BRS 2.3.89

This person has a soft external appearance but internally is very hard. That is the meaning of picchila. Because of this condition the symptoms in niḥsattva are not fixed. The word ślatha in verse 86 means internally and externally soft. Because of this, the symptoms in sattvābhāsa-bhava are more fixed. This determines the difference between the two states. The word nisarga (have a nature) is employed to indicate this internal state. Whoever has a hard interior must depend on practice (abhyāsa-pare), concentrating with attention in order to produce the symptoms of sāttvika-bhāvas. Thus the person develops tears or hairs standing on end without even a shadow of emotion (sattvābhāsa). This niḥsattva, or external manifestation of symptoms, arises by practice in persons who have hardness (no emotions) internally. Thus the phrase “who are by nature internally hard (nisarga-picchala-svante)” is explained by the phrase “without even a shadow of emotion (sattvābhāsaṁ vināpi).” They depend on intense concentration to induce the symptoms. Because of being manifesting only through this special concentration, they do not occur distinctly. Thus only one example will be given. The wise who consider niḥsattva among the types of sāttvikābhāsa do so only because they appear similar to the sāttvika-bhāvas.