Word of the day: guNa

definition:

guNa m. ( %{grah} Un2.) a single thread or strand of a cord or twine (e.g. %{tri-g-} q.v.) , string or thread , rope TS. vii Mr2icch. Kum. Ragh. ; a garland W. ; a bow-string R. iii , 33 , 16 (%{cApa-}) Ragh. ix , 54 R2itus. Hit. ; (in geom.) a sinew ; the string of a musical instrument , chord S3is3. iv , 57: ifc. (f. %{A}) with numerals `” fold , times “‘ (see %{ca4tur-} , %{tri-} , %{daza-} , %{dvi4-} , %{paJca-} ; rarely the numeral stands by itself along with %{guNa4} [e.g. %{viziSTo@dazabhir@guNaiH} , `" of ten times higher value "' Mn. ii , 85] AV. x , 8 , 43 MBh. iii , 15649 Hariv. 509 ; [%{guNa} = %{bhAga}] Pa1n2. 5-2 , 47 Ka1s3.) ; a multiplier , co-efficient (in alg.) ; subdivision , species , kind (e.g. %{gandhasya@guNAH} , the different kinds of smell MBh. xii , 6847) ; the 6 subdivisions of action for a king in foreign politics (viz. peace , war , march , halt , stratagem , and recourse to the protection of a mightier king) Mn. vii , 160 Ya1jn5. i , 346 MBh. ii , 155 ; = %{upA7ya} (q.v. , denoting the 4 ways of conquering an enemy) R. v , 81 , 41 ; `” requisite “‘ see %{-No7pe7ta} ; a secondary element , subordinate or unessential part of any action (e.g. %{sarva-g-} mfn. `” reaching to all subordinate parts “‘ , hence `” valid throughout “‘ Ka1tyS3r.) S3a1n3khS3r. A1s3vS3r. Ka1tyS3r. R. v , 1 , 71 ; an auxiliary act S3a1n3khBr. xxvi , 4 ; a secondary dish (opposed to %{anna} i.e. rice or the chief dish) , side-dish Mn. iii , 224 ff. ; (= %{-karman} , in Gr.) the secondary or less immediate object of an action Pa1n2. 1-4 , 51 Sch. ; a quality , peculiarity , attribute or property La1t2y. S3a1n3khGr2. Mn. iii , ix , &c. ; an attribute of the 5 elements (each of which has its own peculiar quality or qualities as well as organ of sense ; thus 1. ether has %{zabda} , or sound for its Gun2a and the ear for its organ ; 2. the air has tangibility and sound for its Gun2as and the skin for its organ ; 3. fire or light has shape or colour , tangibility , and sound for its Gun2as , and the eye for its organs ; 4. water has flavour , shape , tangibility , and sound for its Gun2as , and the tongue for its organ ; 5. earth has the preceding Gun2as , with the addition of its own peculiar Gun2a of smell , and the nose for its organ) Mn. i , 20 and 76-78 MBh. xii , 6846 ff. S3ak. i , 1 BhP. iii , 5 , 35 ; (in S3a1m2khya phil.) an ingredient or constituent of Prakr2iti , chief quality of all existing beings (viz. %{sattva} , %{rajas} , and %{tamas} i.e. goodness , passion , and darkness , or virtue , foulness , and ignorance ; cf. RTL. pp. 31 ; 36 ; 163) Mn. i ; iii , 40 ; xii , 24 ff. Sa1m2khyak. Bhag. xiii f. ; (hence) the number `” three “‘ VarBr2S. iic , 1 ; a property or characteristic of all created things (in Nya1ya phil. twenty-four Gun2as are enumerated , viz. 1. %{rUpa} , shape , colour ; 2. %{rasa} , savour ; 3. %{gandha} , odour ; 4. %{sparza} , tangibility ; 5. %{saMkhyA} , number ; 6. %{parimANa} , dimension ; 7. %{pRthaktva} , severalty ; 8. %{saMyoga} , conjunction ; 9. %{vibhAga} , disjunction ; 10. %{paratva} , remoteness ; 11. %{aparatva} , proximity ; 12. %{gurutva} , weight ; 13. %{dravatva} , fluidity ; 14. %{sneha} , viscidity ; 15. %{zabda} , sound ; 16. %{buddhi} or %{jJAna} , understanding or knowledge ; 17. %{sukha} , pleasure ; 18. %{duHkha} , pain ; 19. %{icchA} , desire ; 20. %{dveSa} , aversion ; 21. %{prayatna} , effort ; 22. %{dharma} , merit or virtue ; 23. %{adharma} , demerit ; 24. %{saMskAra} , the self-reproductive quality) ; an epithet Ka1tyS3r. ; good quality , virtue , merit , excellence Mn. MBh. &c. ; the merit of composition (consistency , elegance of expression , &c.) Ka1vya7d. i , 41 f. Kpr. viii Sa1h. viii ; the peculiar properties of the letters (11 in number , viz. the 8 %{bAhya-prayatnAs} [q.v.] and the 3 accents) Ka1s3. on Pa1n2. 1-1 , 9 and 50 (cf. %{-mAtra}) ; the first gradation of a vowel , the vowels %{a} (with %{ar} , %{al} Pa1n2. 1-1 , 51) , %{e} , %{o} Nir. x , 17 RPra1t. xi , 6 Pa1n2. ; an organ of sense L. ; a cook (cf. %{-kAra}) L. ; Bhi1ma-sena (cf. %{-kAra}) L. ; (%{A}) f. Sanseviera Roxburghiana L. ; the plant %{mAMsarohiNI} L. ; N. of a princess Ra1jat. iv , 695 (cf. %{nir-} , %{vi-} , %{sa-} ; %{gauNa}.)

sattvam rajas tama iti gunaahah prakrti sambhavaahah

nibandhnanti mahaabaaho dehe dehinam avyayam (Bhagavad Giita, 14)

(The qualities born of material nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas, bind the Imperishable Embodied One (the aatman) in the body, O Arjuna.)

It’s important to remember that the three qualities of physical life here on the planet all basically do a negative thing of binding the aatman to the body, as described above.

You have a choice though, between sattva, rajas, and tamas, the distinctions of which are very important. But ultimately, as the Yoga Sutras say, one should go beyond even the best of these, sattva.

nistraigunyo bhavaarjuna

Be without the three gunas, O Arjuna (Bhagavad Giitaa, 2.45)

” See that your disturbing emotions and concepts exist only in relative reality. They do not exist in genuine reality, and ultimately
they are self-liberated. See that it is the same for all contradictions and conflicting appearances—they exist only in relative
reality; ultimately, their nature is self-liberated equality. So whatever manifests in your life, look directly at the essence of mind in that very moment, and let go and relax in its true nature, unborn, beyond conceptual fabrication, inexpressible. ”
-Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche