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Page Update:
Saturday, February 28th, 2004
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More Definitions & Notes on Astitva
The simple definition of Astitva is existence, but the original Sanskrit word has a much more complicated meaning. Different languages have different emphasis on specific words and ideas based on their cultural importance. Language is a tool of thought. Ideas and customs of a culture are imbedded in the definition and use of words. It is important to understand this when trying to grasp a word as profoundly essential as Astitva.
For example, most English dictionaries define responsibility, guilt, shame and blame with such interconnectedness that they are inseparable facets of the same general idea. There are undoubtedly many reasons why this is so, but it parallels our western obsession with jurist prudence and the Christian concept of original sin in which an admission of responsibility can be an implied acceptance of blame and may suggest a response of guilt and shame. Christianity is more complicated than this simple logic progression, but the language definitions do guide this thread, and the definitions are a product of the cultural assumptions. In other cultures where a person is not considered the primary master of individual destiny the definitions of these words are specifically unrelated to each other.
The role of honor in some cultures skews these concepts so that being guilty has no shame if it is to preserve honor, no matter how irresponsible the act. Honor may also apply shame without blame to someone who is in no way responsible for something if they are politically or socially in a particular position. At the same time those who are responsible may never be blamed or held accountable for their actions because there was no dishonor to them. As the social rules within a culture are more formalized, words become much more specifically defined. In other cultures human behavior is thought to be more a matter of destiny and mystical influences, so blame and responsibility are not inevitability for a particular action. Such complications in definition make cross-cultural literal translations difficult. The meanings of Sanskrit words are no exception and can suffer an injurious jump to English in which the literal meaning obscures the actual meaning.
According to the Cappeller Sanskrit English Dictionary Astitva is from the root word asti, which means be, exist, happen, become, be present or at hand, belong to, be enough for, be able to, and turn to. Asti is also used to begin folk tales in a manner of saying “it happened” in the same way Europeans use “once upon a time.” The suffix itva is similar to “ness,” giving the word Astitva a wide range of meanings that are the characteristic or “ness” of each of the many possible definitions of asti. “Existence” (exist-ness) becomes a rather simplistic definition and does not imply “be-ness” (is-ness), becoming-ness (potential), happen-ness (as if by chance), present-ness (virtual or wishful attendance), belonging-to-ness (characteristics or identity), able-to-ness (capability), or turn-to-ness (awareness). All of these are literal translations and even in a specific usage, multiple meanings may apply.
When we think of Astitva as the human ego all of the definitions can apply, and together all of the definitions provide a complete description. Astitva is the complete and total characteristic potential of a thing. To me describing the most pure and ultimate hidden state of God as Astitva also fits very well.
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