Gunas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The term refers to the three fundamental qualities in Hindu philosophy, represented by sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are thought to govern human tendencies and experiences
2. This notion pertains to the three essential attributes in Eastern thought, namely sattva, rajas, and tamas, which shape the nature of individuals and their actions
3. The three primary attributes that influence personality and behavior according to Hindu philosophy

Etymology: "Gunas" is simply the plural of "guna," so its history is really the history of that Sanskrit noun, which means "quality," "attribute," or "strand." In Sanskrit, the word also carried the sense of a thread or cord, and it is this older physical image that shaped its later use in Hindu thought. In Hindu philosophy, the three gunas are the basic qualities that make up all of nature (prakriti) and all existing things. They are sattva (illumination, harmony), rajas (activity, passion), and tamas (inertia, darkness). Each strand is understood as present in varying proportions in every person, object and event, which is why the plural form is the one most often used.

Synonyms: qualities, attributes, properties, characteristics