Gunas or Qualities : An Ayurvedic perspective (आयुर्वेदे गुणाः)

The word guna (Samskrit: गुणाः) literally translates to values, virtues, qualities etc. In Ayurveda, guna is one among the 6 padarthas (dravya, guna, karma, samanya vishesha and samavaya) accepted by Ayurveda which are essential to bring dhatu samyata (good health) in the body. Guna is a quality/property of a dravya (substance). The dravyas (substance) can only perform different karma (actions) because of the presence of specific guna (quality) in them.

Etymology

The word guna is derived from

“Guna Amantrane”

which translates as 'to attract or invite'. The Guna (quality) is that property of a substance to which one gets attracted towards that substance. In short, guna is the criteria for selection of any dravya (substance) for use to get desired action and result.

Definition

The term guna has been defined at many places in Ayurveda treatises. Although the concept of guna as one of the padartha is similar to Darshana shastras there are some minute differences owing to the nature of Ayurveda where their practical application is highly important in the treatment and diagnosis parts.

• ...समवायी तु निश्चेष्टः कारणं गुणः||५१|| Cha Su 1. 51

That which is in perpetual co inherence with the dravya(substance) and which is motionless, or which is devoid of action is termed as guna.

• समवायोऽपृथग्भावो भूम्यादीनां गुणैर्मतः| स नित्यो यत्र हि द्रव्यं न तत्रानियतो गुणः|| (cha. Su. 1/50)

There is perpetual and inseparable relationship of a dravya with its guna. There is no existence of dravya without its guna, thus this relationship is eternal and hence a dravya(substance) cannot exist or act without its guna(properties)

Types

Acharya chakrapani has categorised guna in three ways,

          …. अनेन त्रिविधा अपि वैशेषिकाः सामान्या आत्मगुणाश्चोद्दिष्टाः (cha. Su. 1.49)

1. Vaisheshik guna
2. Samanya guna. Which is further classified into,
   1. Guruvaadi guna
   2. Paradi guna
3. Atmaguna

For better understanding of gunas, Acharya charka in sutrasthana has described two basic categories of guna. The total number of gunas is believed to be 41.

सार्था गुर्वादयो बुद्धिः प्रयत्नान्ताः परादयः| गुणाः प्रोक्ताः ...|४९| Cha Su 1. 49

“अर्थाः शब्दादयो ज्ञेया गोचरा विषया गुणाः” (शा.अ.१) इति| Cha. Sha 1 , Cha su 1.49 Chakra com

Meaning:

Sr No	Sartha	Gurvadi (A.H.1.18)	Paradi
1	Shabda	Guru	Paratva
2	Sparsha	Laghu	Aparatva
3	Rupa	Manda	Yukti
4	Rasa	Teekshna	Samkhya
5	Gandha	Shita	Samyoga
6		Ushna	Vibhaga
7		Snigdha	Pruthakatva
8		Ruksha	Pariman
9		Shlakshna	Samskara
10		Khara	Abhyasa
11		Sandra
12		Drava
13		Mrudu
14		Kathina
15		Sthira
16		Chala
17		Sukshma
18		Sthula
19		Vishada
		Picchila

Brief Explanation about gunas

All the gunas included in 3 categories are useful for assessing the imbalances in the body, diagnosing and planning management.

Guruvadi guna

Gurvadi gunas refer to the 20 gunas starting from 'Guru' which is the first in order. Among these 20 gunas, there are 10 pairs of gunas having exactly opposite property to each other. guru-laghu, manda-tikshna, hima-ushna, snigdha-ruksha, shlakshna-khara, sandra-drava, mrudu-kathin, sthira-chala are these 10 pairs comprising of total 20 gunas. Each of the gurvadi gunas and its unique panchamahabhuta composition is described in the table below.

Guna	Karma (Required for this activity)	Panchamahabhuta dominance
Guru(heavy)	Nourishing, strengthening, increasing mass	prthvi and jala
Laghu(light)		Akasha, vayu, agni
Sheeta(cold)		Jala, vayu
Ushna(hot)		agni
Snigdha(unctuous)		Jala
Ruksha(dry)		Vayu, agni
Manda(mild)		Prthvi, jala
Teekshna(sharp)		Agni
Sthira(stable)		Prthvi
Sara(unstable)		Jala, vayu
Mrudu(soft)		jala
Kathina(hard)		Prthvi
Vishada(non-slimy)		Vayu
Picchila(slimy)		Jala,vayu
Slakshna(smooth)		Jala
Khara(rough)		vaayu
Sukshma(tiny)		agni, vayu and akasha
Sthula(coarse)		Prthvi
Saandra(solid)		Prthvi
Drava(liquid)		Jala

Guru guna(heaviness)

The quality of a dravya which is brimhana in nature and (A.H SU.1.18.HEM)

Bhautitkta

There is prithvi and jala mahabhuta dominance in guru guna.

(madhura rasa,Madhur vipaka and sheeta veerya have guru guna)

Laghu (A.H SU.1.18.HEM)

The quality of a dravya which brings lightness to the body is laghu guna.

Bhautikta

There is Akasha, vaayu, agni mahabhuta dominance in laghu guna.

Sheeta guna (

That which brings coldness in the body is sheeta guna

Bhautitkatva

Jala and vayu are the mahabhuta dominant in sheeta guna.

Ushna

That which increases warmth or hotness inside the body is ushna guna. This property is also responsible for producing sweat in body.

Bhautikatva

There is agni mahabhuta dominance in ushna guna

Snigdha

That which produces unctuousness and softness in body is Snigdha guna.

Bhautikatva

There is jala mahabhuta predominance in snigdha guna

Ruksha

The quality of a dravya responsible for producing dryness in the body is ruksha guna.

Bhautikatva

There is vayu and agni dominance in ruksha guna

Manda

That which is responsible for pacifying the increased dosha is manda guna.

Bhautikatva

There is prithvi and jala mahabhuta predominance in manda guna.

Teekshna (sharp)

That which is responsible for purificatory actions is teekshna guna. (A.H.su.1.18)

Bhautikatva

There is agni mahabhuta predominance in teekshna guna

Sthira (stability)

That which brings about stability in the body and helps maintaining it is sthira guna.

Bhautikatva

There is prithvi mahabhuta dominant in this guna.

Sara (mobility)

That which brings about mobility or instability in the body is sara guna.

Bhautikatva

There is jala and vayu mahabhuta predominance in this guna.

Mrudu(soft)

That which brings softness in the body is mrudu guna.

Bhautikatva

There is jala mahanbhuta predominance in this guna.

Kathina(hard)

That which produces stiffness and toughness in the body is kathina guna.

Bhautikatva

There is pritvi mahabhuta predominance in this guna.

Vishada

That which has strength to clean or wash down the sliminess is vishada guna.

Bhautikatva

There is prithvi, vaayu mahabhuta dominance in this guna

Adhyatmik guna

In ref with tarka samgraha

Iccha

इच्छा कामः॥

Any kind of desire, wish or intentions is known as iccha.

Dvesha

क्रोधो द्वेषः॥

Any kind of anger leads to dvesha or enimity.

Praytna

कृतिः प्रयत्नः॥

A deed to be done or action leading an outcome is praytna.

Sukha

सर्वेषामनुकूलतया वेदनीयं सुखम्॥

Paradi Guna

परापरत्वे युक्तिश्च सङ्ख्या संयोग एव च| विभागश्च पृथक्त्वं च परिमाणमथापि च||२९||

संस्कारोऽभ्यास इत्येते गुणा ज्ञेयाः परादयः| (char. sutr.26.29)

Paratva

तच्च परत्वं प्रधानत्वम्,

Paratva means superiority.This guna is essential while selecting a particular specie of dravya in treatment as of which is superior.

Aparavtva(inferiority)

अपरत्वम् अप्रधानत्वम्|

The opposite of paratva is aparatva, which means inferior. Again, a dravya which is inferior in specie is apara, thus this helps while selecting a dravya.

Yukti (rationality)

युक्तिश्च योजना या तु युज्यते|| (char. sutr.26.31)

युक्तिश्चेत्यादौ योजना दोषाद्यपेक्षया भेषजस्य समीचीनकल्पना|| (char. sutr.26.31, chakra)

Considering dosha etc aspects the rational application of a dravya for treatment is yukti.

Sankhya (number)

सङ्ख्या स्याद्गणितं (chr. sutr.26.32)

Enumeration of any dravya, disease, etc is sankhya.

Sanyoga

योगः सह संयोग उच्यते

The conjunction between two dravya is known as sanyoga.

It is further of 3 types,

द्रव्याणां द्वन्द्वसर्वैककर्मजोऽनित्य एव च|

Dvandvakarmaja

Sarvakarmaja

Ekakarmaja

Vibhaga(disjunction)

Disjunction is known as vibhaga.

द्रव्याणां द्वन्द्वसर्वैककर्मजोऽनित्य एव च|

Its is of 3 types

Vibhakti

Viyog

Bhagasho graha

Pruthakatva (separate)

पृथक्त्वं तु ‘इदं द्रव्यं पटलक्षणं, घटात् पृथग्’ इत्यादिका बुद्धिर्यतो भवति

The property which separates one dravya from another is pruthakatva.

पृथक्त्वं स्यादसंयोगो वैलक्षण्यमनेकता||

It is of further 3 types

Asamyoga

Vaylakshanya

Anekata

Parimaan (measurement)

मानं प्रस्थाढकादितुलादिमेयम्

The weight or length etc of dravya must be measured, which is with the help of parimaan guna.

Sanskar(processing)

The guna because of which there is conversion in the form of  dravya due to application of a certain process is sanskar.

Vaisheshika darshana states 3 types of sanskar,

संस्कारस्त्रिविधो वेगो भावना स्थितिस्थापकश्च| (prashastapada)

Veg(impulse)

Bhavana(impression)

Sthithisthapak(elasticity)

Abhayasa (practice)

भावाभ्यसनमभ्यासः शीलनं सततक्रिया|

Usage or practice of a same dravya or padhrtha again and again is abhayasa

Adhyatmik guna

In ref with tarka samgraha

Iccha

इच्छा कामः॥

Any kind of desire, wish or intentions is known as iccha.

Dvesha

क्रोधो द्वेषः॥

Any kind of anger leads to dvesha or enimity.

Praytna

कृतिः प्रयत्नः॥

A deed to be done or action leading an outcome is praytna.

Sukha

सर्वेषामनुकूलतया वेदनीयं सुखम्॥

The pleasant effect or feeling is sukha.

Dukkha

सर्वेषां प्रतिकूलतया वेदनीयं दुःखम्॥

That which causes unpleasant feeling is dukkha.

Buddhi

Buddhi is intelligence,

It is further of 2 types,

Nitya

Anitya

Guna importance in chikitsa

There is presence of guruvaadi guna in shareera dhatus, and in the same way in aushadh dravya and ahara(food). (char. shar.6.10)

When there is guru guna ahaara or aushadhi dravya consumption there is increase in that guna(property) of that particular dhatu.and in the same way if there is laghu guna ahara or aushadhi consumption there is decrease in guru guna of the dhatu, and increases the laghu guna(lightness), thus the guna also act against each other. (char. shar.6.10)

In the similar way gunas can be utilized for planning treatment based on the above principle, for example usage of mamsa rasa (meat soup) in mamsa dhatu kshaya. (char. shar.6.10)

Guna being an inseparable aspect of dravya can only be inferred through the depiction of their actions i.e through its karma.(su.su.46.514)

In obesity, aushadhi dravya of laghu, ruksha etc guna can be used according to various ayurvedic parameters () to reduce weight. Also, the ahara(food) or pathya or diet planning can be done based on above said guna.

Similarly, Various karma(action) or therapeutic procedures can be planned considering the dhatu guna and the aushadhi and ahara dravya guna.

Vishishta guna like shabda, sparsha etc are are indriya specific (sensory organ related) and are also used as parameters of patient examination as well.

Adhyatmik guna like sukha,dukkha etc , also have an impact on overall health of patient. For example, when there is happiness(sukha)experienced by patient the the aushadh or ahara dravya gets digested properly and overall health is in good state.

While opting for an herb for chikitsa purpose, one must consider the guna of a dravya, alongside rasa, veerya vipaka etc for the desired otcome.

Guna(properties) are not situated within themselves, thus a physician must consider the gunas of rasas as the gunas of dravyas. (ch.su.26.36)