Three strands of nature
In Sankhya philosophy and the Bhagavad Gita, everything in prakriti — nature, including our own bodies and minds — is woven from three gunas, "strands" or "qualities". They are always mixed; what differs is which one dominates at a given moment.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ — Gita 14.5
"Sattva, rajas and tamas — these qualities born of nature bind the imperishable soul to the body, O mighty-armed one."
Recognising them
- Sattva — clarity, harmony, light. In the mind: calm, understanding, contentment, kindness. In action: doing what is right because it is right.
- Rajas — passion, activity, desire. In the mind: ambition, restlessness, craving, attachment to results. In action: driven, busy, competitive work.
- Tamas — inertia, darkness, dullness. In the mind: laziness, confusion, heedlessness, oversleeping. In action: doing harm, or doing nothing.
Each has its place — rajas gets things done, tamas lets the body rest — but the Gita teaches cultivating sattva, because clarity is what makes good choices possible.
Gunas in food
Chapter 17 of the Gita describes food by guna. Sattvic food is fresh, juicy, nourishing and pleasing, increasing life, strength, health and joy. Rajasic food is very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent or dry, and brings pain and agitation. Tamasic food is stale, tasteless, putrid or leftover and impure. This is the root of the "sattvic diet" kept on vrats and in many households.
Beyond all three
The Gita does not stop at sattva. Even sattva binds — through attachment to happiness and knowledge. Krishna asks Arjuna to become trigunatita, one who has gone beyond the three gunas: who sees them as nature's play, remains even in pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour, and is unmoved — the free Self watching the movement of the strands. Unwavering devotion, he says, is the way across.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three gunas?
Sattva (clarity and harmony), rajas (passion and activity) and tamas (inertia and dullness).
Which guna is best?
Sattva is to be cultivated, but the ultimate goal in the Gita is to go beyond all three gunas.
What is sattvic food?
Fresh, wholesome, nourishing food that increases health and clarity, as described in Gita chapter 17.
Can a person's guna change?
Yes. The balance of gunas shifts with food, company, habits and practice; spiritual discipline aims to increase sattva.
What does trigunatita mean?
"Gone beyond the three gunas" — a person who remains steady and free while the gunas play.