Sat is used to mean both REALITY and GOODNESS. It is also used for all praise-worthy actions. In our everyday contact with the world, we live in a realm of RELATIVE REALITY and a seeker is apt to take the world perceived, felt and thought of — through the play of his body, mind and intellect equipments — as ABSOLUTELY REAL. Therefore the term Sat is often used to remind us that all these RELATIVE REALITIES have the self-same substratum Sat, the Absolute Reality.

THE USE OF THE DESIGNATION ‘SAT’ FOR BRAHMAN IS GIVEN AS FOLLOWS:

Etat, this; sat iti, word sat, a name of Brahman; prayujyate, is used, is uttered; sad-bhave, with regard to (something) coming into being-with regard to coming into existence of something that was not there, as for instance the birth of a son who was not there before; so also sadhu-bhave, with regard to (someone) becoming good-sadhu-bhava means coming to possess good conduct by an evil person who had bad behaviour; with regard to that. Tatha, so also, O Son of Prtha; the sat-sabdah, word sat; yujyate (-which is the same as prayujyate-), is used; prasaste karmani, with regard to an auspicious rite, such as mirage etc./p>p>17.27 And sthitih, steadfastness; that is yajne, in sacrifice, in the act of sacrifice; the steadfastness that is tapasi, in austerity; and the steadfastness that is dane, in charity; that ucyate, is spoken of; sat iti, as sat, by learned persons. And eva, even; the karma, action; tad-arthiyam, meant for these-for sacrifice, charity and austerity, or for Him whose names are under discussion, i.e. for God; is eva, verily; abhidhiyate, called; sat iti, as sat (good). Thus, in this way, the acts of sacrifice, austerity, etc., even when they are devoid of sattva and goodness, become good and endued with sattva by he use of the three names of Brahman with faith. And as regards those (sacrifice etc.), since in all cases everything is performed with a predominance of faith, therefore-