An interesting Number Plate – SATTVA
An interesting number Plate – SATTVA.I have see variety of them like 000, 007, Family names so on but, this one was cool. Found this, on an afternoon walk in the campus. I don’t know if this means something else in some other language but Sattva in Sanskrit means – Goodness and then, there is Rajas – passion and Tamas – Ignorance. Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita explains, that all the living beings in the material world are influenced by these three modes called Sattva, Rajas and tamo gunas.And Guna, literally means a rope. Thus, the way we behave, act and live our life is influenced and bound by these three modes.And, these three modes are always acting and fighting over each other to gain a supremacy, which means for some time
a person can be in the mode of goodness and at other times, in passion and ignorance. So, a person may be in the mode of goodness, in the morning while coming to work, may donate some money to a beggar in the street, at office he might become passionate and start arguing and shouting in a meeting etc. Thus peacefulness, happiness,tranquility in one’s life denotes mode of goodness, Lust, greed and insatiable desire for money denotes passion and laziness,depression,indolence,intoxication indicates the Tamo guna.The whole chapter 14 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita is dedicated completely to explaining about these three modes of material nature and how a Soul which is spiritual in nature comes in contact with these modes and becomes affected by them. Just like a pure rain water,
which by contact with mud appears muddy, similarly the Soul even though by nature is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss get covered and influenced by the three modes. How does a Soul which is spiritual, superior energy gets covered by material energy which is inferior.? Because, it is explained that we belong to a category called Thatasta Shakti or Marginal potency and compared to material energy we are anu or minute.
So what is the ultimate verdict.? We need to become situated primarily in the mode of goodness but that’s not the end of it. The mode of goodness acts as a springboard to transcend the three modes of material nature and reach a stage called transcendeal goodness or Suddha Sattva. Again, as explained by Lord Krishna in the same chapter, one who takes up devotional service to the Supreme Lord, at once transcends these three modes and comes to the level of Brahman.
“gunān etān atītya trīn
dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mrtyu-jarā-duhkhair
vimukto ‘mrtam aśnute
TRANSLATION : When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes associated with the material body, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.
PURPORT : How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Krsna consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehi means “embodied.” Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Krsna consciousness is the sign of liberation from material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service.(From Bhagavad Gita As-It is 14.20, Translation and Purport by Srila Prabhupada).”
