Introduction

Everything around us can be categorised as sattvik, rajasik or tamasik depending on the predominant subtle-component that they are made up of. The predominant subtle-component in anything can only be measured with one’s sixth sense (ESP).

here are few generic examples of the various facets of the world we live in and the dominant subtle-component. Depending on whether we are sattvik, rajasik or tamasik individuals, we will gravitate towards sattvik, rajasik or tamasik lifestyles. Also associating ourselves with particular components through our lifestyle choices increases the respective subtle-components within us.

The three biological humours viz; Vata (biological air), Pitta (biological fire), and Kapha (biological water), have been defined as integral components of the human anatomy. Triguna, which includes (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) are the essential components of the human mind. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are included among Mansa dosha. Precisely, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are better defined as Ayurveda mind types or psychological doshas. Tamas basically stands for resistance to action and the quality of inertia. Some people translate Tamas to indifference.The concept of the Triguna theory not fits in the domain of energy but it is equally applicable to materialism. The mental and physical attributes of an individual in health and disordered states are determined by the dominance of either of one Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

The three subtle basic components (trigunas) of Sattva, Raja and Tama are the very fabric of creation. Unknown to modern sciences, they permeate through all living and non-living, tangible and intangible things. The vibrations emitted by anything are dependent on its predominant subtle basic component. This also influences the behaviour of all things. The proportion of these components in human beings can only be changed by spiritual practice.

The five cosmic elements are Absolute Earth, Absolute Water, Absolute Fire, Absolute Air and Absolute Ether. The cosmic elements are intangible in nature and are the subtle most aspect of the actual elements that we can see and feel. For example, the Absolute Water cosmic element is the subtlest form of the water that goes to make up the rivers and the oceans etc. In short, the five Absolute Cosmic elements are the building blocks of the Universe; but they too are made up of the three subtle basic components. how each Absolute Cosmic Element differs in their composition with regards to the proportion of the three subtle basic components. The Absolute Earth Cosmic element has the highest amount of the tama hence it is also the heaviest. The subtle basic tama component limits the existence whereas the subtle basic sattva component makes it expansive. This explains why the absolute Earth element is the most inferior among the five cosmic elements. It also explains why the absolute Ether element is the most subtle and sattvik and hence most powerful. The reduction in the tama subtle basic component across the 5 major cosmic elements makes the elements progressively less tangible. For example, Fire is less gross or tangible than Earth. Man too is basically composed predominantly of the Absolute Earth and Water elements. As he starts evolving spiritually he starts functioning progressively at higher levels like the Absolute Fire element etc. This is characterised by a sense of radiance emanating from a spiritually evolved person. When this happens he has lesser basic needs like food and sleep. His comprehension and capacity to perform various activities increases markedly both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Tridosha And Triguna

The five-elements i.e., Pancha Mahabhutas are the building blocks of three biological humours (Tridosha) as well as Triguna (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) just as amino-acids are the building blocks of the proteins. In the human beings, either one or the other biological humour and guna are dominant either in single form or in combinations. The existence of the universe cannot be imagined without, One cannot imagine this universe without Pancha Mahabhutas i.e., the five-elements i.e., the three biological humours and Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, as they are considered to be the essential and basic entities for sustaining the life.

Salient features of Tamas Guna

According to the view of the original Vedic tradition, Brahma stands for sattva, Vishnu stands for rajas and Siva stands for tamas. According to the Samkhya philosophy, Tamas, more commonly known as tamoguna, is one of the Trigunas. Tamoguna is considered to be dull, heavy, slow and low. Normally, Tamoguna is not in a postion to counteract by the same. Rajas or rajoguma may find it easier to counteract Tamoguna by means of the action. It is also believed that its difficult to come in state of tamas to satoguna.

According to the Samkhya philosophy, the cosmos and the human atmosphere have linkage with the basic elements. Samkhya philosophy clearly states that the microcosm is representative of the macrocosm. Samkhya philosophy sees the world under nava-dravyas, postulated as nine entities.

— Akash (Ether)
— Vayu (Air)
— Agni (Fire)
— Jala (Water)
— Prithavi (Earth)
— Aatma (Soul)
— Manas (Mind)
— Kala (Time)
— Dik (Direction)

Earth, water, fire, air, and mind are supposed to be atomic. Earth, water, fire and air are considered to be eternal as well as non-eternal. The mind falls in the category of an eternal thing. The mind is considered to atomic and can admit only one thought at a time.

Tamas As The Tenth Dravya


Tamas is the source of obstructions, resistance, obstacles and obstructions. Samkhya is considered to be one of the oldest philosophy of Indian origin. An eminent, great sage Kapila, an epic Indian philospher is the founder of the Samkhyavad or school of thought. Accroding to Samkhyavad, three gunas, namely sattva, rajas and tamas constitute the nature (Prakriti). The term guna, in general refers to physical property. In Samkhyavad, guna is defined as the sense of component.

— Sattva is connected with happiness,
— Rajas is connected with action,
— Tamas is connected with inaction and ignorance.

In human beings, tamas is associated with negligence, coarseness, indifference and inactivity. In normal man, tamas manifests as insensitivity, inaction and ignorance.

Prakriti is considered to the material cause of the universe. The dynamism of Prakriti can be attributed to Satva, Rajas and Tamas. The gunas are neither physical properties nor the components. The gunas represents the aroma of Prakriti. Gunas are not only components Prakriti but they constitute the world-substances, which are also reproduced by Prakriti.

Prakriti is definitely homogeneous and chances of separating the components gunas are practically not possible.

Alternatively we can also say that the predominance of any one of the sattva, raja and tama components defines a person’s spiritual level. As we do spiritual practice we begin to change the proportion of the 3 subtle basic components within us towards more of thesattva component. In other words, we change the tama component into sattva. As we generate more of the sattva component within us (in proportion to the other two subtle components), it positively affects our spiritual level and also our personalities. The different proportions of the three subtle basic components within us as we increase our spiritual level through spiritual practice. Footnotes: After the 50% spiritual level, the proportion of the three components remain static. The reason for this is that one cannot have any less that 20% tama. If it did happen the person would begin to dematerialise. So until one has a body the tama component cannot be less than 20%. However the effect of the components on the person is diluted with a further rise in spiritual level, so much so that at the spiritual level of 80%, the effect of them is negligible on the person. In the next sub-section we explain this dilution in detail. and As long as an evolved Saint of 100% spiritual level is within the body, He will be made up of the 3 subtle basic components. As soon as He dies and leaves His body all of the three subtle basic components become zero and the Saint merges completely with God.

As we grow spiritually what intrinsically happens is that the darkness of the five senses, mind and intellect begins to reduce and consequently the Soul (i.e. the God) within us begins to illuminate. Refer to the diagram below. This is also known as the dissolution of the five senses, mind and intellect. We call the five senses, mind and intellect as the darkness or ignorance as it keeps us away from identifying with our true state i.e. the God within us or the Soul. The Soul, which is the God within us, is beyond the 3 subtle basic components and is therefore not comprised of them. Therefore the more the light of the Soul is illuminated within us through spiritual practice, the less the influence of the three components in dictating our personalities, choices and actions. In the final stages of our spiritual growth when the light of the Soul illuminates us almost completely, we live our lives in complete unison with God’s will and the three components are diluted and exert a negligible influence on our personalities. The exception to this is a subtle sorcerer who may have a lot of spiritual strength due to undertaking spiritual practice for evil reasons but is predominantly tamasik. These attributes are not mutually exclusive. For example, a certain sattvik person may need 9 hours of sleep or a tamasik person may have a virtue like tolerance. But the person’s nature is decided by the overall sum total of the virtues and defects. Hence one should not decide about oneself or others based on one or two characteristics but the overall picture needs to be taken into consideration. Also it is very rare that a person is found to be entirely sattvik, rajasik or tamasik. Mostly a person is either sattva-raja or raja-sattva or raja-tamapredomina nt. A sattva-raja person would have characteristics of both sattva and raja in almost similar proportion with predominance of sattva. In the case of a raja-sattva person it would be just opposite. Depending on the subtle component that is most predominant within a person, they will accordingly display that type of personality. However as much one may dress up or camouflage oneself behind expensive clothes and accessories and sophisticated small talk, the basic frequencies that one emits will be based on the component that is most predominant within one. People with advanced sixth sense can look beyond the external veneer that people project to the world and pick up these subtle and intangible frequencies. As a result, they can easily tell a person’s basic nature i.e. sattvik, rajasik or tamasik and the characteristics that they are most likely to display.

A true litmus test of one’s predominant component is when one is left to themselves. According to their behaviour in a situation when they are not monitored a person generally shows their true colours. The following example will help crystallise this point. Let us take an example of a class of students in the 4th grade. They are a noisy, rowdy bunch, with a teacher who tries hard to discipline them. If the teacher's voice is very firm she has a fair chance of keeping the class quiet. As a result, the class is quiet only in her presence. However the moment she leaves the class they are back to their mischievous ways. This is because these children are basically rajasik and tamasik in nature. If on the other hand there is a sattvik child in the class and his fellow students try to enlist his participation in some incorrect act like bullying, playing a nasty prank or indulging in cheating, the child would absolutely not be able to comply as his basic nature is sattvik. He is more likely to get a knot in his stomach, than enjoy whatever his classmates were suggesting. He would not be able to live with himself if he did any incorrect act. Thus rather than superficially trying to change children through moral value lectures, a permanent change could be found if they were encouraged to do spiritual practice and were brought up in a spiritually conducive environment which would increase their sattva component. Everything around us can be categorised as sattvik, rajasik or tamasik depending on the predominant subtle component that they are made up off. The predominant subtle component in anything can only be measured by one’s sixth sense (ESP). here are the various facets of the world we live in and the dominant subtle component. Depending on whether we are sattvik, rajasik or tamasik individuals, we will gravitate towards sattvik, rajasik or tamasik. Also by associating ourselves with the various components increases the component within us.

All of us emit sattva, raja or tama frequencies depending on which subtle component is predominant. The more the sattva component within us the better our personalities, the higher the sustainable success and contentment in our career, relationships and lives. The sattva component can be increased through spiritual practice along with dissociating oneself from raja and tama influences as much as possible. The company that we keep is a strong influence in helping us in our spiritual practice. Ghosts take advantage of tama predominant environment and people to carry out their activities of harming society and reducing Righteousness in the world. Ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) are primarily raja and tama predominant. Ghosts that are lower in the hierarchy i.e. below 50% spiritual strength such as common ghosts are raja-tama predominant. Ghosts that are higher in the hierarchy i.e. above the 50% spiritual strength such as sorcerer from the 6th and 7th region of Hell are tama-raja predominant. As ghosts are raja-tama predominant, they frequent raja-tama environments on Earth as they are most likely to find raja-tama predominant people there. These like minded people are ideal targets for possession and carrying out the plans of ghosts on Earth. In other words, a person who is predominantly tamasik and who has a liking for harming others stands a high risk of being controlled by ghosts to harm society. The principle behind protecting oneself against a ghost is to increase one’s sattvikta. As ghosts are tama predominant they cannot tolerate highsattvik environments or people. It is for this reason they simply cannot possess a higher level Saint or a Guru.