Who is Sant or Sattvika Person -The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita

Who is Sant or Sattvika Person -The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
॥ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ॥ ॥ ॐ श्री परमात्मने नमः ॥ ॥ अथ श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ॥
 
Shree Krishna has explained in chapters 14, 16 17 and 18 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita about the different personalities of persons which are caused by the root material i.e. Prakriti (nature) having three attributes viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in varying proportion. The different characteristics viz. state of mind, actions & doership, charity, spiritual duties, food habits, true knowledge, intellect, determination, joy and re-birth spell out about the Sattvika person.
 
Sattvika persons are virtuous & kind and are having restraint of senses, regulation of the organs, freedom from enmity, correct judgement, the attainment of knowledge and supernatural powers. The Sattva being clean, is illuminating and flawless, it binds through attachment to happiness and knowledge (14.6). Sattva draws one to pleasure (14.9). Overpowering Rajas and Tamas, Sattva prevails (14.10). Wisdom and discernment in the body, mind and senses, Sattva element predominates. (14.11).
 
Whatever is done without vanity (self-importance), but is motivated by the good of others and has the grace of God in mind, is sattvika. Those who are sattvika desire salvation and cultivate renunciation, divine love without motive, actions dedicated to God etc. and they will be drawn to Divine manifestations that bestow these excellences.

Sattvika has effects like luminosity, peace, knowledge and pleasure and objects with such properties. Knowledge dominated by Sattva leads to understanding of unity in diversity; actions dominated by it tend to detachment and freedom from passionate affiliations; a doer dominated by it is comparatively free from ego-sense and attachment but yet does not lack enthusiasm and interest in the work; the intelligence dominate it is always accompanied by moral sensibility and eye on spiritual side of things; strength of mind is dominated by it expressed as control of senses & the mind and strict adherence to principles; and experience dominated by it is painful in the beginning due to difficulties in discipline, but ends in great bliss.

The main attributes of Sattvika Person (Saint) are listed as under (in bracket, chapter.verse) (the relevant Sanskrit verses of Bhagavad Gita are mentioned at the bottom):

1. Sattvika state of mind:
   1. Sublimity, forgiveness, fortitude, external purity, bearing enmity to none i.e. absence of hatred, absence of fickleness (indecisiveness), Vigour, and absence of self-esteem/pride, perfect purity of mind, uprightness of mind as well as of the body and senses, absolute fearlessness, constant fixity in the Yoga of meditation and knowledge for the sake of Self-realization.
   2. Absence of anger even on provocation, peacefulness/quietude or composure of mind, abstaining from slander or crookedness (17.14).
   3. Cheerfulness of mind, placidity, habit of contemplation on God, control of the mind and perfect purity of inner feelings-all this is called austerity of the mind (17.16).
2. Body & senses: Purity, straightforwardness, continence (self-restraint) and non-violence-these are called penance of the body (17.14).
3. Non-violence: Non-violence in thought, word and deed.
4. Compassion & Charity:
   1. Compassion towards all creatures.
   2. One believes that charity must be performed, is Sattvika in character (17.11).
   3. Charity which is bestowed with a sense of duty on one from whom no return is expected, at appropriate time and place, and to a deserving person (hungry, orphan, sick, patient, beggar, disable etc.) that charity has been declared as Sattvika (17.20).
5. Spiritual duties:
   1. Worship of God and other deities, the Brahmanas, one’s guru, elders and great soul, (17.14).
   2. Performance of Agnihotra (pouring oblations into the sacred fire) and other sacred duties (17.5, 17.6),
   3. Study and teaching of the Vedas and other sacred books (17.5, 17.6),
   4. Chanting of God’s names and glories, suffering hardships for the discharge of one’s sacred obligations. (17.5, 17.6).
6. Actions & Doership:
   1. An action which is ordained by the scriptures and is not accompanied by the sense of doership, and has been done without any attachment or aversion by one who seeks no return, is called Sattvika (18.23).
   2. A prescribed duty which is performed simply because it has to be performed, giving up attachment and fruit, which alone has been recognized as the Sattvika (18.9). 
   3. Free from attachment, not egoistic, endowed with firmness and zeal and not swayed by success and failure-such a doer is said to be Sattvika (18.26).
   4. Gentleness, modesty, a sense of shame in transgressing the scriptures or social conventions, and abstaining from frivolous pursuits;
   5. Sacrifice, charity and penance, and all other acts of duty too, must be performed without attachment and expectation of reward (18.6).
   6. The reward of a righteous act is Sattvika i.e., faultless in the form of joy, wisdom and dispassion etc., (14.16).
7. Food habits: Foods which promote longevity, intelligence, vigour, health, happiness and cheerfulness, and which are juicy, succulent, substantial and naturally agreeable, are liked by person of Sattvika nature (17.8).
8. Speech: Words which cause no annoyance to others and are truthful, kind, agreeable and beneficial (17.15).
9. True Knowledge: One who perceives as one imperishable divine existence as undivided and equally present in all individual beings, is Sattvika (18.20).
10. Intellect: The intellect which correctly determines the paths of activity and renunciation (प्रवत्तिमार्ग – living in family & renunciation of fruits and attachment, like Raja Janak) and renunciation (निवृत्तिमार्ग – Renunciation of doership & oneness with Supreme Being, like Shree Shukdev & Sankadik), what ought to be done and what should not be done, what is fear and what is fearlessness, and what is bondage and what is liberation, that intellect is Sattvika (18.30).).
11. Determination: The unwavering perseverance (determination, persistence) by which man controls through the Yoga of meditation the functions of the mind, the vital airs and the senses-that firmness is Sattvika (33).
12. Joy: That in which the doer finds enjoyment through practice of adoration, meditation and service to God etc., and whereby he reaches the end of sorrow-such a joy, though appearing as poison in the beginning, tastes like nectar in the end; hence that joy, born as it is of the placidity of mind brought about by meditation on God, has been declared as Sattvika (18.36, 18.37).).
13. Re-birth - When a man dies during the preponderance of Sattva, he obtains the clean ethereal worlds (heaven etc.,) attained by men of noble deeds (14).

  continued.......

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Reference:

1. Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Sivananda, a divine life society publication
2. Srimad-Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna math, Mylapore, Madras – 600004.  
3. https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_giitaa/bhagvadnew.html?lang=sa
4. The Bhagavad Gita, Gita press, Gorakhpur:

 
Chapter 14: 
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः । निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ १४-५॥ तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् । सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥ १४-६॥ सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत । ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥ १४-९॥ रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत । रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १४-१०॥ सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते । ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥ १४-११॥ यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् । तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १४-१४॥
 
Chapter 16:
(अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः । दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥ १६-१॥ अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् । दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥ १६-२॥ तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता । भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥ १६-३॥ कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् । १४-१६॥)
 
Chapter 17:
(यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥ १७-४॥ अशास्त्रविहितं घोरं तप्यन्ते ये तपो जनाः । दम्भाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः कामरागबलान्विताः ॥ १७-५॥ कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः । मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥ १७-६॥  आयुःसत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धनाः । रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या आहाराः सात्त्विकप्रियाः ॥ १७-८॥ कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः । आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥ १७-९॥ यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् । उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् ॥ १७-१०॥अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः ॥ १७-११॥ देवद्विजगुरुप्राज्ञपूजनं शौचमार्जवम् । ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसा च शारीरं तप उच्यते ॥ १७-१४॥ अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् । स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥ १७-१५॥ मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः । भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥ १७-१६॥ श्रद्धया परया तप्तं तपस्तत्त्रिविधं नरैः । अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्युक्तैः सात्त्विकं परिचक्षते ॥ १७-१७॥ दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ १७-२०॥)
 
Chapter 18:
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ॥ १८-५॥ एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च । कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम् ॥ १८-६॥ नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते । मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥ १८-७॥ दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् । स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥ १८-८॥ कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन । सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः ॥ १८-९॥ र्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते । अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ १८-२०॥ नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् । अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यत्तत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते ॥ १८-२३॥ मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकारः कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥ १८-२६॥ प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये । बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ॥ १८-३०॥ धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः । योगेनाव्यभिचारिण्या धृतिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ॥ १८-३३॥ सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ । अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ॥ १८-३६॥ यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् । तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ॥ १८-३७॥