guna

philosophy

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June 29, 2026

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In Indian philosophy, particularly within the Samkhya system, guna refers to one of three primal qualities or elements of matter. These gunas are tamas (darkness, ignorance, inertia), rajas (passion, energy, emotion), and sattva (goodness, illumination, wisdom). They constitute the fundamental nature of prakriti, or matter, and also influence psychological states and personality types. Sattva is considered the highest guna, leading to enlightenment. The Samkhya philosophy posits a dualism between matter (prakriti) and spirit (purusha).123

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Samkhya
…of matter that are called gunas (“qualities”). They make up the prakriti but are further important principally as physiopsychological factors. The first is tamas (“darkness”), which is obscurity, ignorance, and inertia; the second is rajas (“passion”), which is energy, emotion, and expansiveness; and the highest is sattva (“goodness”), which is…
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…of matter that are called gunas (“qualities”). They make up the prakriti but are further important principally as physiopsychological factors. The first is tamas (“darkness”), which is obscurity, ignorance, and inertia; the second is rajas (“passion”), which is energy, emotion, and expansiveness; and the highest is sattva (“goodness”), which is…
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Vaisheshika
Guna, or quality, which in turn is subdivided into 24 species.Karma, or action. Both guna and karma inhere within dravya and cannot exist independently of it.Samanya, or genus, which denotes characteristic similarities that allow two or more objects to be classed together.Vishesha
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Guna, or quality, which in turn is subdivided into 24 species.Karma, or action. Both guna and karma inhere within dravya and cannot exist independently of it.Samanya, or genus, which denotes characteristic similarities that allow two or more objects to be classed together.Vishesha
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