Gunas

Guna (devanāgarī: गुण guṇa) is a Sanskrit word that means "quality", "virtue", "talent". In Samkhya philosophy, the guṇas are three major qualities or tendencies of prakṛti, which are called: sattva (purity, equilibrium), rajas (passion, activity), and tamas (ignorance, inertia). Each of the three gunas is present in every particle of creation but the variations in their activity manifest the variety in creation.

Tamas

Tamas (Sanskrit: तमस्) is the quality of darkness, ignorance, delusion, dullness, laziness, inactivity, and inertia.

Rajas

Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes). It is sometimes translated as passion, activity, excitement, dynamism, and creation.

Sattva

Sattva (Sanskrit: सत्त्व) is one of the three Guṇas or "modes of existence." It is the quality of luminosity, balance, harmony, goodness, purity, truth, peacefulness, being-ness, and virtuousness that is drawn towards Dharma and Jñana (knowledge).

Online resources

Articles

• Guṇa at Theosopedia