tamas

American  

[tuhm-uhs] / ˈtʌm əs /

noun

Hinduism.

1. guna

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Other Word Forms

• tamasic adjective

Etymology

Origin of tamas

< Sanskrit: darkness

Example Sentences

The city is suffused with a form of darkness that locals call tamas, which “is inseparable from the chthonic energy of Shiva, the city’s presiding deity, and the god of creative dissolution,” Taseer writes.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 30, 2019

The Brahmana said, 'Do thou truly describe to me, who now duly ask thee, the respective virtues of the qualities of sattwa, rajas, and tamas.'

From The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 Books 1, 2 and 3 by Ganguli, Kisari Mohan

Rajas and tamas represent the bad states of the mind and sattva the good ones.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

It also describes sattva as being light and illuminating, rajas as of the nature of energy and causing motion, and tamas as heavy and obstructing.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath

But sattva, rajas and tamas were accepted in Vedânta in the sense of tendencies and not as reals as Sâ@mkhya held it.

From A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 by Dasgupta, Surendranath