or elementary substance, entity, matter, a thing  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > material or elementary substance, entity, matter, a thing, Nir.; Prāt. [ ID=229732 ]

### Supernatural Beings (Demon, Ghost) (1 definition)
- a ghost, demon, goblin, or monster  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a ghost, demon, goblin, monster, R.; VarBṛS.; Kathās. [ ID=229736 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546