Sattva

karma-nirhāram uddiśya parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam

karma-nirhāram uddiśya parasmin vā tad-arpaṇam |
yajed yaṣṭavyam iti vā pṛthag-bhāvaḥ sa sāttvikaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.10 cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 233)

“[Kapiladeva:] One possessed of separate disposition (bhāva) who shall worship [me in the deity and elsewhere] for the sake of removing karma [i.e., to attain mokṣa], [for the sake of] offering that [i.e., one’s karma] to the Supreme, or as a duty, is sāttvika [i.e., of the nature of sattva-guṇa].”

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devānāṁ guṇa-liṅgānām ānuśravika-karmaṇām

devānāṁ guṇa-liṅgānām ānuśravika-karmaṇām |
sattva evaika-manaso vṛttiḥ svābhāvikī tu yā ||
animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī ||

(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.32; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.614; Prīti Sandarbha: 61)

“The vṛtti [i.e., engagement] solely in relation to Sattva [i.e., Bhagavān], which is natural [i.e., not effected by force] and causeless [i.e., free from extraneous desire], of the illuminators [i.e., the senses], which make known their objects and whose actions are directed by the Veda, of one of singular [i.e., one-pointed] mind is [known as] bhakti related to Bhagavān, and [is] superior to siddhi [i.e., mokṣa].”

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kṛṣṇa-sambandhibhiḥ sākṣāt kiñcid vā vyavadhānataḥ

kṛṣṇa-sambandhibhiḥ sākṣāt kiñcid vā vyavadhānataḥ |
bhāvaiś cittam ihākrāntaṁ sattvam ity ucyate budhaiḥ ||
sattvād asmāt samutpannā ye ye bhāvās te tu sāttvikāḥ |
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.3.1–2)

“The citta imbued with bhāvas related to Kṛṣṇa [i.e., any one of the five primary ratis (sthāyi-bhāvas) and any of the secondary ratis] either directly or somewhat indirectly is called sattva by the wise. Those bhāvas which manifest from this sattva [i.e., which manifest directly and involuntarily from the citta in this state] are [called] sāttvika.”

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āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ |
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 17.8)

“Foods that increase longevity, energy [alt., mental steadiness], [physical] strength, health [lit., freedom from disease], satisfaction [alt., peace of mind], and delight, and which are tasty, succulent, wholesome [alt., substantial], and pleasant [alt., nourishing], are dear to sāttvic persons.”

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asaṅkalpāj jayet kāmaṁ

asaṅkalpāj jayet kāmaṁ krodhaṁ kāma-vivarjanāt |
arthānarthekṣayā lobhaṁ bhayaṁ tattvāvamarśanāt ||
ānvīkṣikyā śoka-mohau dambhaṁ mahad-upāsayā |
yogāntarāyān maunena hiṁsāṁ kāmādy-anīhayā ||
kṛpayā bhūtajaṁ duḥkhaṁ daivaṁ jahyāt samādhinā |
ātmajaṁ yoga-vīryeṇa nidrāṁ sattva-niṣevayā ||
rajas tamaś ca sattvena sattvaṁ copaśamena ca |
etat sarvaṁ gurau bhaktyā puruṣo hy añjasā jayet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavata: 7.15.22–25)

“One can conquer desire [i.e., desire for the mundane] with negative resolve [e.g., resolutions such as ‘this is not for my enjoyment’ in regard to objects of desire], anger with rejection of desire [for violence], greed with vision of the anartha [i.e., the meaninglessness, vice, etc.] within desired ends (arthas), fear with consideration of truth, lamentation and delusion with rational examination [i.e., discrimination between the self and non-self], pride with service to great persons, obstacles in yoga with silence, violence with indifference to desire and so forth. One can overcome suffering caused by other beings with compassion [i.e., actions performed for their benefit], suffering caused by destiny [i.e., foreboding] with meditation [on Bhagavān], suffering caused by the self [i.e., the body] with the strength of yoga [e.g., prāṇayāma, etc.], sleep with a sattvic diet, rajas [i.e., passion] and tamas [i.e., ignorance] with sattva [i.e., goodness], and sattva with composure [i.e., indifference towards even sattvic action]. But a person can quickly conquer all of these with bhakti to guru.”

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