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() refers to the three fundamental tendencies or forces that constitute nature, or the matrix of material existence in Hindu philosophies. It can be translated as "quality, peculiarity, attribute, property". guna Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, Germany guNa Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Köln University, Germany
The concept is originally notable as a feature of Samkhya philosophy.Larson, Gerald James. Classical Samkhya: An Interpretation. p. 37. Referring to the opinions of Surendranath Dasgupta. Quote: "An older school of Samkhya can be seen in the Caraka Samhita and in the doctrines of Pancasikha in Mahabharata 12.219. This school accepted only twenty-four principles. It included purusa within the avyakta prakrti. It had no theory of the gunas, and the ultimate salvation state was a kind of unconscious annihilation." The guṇas are now a key concept in nearly all schools of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, "Guna", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A–M, Vol. 1, Rosen Publishing, , p. 265 There are three guṇas ( triguṇa), according to this worldview, that have always been and continue to be present in all things and beings in the world. These three guṇas are called: (goodness, calmness, harmonious), (passion, activity, movement), and (ignorance, inertia, laziness).Alban Widgery (1930), "The principles of Hindu Ethics", International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 234–237 All of these three guṇas are present in everyone and everything; it is the proportion that is different, according to Hindu worldview. The interplay of these guṇas defines the character of someone or something, of nature and determines the progress of life.
In some contexts, it may mean "a subdivision, species, kind, quality", or an operational principle or tendency of something or someone.Theos Bernard (1999), Hindu Philosophy, Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. 74–76 In human behavior studies, Guna means personality, innate nature, and psychological attributes of an individual.
Like many technical terms in other languages, guṇa can be difficult to encapsulate with a single English word. Its original and common meaning is a thread, implying the original materials that weave together to make up reality. The usual, but approximate translation in common usage is "a quality".Karl H. Potter (2011), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 2: Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology, Motilal Banarsidass, , p. 112
In other contexts, such as phonology, grammar and arts, "Guṇa-" takes the meaning of āmantraṇā (आमन्त्रणा, addressing, invitation) or abhyāsa (अभ्यास, habit, practice). In the Mahabharata Book 6 Chapter 2, the meaning of guṇa similarly comes in the sense of addressing each part (the root implying āmantraṇā), and thereby it means avayava (अवयव, member, subdivision, portion). In Sanskrit treatises on food and cooking, guṇa means quality, tendency and nature of ingredient. Ancient South Indian commentators, such as Lingayasurin, explain that the meaning of guṇa as "thread, string" comes from the root guṇa- in the sense of repetition ( abhyāsa), while the Telugu commentator Mallinatha explains the root guṇa- is to be understood in Sisupalavadha as āmredana (आम्रेडन, reiteration, repetition). Larson and Bhattacharya suggest that the "thread" metaphor relates to that which connects and runs between what we objectively observe to the tattva (तत्त्व, elementary property, principle, invisible essence) of someone or something. tattva Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
In the context of philosophy, morality and understanding nature, "Guna-" with more dental na takes the meaning of addressing quality, substance, tendency and property. In abstract discussion, it includes all hues of qualities – desirable, neutral or undesirable; but if unspecified, it is assumed with good faith to be good and divine in Indian philosophy. Thus, Guṇi from the root "Guṇa-" means someone or something with "divine qualities", as in Svetasvatara Upanishad hymn VI.2.Kapila Vatsyayan, Kalātattvakośa: Manifestation of nature : Sr̥ṣṭi vistāra, Volume 4, Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. 144–148
In Indian philosophy, these qualities are not considered present in an either-or fashion. Rather, everyone and everything has all three, only in different proportions and in different contexts. The living being or substance is viewed as the net result of the joint effect of these three qualities.
According to Samkya school, no one and nothing is either purely Sattvik or purely Rajasik or purely Tamasik. One's nature and behavior constitute a complex interplay of all three guṇas, in varying degrees. In some, the conduct is Rajasik with significant influence of Sattvik guṇa; in some it is Rajasik with significant influence of Tamasik guṇa, and so on.
The balance of Gunas of everything and everyone can change and does. However, change in one quality faces inertia from other two qualities in Indian worldview. Change needs internal or external influence or reinforcement, as knowledge and force to transform. The force to change comes from the Rajas guṇa, the Sattva guṇa empowers one towards harmonious and constructive change, while Tamas guṇa checks or retards the process.
In Indian mythology, Vishnu is envisioned with more Sattva, Brahma with more Rajas, and Shiva seen with all three Gunas.
Nyaya school considers quality as non-repeatable, a conceptual theme not found in Western philosophy where "quality" is presumed to be repeatable. It is also not found in some parallel schools of Hinduism. Repeatability means that the white in one object is same as white in other object, and white means the same thing. Nyaya scholars hold that "whiteness" is a guṇa of "white", but that is different from "whiteness" of an object or living being. To them, white has many hues and the "whiteness" is subjective.
In Laksanavali, an ancient Indian text by Udayana, Guna is discussed with more nuance. For example, he writes, "quality of earth" is specific only if it meets three conditions: it occurs in earth, does not occur in anything that is not earthy, and be a distinctive quality that cannot be described as combination of other qualities.Karl H. Potter (2011), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 2: Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology, Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. 113–114
There are twenty four gunas mentioned in the joint school of Nyaya - Vaisheshika system in the Indian philosophy. For example, the Indian philosopher Prashastapada had mentioned the term gurutva (Sanskrit: गुरुत्व) for the cause of the act of falling, in his commentary text Praśastapādabhāṣya on the Vaisheshika Sutra of Maharshi Kanada. According to him, gurutva is the quality of the Paramanu of prithvi and ap (water). Gurutva is a Sanskrit word made from two terms guru and tva. The term guru has meaning of weight or heaviness. And the term tva is a Sanskrit affix to convert an adjective word into an abstract noun. When the affix term tva is added after the term guru, then the compound word gurutva takes the form of an abstract noun.
In the commentary texts Padarthadharmasamgraha of Prashastapada and Nyayakandali of Shridhara, the Gurutva is an imperceptible quality of the dravyas prithvi and jala. It cannot be perceived by any of the sense organs. It is only inferable from its effect of the falling of substances. Sankara Mishra in his commentary text Upaskara explained the sutra 5.1.7 of the Vaisheshika Sutra which gives the reference of the term gurutva. According to him, gurutva is the cause of falling in the absence of conjunction. He states that the term conjunction indicates every type of impediments. The quality of gurutva is eternal existence in the paramanus of the dravyas so it can't be destroyed. But the effect of gurutva can be neutralised by conjunction, effort and faculty (speed form). When gurutva is interrupted by these, it's effect is neutralised. In the text Vaisheshika Sutra, there is a sutra regarding conjunction as
The Vaisheshika sutra 5.1.7 translates as "In the absence of conjunction, gurutva causes falling effect".
Similarly there is a sutra regarding saṃskāra (speed form) as
The Vaisheshika sutra 5.1.18 translates as "In the absence of propulsive energy generated by action (saṃskāra), gurutva causes falling effect".
In the combined Nyayavaisesika school, the twenty four gunas are divided into two types on the basis of generality and speciality of the gunas. They are sāmānya guṇas (general qualities) and viśeṣa guṇas (special qualities). The gunas which exist in two or more than two dravyas are called as sāmānya guṇas and similarly the gunas which specially exist in only one type of dravya are called as viśeṣa guṇas. Since gurutva exists in the two types of dravyas namely prithvi and jala, so it is classified as a sāmānya guṇa.
On the basis of its existence, it is classified as both eternal and non eternal (evanescent) gunas. It is eternal gunas for the paramanus of the dravyas prithvi and jala. Similarly it is non eternal (evanescent) gunas for composite materials. On the basis of perception, it is classified as atīndriyaguṇas. The atīndriyaguṇas are those gunas which are not perceptible by external sense organs.
Gangesha, a Nyaya scholar, suggests a somewhat different theory, stating that our awareness is of two types – true and false. True awareness is produced when we seek to observe some excellence ( guṇa) in its cause, while false awareness results from observing fault ( dosha) in its cause. In other words, in Gangesha's perspective, the observer's state of mind and attitude affects relational awareness.Karl H. Potter and Sibajiban Bhattacharya (1994), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 6: Indian Philosophical Analysis, Princeton University Press, , pp. 97–117
In Chapters 17 and 18, Bhagavad Gita illustrates various items and actions by their three Guna. For example, three types of charity are discussed, and what makes charity Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic. Similarly, food, relationships, knowledge and actions are detailed in terms of the three Guna. In Chapter 18, for example:
Similarly, knowledge that is attached to object of action, without concern for understanding the cause, without concern for purpose or significance, is Tamasic knowledge; knowledge that is segregated, that considers everything unconnected, individualistic and meaningless is Rajasic; knowledge that sees one being in all beings, that seeks the whole, a unity in diversity, and similarities in the divided components is Sattvic.Christopher Key Chapple, The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, , pp. 681–683
Furthermore, in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna advises Arjuna to transcend the three modes of existence and other forms of dualism.
Guna theory's perspective on values constituting human personality is unique yet congruent with other ethical theories.M Innes-Brown and S Chatterjee (1999), The Relevance of the Guna Theory in the Congruence of Eastern Values and Western Management Practice, Journal of Human Values, 5(2): 93–102
Guṇa is also a concept in Ayurvedic medicine, as a system to assess conditions and diets. For this reason Triguṇa and Dosha are considered to be related in the traditions of Ayurveda.
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