Tamas (Sanskrit: तमस् tamas, ) is one of the three guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy. The other two qualities are rajas (passion and activity) and sattva (purity, goodness). Tamas is the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy. Generally it is referred to as the lowest guṇa of the three.

Etymology

The Vedic word támas refers to "darkness", and stems from the Indo-European word *temH-es, meaning "dark". Cognates with the Vedic include the Lithuanian word tamsà meaning "darkness", the Serbian word tama meaning "darkness", as well as the Latin word tenebrae meaning "darkness", the latter whence English tenebrous.

Hinduism

In Samkhya philosophy, a is one of three "tendencies, qualities": sattva, rajas and tamas. This category of qualities have been widely adopted by various schools of Hinduism for categorizing behavior and natural phenomena. The three qualities are:

  • Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, positive, peaceful, virtuous.
  • Rajas is the quality of passion, activity, being driven, moving, dynamic.

In Bhagavad Gita verse 18.32, the influence of tamas on buddhi is described as where a person "regards wickedness as virtue and virtue as wickedness".

Sikhism

The Sikh scripture refers to tamas in its verses:

  • "The Fourteenth Day: one who enters into the fourth state, overcomes time, and the three qualities of rajas, tamas, and sattva." (SGGS [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=840])
  • "Those who embody the energies of sattva-white light, rajas-red passion, and tamas-black darkness, abide in the Fear of God, along with the many created forms." (SGGS [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=999])
  • "Your Power is diffused through the three gunas: rajas, tamas and sattva." (SGGS [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=1038])
  • "Rajas, the quality of energy and activity; tamas, the quality of darkness and inertia; and sattva, the quality of purity and light, are all called the creations of Maya, Your illusion. That man who realizes the fourth state – he alone obtains the supreme state." (SGGS [http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=1123])

See also

  • Tamasic foods

References