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Gunas, Hindu PhilosophyGuna in Hindu Philosophy in its philosophicalsense refers to the constituent quality. The whole

 universe is guided by the three gunas, which arebasically attitudes, qualities found in humanbeing.

  Gunas of Mother Goddess

According to Samkhya philosophy the whole universe is based on 

the three gunas in different proportions. It is an analogy ofthree strands of rope twisted together. The three gunas are

sattva (virtue, goodness), rajas (passion, activity), andtamas (darkness, dullness). In Classical literature a guna isan attribute of the five elements. In Nyaya philosophy,twenty-four Gunas are enumerated as properties orcharacteristics of all created things rupa.

Guna in Samkhya PhilosophySattva is associated with virtues and qualities such aswisdom, joy, altruism, and brightness. A person with more ofsattva has a positive or even orderly state of mind. Such aperson is psychologically kind, calm, alert and thoughtful.Rajas is associated with greed, ambition, activity, and anger.

 

It leads one to activity and is explained by the termYogakshem. Yoga in the present context is acquiring somethingthat one does not have. Kshem means losing something that one

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already has. Tamas is associated with idleness, ignorance, and 

delusion. A tamas quality also can imply that a person has aself-destructive or entropic state of mind. That person isconstantly pursuing destructive activities. The soul muststrive to detach itself from all three gunas. Everything inthe universe is involved with the three gunas, which form the

basis of the qualities and values of life. In all human beings 

one of the three gunas has superior strength and this isreflected in all they do and think.

Guna in Classical LiteratureGuna in epics like Mahabharata and religious texts likeBhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita is related to five senses,five elements and five body parts. Each guna is associatedwith an organ, ether has sound for its Guna (and the ear forits organ) and air has tangibility and touch for its Gunas(and the skin for its organ). Fire has shape or colour,

tangibility, and sight for its Gunas (and the eye for itsorgan), water has flavour, shape, tangibility, and taste forits Gunas (and the tongue for its organ), earth has allpreceding Gunas and its own peculiar Guna of smell (and thenose for its organ). According to the Bhagvad Gita those whocan conquer the Gunas live in eternal happiness .At the sametime conquering the Gunas frees one from birth old age,disease and death.

In Nyaya philosophy the twenty-four Gunas are shape, colour ,rasa (savour), gandha(odour), sparsa(tangibility), samkhya(number), parimana (dimension), prthaktva(severalty),samyoga(conjunction), aparatva(proximity), gurutva(weight),

vibhaga(disjunction), paratva(remoteness), dravatva(fluidity), 

sneha(viscidity), prayatna(effort), shabda(sound), buddhi orjnana(understanding or knowledge), sukha(pleasure),dukkha(pain), iccha(desire), dvesa(aversion),dharma( merit orvirtue), adharma(demerit), samskara(the self-reproductivequality).

Guna in AyurvedaAccording to the Ayurveda medicines and foods are sattivic,rajasic or tamasic or a combination of these gunas. Sattvicfoods are fresh juicy, light, nourishing, sweet and tasty andgive necessary energy to the body without taxing it. Forexample fresh fruits and vegetables that are easilydigestible. Rajasic foods are bitter, sour, salty, pungent,hot and dry. They over stimulate the body and excite thepassions. For example sattvic foods those have been fried inoil, cooked too much or eaten in excess are Rajasic. Thisincludes coffee and tea, fish, eggs salt and chocolate.Tamasic foods are dry, old, decaying and consume a largeamount of energy while being digested. The body`s resistanceto disease is destroyed and the mind filled with darkemotions, such as anger and greed. For example foods thosehave been strongly processed, canned or frozen and are old,stale or incompatible with each other. Meat, vinegar, liquor

are especially tamasic. Overeating is also regarded astamasic.

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The Gods and the Three QualitiesThe three basic gunas are formed by the union of prakrti andPurusha. In Brahma, the creator, three guns are present and in

 balance too. In other beings, one or the other guna prevails.Gods are largely considered as sattvagun. Brahmans aresattvagun. Kshatriyas are rajogun and the Shudras are tamogun.

 Demons and animals are rajogun and plants and minerals aretamogun.

According to a legend, there are three forms of the goddessthat corresponds to the three gunas: Goddess Kali, or tamagun, Goddess Lakshmi, or raja gun, and Goddess Sarasvati, orsattva gun. These three forms form the basis of the socialorder and of the people`s participation in the pujas. Thereare different approaches to the gods that varies from one gunto the other. The sattvik mat is the way of Vaisnavas, Therajasik mat is a worship that insists on power, the ego and

Tamasik mat is the worship of the householder who wantseverything that is from the deities that is required to carryout everyday duties.

Sattva, raja, and tama also correspond to the three majordeities Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. The first is

 truth, the second is power and the third is the way ofeveryday life, the householder pressed by social burden.Sattva leads to Moksha; dharma is the responsibility of rule;Kama and artha are the units of everyday life tama.

(Last Updated on : 28/03/2011)

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