Satya

This article is about the Sanskrit word. For other meanings see Satya (disambiguation).

Satya is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates into English as "Truth." Satya is pronounced like Libya, with two and a half or three syllables. It is a term of power due to its purity and meaning and has become the emblem of many peaceful social movements, particularly those centered on social justice, environmentalism and vegetarianism.

Philosophical Meaning

The philosophical meaning of the word 'Satya' is "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". Human life progresses through different stages -- from childhood to adolescence, from adolescence to youth, and youth to old age. It is through these changes that people progress in the manifest world. That is why human life or its receptacle, the body, is not Satya' or Truth.

Subtle Meaning

There is a more subtle meaning of the word, 'Satya', which is Citsvaru'pa (the Supreme consciousness) or Purus'a. In the field of Sa'dhana' or intuitional practice, the meaning of 'Satya' is 'Parahit'artham' va'unmanaso yatha'rthatvam' satyam i.e., Satya is the benevolent use of words and the mind for the welfare of others. This is to say that a benevolent sage must be truthful regardless of the meaning of satya.

Common Interpretation

The accepted interpretation however, is "the Truth which equals love." This concept of truth is not merely a synonym of fact or correctness, but is more metaphysical, like the difference between “brain” and “mind.” This 'bigger picture' notion of truth, at least as far as the term Satya is concerned, implies a higher order, a higher principle, a higher knowledge, but not necessarily a higher being or creator. Satya is what one becomes aware of upon becoming a Bodhi (enlightened or awakened person--'Buddha' means awakened one). Thus, this topic is an aspect more akin to the sum of the rules of the universe--the 'universal reality.' This idea of a universal reality is common in Eastern philosophy. Combined with other words, Satya acts as modifier, like "ultra" or "highest," or more literally "truest," connoting purity and excellence. Examples: Satyaloka = highest heaven; Satya Yuga = the original, "golden" and best of the four cyclical cosmic ages in Hinduism. Note, in Hinduism, we are currently in the Kali Yuga, the most depraved, degraded, and corrupt of the four cycles, which began on 3102 BC and will end and be replaced by the Satya Yuga in another 427,000 years.

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