The Three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas

 Prakriti, which is identified with Maya, consists of three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. They are the three qualities through which the activity of Prakriti is expressed.

Creation begins when these three qualities lose their balance. From this movement comes the process through which the world is manifested. The first principle to appear is the Cosmic Intelligence, or Mahat Tattva. From it comes the sense of ego, and from there the further elements of creation unfold.

Sattva is associated with calmness and purity. It is the source of happiness, wisdom, faith and forgiveness, as well as courage, mercy, humility, peace and contentment. Its colour is white.

Rajas has a very different character. It is connected with intense activity and is represented by the colour red. Although it can be wonderful, it can also be unpleasant, bringing unrest, anger, pride, hostility, possessiveness, egoism and lust.

Tamas is represented by black. It is associated with laziness, ignorance, sleep, stupidity, fear, scepticism and dishonesty. Discipline can overcome laziness, and through this rajas may arise; rajas can then in turn be overcome by sattva.

The three gunas also have different effects upon spiritual life. Tamas destroys, while rajas binds a person to the world. Sattva frees one from the influence of rajas and tamas, but even sattva cannot by itself give the final knowledge of Truth.

Divine Maya causes people to forget their true nature and their divine glory. The three gunas belong to this power of Maya, and therefore none of them can reach the Truth itself.

Sri Ramakrishna taught that the movement beyond these qualities requires spiritual striving. Through intense love and desire for God, he attained the Divine Mother Kali. His spiritual path later continued under the guidance of his teachers.

Source & Note

This article is based on Elizabeth U. Harding’s Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar (Nicolas-Hays, 1993). The material has been edited and adapted for this publication.