What is the sattva, rajas, & tamas meaning?
Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas meaning matters to every human being on earth because of their importance in understanding and feeding the health system and overall human body, according to Ayurveda and yoga.
Both Ayurveda and yoga are very much built around the concepts of these three Gunas.
What do Sattva, Rajas and Tamas basically mean?
The qualities and nature of food. Every guna has a unique value and understanding these values
Just like our body has three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, the food can be grouped under these categories of sattva, rajas, and tamas Gunas.
These three Gunas evolve the whole universe, among us.
These 3 Gunas define the difference between which is present in existence, and one which is just an illusion and the inclination towards the illusion.
In the entire universe, it is only our soul that is unchangeable, and apart from that everything else changes.
And in every other thing of the universe, these three Gunas are present. The guna of a particular thing is described by the domination of a specific guna in it.
They help us to understand how external factors affect our lifestyle. Which we choose by the food we have, the habits we practice, and the people we are with.
Lets begin by learning about Sattva first:
Sattva means pure, simple, truth, honesty, clean and attentive.
Practicing Sattva gives us relief from Maya (illusions) and brings consciousness in our mindset, and helps us to be practical in what we are and where we are.
Rajas is the second guna:
Which represents itself as air, volatile, active, and urgent.
Rajas is a lifestyle that is carried by desire and passion to achieve something in life.
Rajas was described as the most founded guna in Kings. A person who is very passionate to achieve something who is cautious but only towards his goals and desires.
The last one Tamas:
We enter into Tamas when we are impure in way of living life, mental darkness, unclear, and a whole set of negativity.
It is a form when a person enters into inertia and contradiction.
This happens, in case if we’re eating food made by someone who is unhappy, angry, depressed. Then, these characteristics get into our bodies and impart the same mindset and lifestyle.
This could also happen, due to oversleeping, overeating, and addiction towards something.
Bhagvad Gita on the Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas meaning
A quote from Bhagavad Gita about these gunas:
“When one rises above the three Gunas that originate in the body;
one is freed from birth, old age, disease, and death; and attains enlightenment”
Once a person overcomes all 3 Gunas, then a person overcomes Maya (illusions) and attains purusha (Reality)
We as modern humans are very much indulged towards the benefits of society and its works.
And it becomes tougher to practice to be pure, clear, and truthful always, but we can change the way we live with the help of food we eat, habits we develop, and friends we make.
So being truthful and fair to yourself is very much more important than being truthful towards society and its deeds.
Yoga teaches us that graduating to reality from illusion is from the route of purity, truth, and enlightenment.
Which guna does your body posses?
The guna which is dominant in you. Every human body has all three Gunas. But your body’s guna is determined by the guna which is dominant.
And if you want any specific guna to be dominant, and is not currently dominant in your body then you must eat the majority of food of that guna.
Eg: if your body is tamasic and what you aspire is rajasic guna, then you must have more rajasic food and avoid tamasic food as much.
Also be with more rajasic people, and things which are rajasic.
The Gunas affect your behavior, thought process, and many other aspects of your personality.
