Sat (Sanskrit)

Short description: Sanskrit word meaning true essence

Sat (Sanskrit: सत्) is a Sanskrit word meaning "the true essence" and "which is unchangeable" of an entity, species or existence.^[1] Sat is a common prefix in ancient Indian literature and variously implies that which is good, true, virtuous, being, happening, real, existing, enduring, lasting, essential.^[2] In ancient texts, fusion words based on Sat, refer to "Universal Spirit, Universal Principle, Being, Soul of the World, Brahman".^[3]^[4]

Etymology

It can simply be said to be the present participle of the root as "to be" (PIE *h₁es-; cognate to English is).

The concept is famously expressed in a mantra found in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.3.28),

Asato mā sad gamaya / tamaso mā jyotir gamaya / mṛtyor mā amṛtam gamaya

"lead me from delusion to truth; from darkness to light; from mortality to immortality"

Sat is the root of many Sanskrit words and concepts such as sattva "pure, truthful" and satya "truth". As a prefix, in some context it means true and genuine; for example, sat-sastra means true doctrine, sat-van means one devoted to the true.^[5]

The negation of sat is asat, a combination word of a and sat. Asat refers to the opposite of sat, that is delusion, distorted, untrue, fleeting impression that is incorrect, invalid and false.^[6]^[7]

Meaning

Sat has several meanings or translations:^[7]^[8]

"unchangeable"
"that which has no distortion"
"that which is beyond distinctions of time, space, and person"
"that which pervades the universe in all its constancy"
"absolute truth"
"reality"
"Supreme Entity"
"Brahman" (not to be confused with Brahmin)

Supreme consciousness

See also Brahman, Turiya and The One^[9]

Sat may also refer to Citsvaru'pa, the Supreme consciousness, or Parama Purusha, the Supreme Being.^{[citation needed]} "Sat" is one of the three characteristics of Brahman, as described in sat-chit-ananda.^[4]

References

↑ Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139
↑ Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139
↑ Chaudhuri, H. (1954), The Concept of Brahman in Hindu Philosophy, Philosophy East and West, 4(1), 47-66
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Aurobindo & Basu (2002), The Sadhana of Plotinus, Neoplatonism and Indian Philosophy, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791452745, pages 153-156
↑ Arthur Anthony Macdonell, A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120820005, pages 329-331
↑ Arthur Anthony Macdonell, A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120820005, pages 34
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139
↑ K. Ishwaran, Ascetic Culture: Renunciation and Worldly Engagement, Brill, ISBN 978-9004114128, pages 143-144
↑ Similar ideas can be found in Neoplatonism, which originated in ancient Greece, and shares common grounds with Indian religions via the Proto-Indo-European religion. "Hè idea tou agathou" means 'Reality in her most true appearance'. The One and The Good are identical to The Good. See RKK, Plato: leer

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[1] Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139

[2] Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139

[3] Chaudhuri, H. (1954), The Concept of Brahman in Hindu Philosophy, Philosophy East and West, 4(1), 47-66

[aandb-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Aurobindo & Basu (2002), The Sadhana of Plotinus, Neoplatonism and Indian Philosophy, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791452745, pages 153-156

[5] Arthur Anthony Macdonell, A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120820005, pages 329-331

[6] Arthur Anthony Macdonell, A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120820005, pages 34

[smmw-7] 7.0 ^7.1 Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120831056, pages 1134-1139

[8] K. Ishwaran, Ascetic Culture: Renunciation and Worldly Engagement, Brill, ISBN 978-9004114128, pages 143-144

[9] Similar ideas can be found in Neoplatonism, which originated in ancient Greece, and shares common grounds with Indian religions via the Proto-Indo-European religion. "Hè idea tou agathou" means 'Reality in her most true appearance'. The One and The Good are identical to The Good. See RKK, Plato: leer

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Sat (Sanskrit)

Topic: Religion

Contents

Etymology

Meaning

Supreme consciousness

See also

References