Tamas (तमः)

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The word Tamas is commonly used to indicate Darkness in samskrit. Tamas (तमः) is one of the Trigunas. It is also believed to be one of the doshas of manas (mind). Commonly, this term refers to not just the absence of light in external environment but some obstruction in mind or senses that inhibits an individual to gain real knowledge of the situation either internal or external. Therefore it is also used as synonym for terms that indicate ignorance or error. However it is the characteristic quality of manas or mind according to Ayurveda while mode of material energy according to other bharatiya shastras.

Tamas according to Bhagwad gita

Bhagavad Gita (भगवद्गीता) is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, narrated in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. In the 14th discourse of Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna narrates the role of Trigunas in one's life. At this place, Tamas guna has been described by lord Krishna.

तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्।

प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत॥14- 8॥

tamastvajñānajaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarvadehinām।

pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti bhārata॥14- 8॥

Meaning: Tamas guṇa, is born of ignorance. It is the cause of illusion for the embodied souls. It deludes all living beings through errors or negligence, laziness, and sleep.

अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च।

तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥14- 13॥

aprakāśo'pravr̥ttiśca pramādo moha eva ca।

tamasyetāni jāyante vivr̥ddhe kurunandana ॥14- 13॥

Meaning: Tamo guṇa results in delusion of the intellect, laziness, errors in decision making and inappropriate understanding of the situation.

Tamas guna obstructs the pathways of knowledge. It clouds wisdom and binds one to delusion. This makes one lose discrimination of what is right and what is wrong. Thus when such tamas guna overpowers Sattva and rajas guna in an individual, the person resorts to immoral behavior for full-filling the self will without hesitation. They tend to neglect their duties as the duties appear burdensome. The person becomes lazy, sleepy, negligent and commit mistakes repeatedly. Tamas guna makes person get pleasure through sleep, laziness, intoxication, violence, and gambling. Ultimately the person becomes incapable to understand the real purpose of life, the goal in life, its spiritual identity and also fails to follow dhrama or the right path to live. Thus that Purusha goes deeper into the darkness due to its mode of ignorance and loses the opportunity for progress that human form can provide.

मनोदोषः तमः ॥ Tamas as dosha of manas

In Samskrit guna indicate virtue while dosha is considered its antonym which refers to defect in something. Although Tamas is included under Trigunas, Ayurveda identifies it as one of the doshas. Since tamas guna is antithesis to Sattva guna and causes obstruction to real knowledge, Ayurveda considers it as a dosha of manas. Tamas obstructs the knowledge pathway and makes person create mistakes thus it is referred to as Dosha of manas along with Rajas. Sattva is considered as the pure virtue of mind.

रजस्तमश्च मनसो द्वौ च दोषावुदाहृतौ॥ (Asht Hrud 1.21)

rajastamaśca manaso dvau ca doṣāvudāhr̥tau॥

Meaning: Rajas and Tamas are considered as 2 doshas of manas.

मनसि तमोबाहुल्यलक्षणानि ॥ Signs of Tamas dominance in manas:

When Tamas dosha overpowers sattva and rajas in manas, the person shows peculiar behavior. The mind, body, emotions and behavior of the person which hints towards Tamas dominance is described by Ayurveda acharyas as below.

तामसान्यज्ञानं विषादः प्रमादो निद्राऽऽलस्यं क्षुत्तृष्णा

शोको मात्सर्यं विप्रतिपत्तिः परातिसन्धानं सत्त्वगुण-

वैपरीत्यं च॥ (Asht Samg 5.21)

tāmasānyajñānaṁ viṣādaḥ pramādo nidrā''lasyaṁ kṣuttr̥ṣṇā

śoko mātsaryaṁ vipratipattiḥ parātisandhānaṁ sattvaguṇa-

vaiparītyaṁ ca॥ (Asht Samg 5.21)

Meaning: Delusion, Depression, errors or wrong decisions, sleepiness, laziness, excess hunger, excess thirst, grief, jealousy, erroneous perception, cheating behavior and everything that is opposite to virtue sattva in a human being is caused by Tamas dosha of mind.

Tamasika prakruti signs

तामसास्तु- विषादित्वं नास्तिक्यमधर्मशीलता बुद्धेर्निरोधोऽज्ञानं दुर्मेधस्त्वमकर्मशीलता निद्रालुत्वं चेति ||१८|| Su sha 1/18

तामस मद लक्षणानि॥ Signs when the person with Tamas dominance is intoxicated:

अशौचनिद्रामात्सर्यागम्यागमनलोलताः।

असत्यभाषणं चापि कुर्याद्धि तामसे मदः॥ (Sush Samh 45.209)

aśaucanidrāmātsaryāgamyāgamanalolatāḥ।

asatyabhāṣaṇaṁ cāpi kuryāddhi tāmase madaḥ॥ (Sush Samh 45.209)

Tamasa kaya

..तामसांस्तु निबोध मे ||९४||

दुर्मेधस्त्वं मन्दता च स्वप्ने मैथुननित्यता |

निराकरिष्णुता चैव विज्ञेयाः पाशवा गुणाः ||९५||

अनवस्थितता मौर्ख्यं भीरुत्वं सलिलार्थिता |

परस्पराभिमर्दश्च मत्स्यसत्त्वस्य लक्षणम् ||९६||

एकस्थानरतिर्नित्यमाहारे केवले रतः |

वानस्पत्यो नरः सत्त्वधर्मकामार्थवर्जितः ||९७||

इत्येते त्रिविधाः कायाः प्रोक्ता वै तामसास्तथा |९८| Su sha 4

निराकरिष्णुममेधसं ^[१] जुगुप्सिताचाराहरं मैथुनपरं स्वप्नशीलं पाशवं विद्यात् (१)|

भीरुमबुधमाहारलुब्धमनवस्थितमनुषक्तकामक्रोधं सरणशीलं तोयकामं मात्स्यं विद्यात् (२)|

अलसं केवलमभिनिविष्टमाहारे सर्वबुद्ध्यङ्गहीनं वानस्पत्यं विद्यात् (३)|

इत्येवं तामसस्य सत्त्वस्य त्रिविधं भेदांशं विद्यान्मोहांशत्वात्||३९|| Cha sha 4

Rogas originating from Rajas dominance

रजस्तमश्च मानसौ दोषौ|

तयोर्विकाराः कामक्रोधलोभमोहेर्ष्यामानमदशोकचित्तो(न्तो)द्वेगभयहर्षादयः|

तत्र खल्वेषां द्वयानामपि दोषाणां त्रिविधं प्रकोपणं; तद्यथा- असात्म्येन्द्रियार्थसंयोगः, प्रज्ञापराधः, परिणामश्चेति||६|| Cha vi 6/6

Correlation of rajas and tamas

नियतस्त्वनुबन्धो रजस्तमसोः परस्परं, न ह्यरजस्कं तमः प्रवर्तते ^[१] ||९|| Cha vi 6/9

Role of Tamas in Moksha

मोक्षो रजस्तमोऽभावात् बलवत्कर्मसङ्क्षयात्|

वियोगः सर्वसंयोगैरपुनर्भव उच्यते||१४२|| Cha sha 1/142