The Sattva Ganda

The satta gali is a legendary Tamil pictorial decoration that originated during the reign of Rama V (King Veeraballa). King Veeraballa decreed that anyone who could draw a picture of the sacred temple would be appointed in satta. This was to commemorate the victory of Magadh over the marauding army of the Mauryas. The term satta gali in this context means the picture of the deceased king.

The satta gali comprises a total of twenty-two pictures. The twenty-two are arranged in a state of four chapters, each of which is adorned with an object representative of the respective element, i.e., the cup (rungal), the vessel (samba) and the spear (makar). In some versions of the data all, the chapter is further divided into four parts, each of which has a corresponding item from the other chapters. This type of data gali comprises a unique feature that was adopted from the style of the Bhatye Vaishnava Sattva. However, this sattva is found in the Mahabaratha Sutshekhar Puran.

The satta gali king represents Lord Vishnu. The other five pictures belong to various other divine beings such as the Goddess Lakshmi, the Ganges and the monkey. The entire set (the sattvada) consists of seventy-four items. The first five sattvadas are dedicated to the deities Vayu, Parvathi and Siva. The next five sattvadas have Goddess Lakshmi, Ganga, Parvathi and Siva mentioned respectively. The final sattvada depicts the much revered monkey who rules the earth.

The twenty-one sattvas are collectively known as the “Land of Sun and Moon” or sattaking the “Three Gunas”. These twenty-one sattvas are believed to exist in multiple portions throughout the heavens and are believed to correlate with the three Gunas. The Gunas, according to the Tantric scriptures, are representative of the chakras.

The sattva is the outer envelope or outer covering of Lord Vishnu. The sattva is fashioned in the form of a Lingam and encircles the lord. The lingam is a cloth that is rich in colors and symbolizes the lord. The lingam is believed to be a cocoon that envelops the god during his slumber in the inner nave of the earth. The sattvada holds the Lingam and encircles the lord.

According to the Rig Veda, it is believed that it was Lord Krishna who taught yoga to the sattvada by asking him to hold the satta in his hands and teach him the art of meditation. It is said that the sattvada was so impressed by the lord’s knowledge that he retired into his serene abode and took with him only his closest monks and disciples. Since then, the state and is honored as a revered icon by followers of yoga.