17
votes
Accepted
Do the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) cleanly map onto the 3 gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)?
There are different perspectives. This is an advaita perspective (the belief that all Gods are One.)
What are the three gunas
The three gunas are:
Tamas - this is the quality of laziness, darkness (...
- 4,317
14
votes
Are the 3 gunas mentioned in the Vedas?
Yes, there is reference to the Tri GunAs in the Vedas.
See the following Mantra from Atharva Veda (AV):
Pundarikam navadwAram (1) Tribhir gunebhirAvritam (2) Tasmin yad
yakshamAtmanvat (3) Tad ...
- 107k
14
votes
Under what guna is Maya categorised?
Maya can't be categorised as Satva, Raja or Tama. Actually Maya is the source of these three Gunas or Gunas are work of Maya. Following verses from Vivekachudamani describes the nature of Maya:
...
- 25.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Did Swami Vivekananda eat fish and meat before he turned a sannyasi? Did he continue eating fish and meat after?
Before turning into a Sannyasin, there is a greater possibility that Swamiji might have taken the fish at least as it is a chief diet in Bengal.
After becoming a Sannyasin; when Swamiji was in ...
- 1,047
11
votes
Is "Tamas" always something negative?
The Samkhya Darshana has provided the best explanation about the 3 Gunas according to me. It is also one of the ancient scriptures to talk about these Gunas (it is the 1st among the 6 Darshanas).
...
- 107k
10
votes
Accepted
Which scripture describes six kalyana gunas (auspicious attributes) of Vishnu?
Vishnu Purana in 6.5.74 states:
"ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य धर्मस्य यशसरिश्रयः।
ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा ।।"
Complete splendor, virtue, glory, opulence, knowledge, dispassion - these ...
- 46.3k
9
votes
How to progress spiritually without discrimination?
Krishna says in the Gita (IV. 34.) Swami Nikhilananda translator:
Learn it by prostration, by inquiry and by service. The wise, who have seen the Truth, will teach you that Knowledge.
And the ...
- 23.1k
9
votes
If a brahmin has qualities of sudra should he be prohibited from duties of a brahmin?
Yaksha asked Yudhishtir the following question-
राजन् कुलेन वृत्तेन स्वाध्यायेन शृतेन वा।
ब्राह्मण्यं केन भवति? प्रब्रूह्मोतत्सुनिश्चितं
Meaning: King, how does one become a Brahmin: by birth? ...
- 15.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Under what guna is Maya categorised?
Maya is the mother of the three Gunas as rightly said by Rohith under your question. So, she/it can not be categorized under one particular Guna.
I have selected few passages from the Devi Bhagavata ...
- 107k
8
votes
Accepted
Using Tamasic vegetables(Onion, Garlic mainly of significance here) in temples
There is no mention of any prohibition of herbs like onion/garlic in Ayurveda. Infact Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana Chapter 27) encourages the use of these herbs.
श्लेष्मलोमारुतघ्नश्चपलाण्डुर्नचपि...
- 4,320
8
votes
Is "Tamas" always something negative?
According to Kaśamīrī Śaivism, the ultimate reality has jñāna (cognitive apprehension), kriyā (activity) and icchā (will, as the Vedic proclamation "May I become many"). When the ultimate ...
- 15.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Is Rajo guna the reason for allowing kings to have multiple wives?
According to the Smritis, how many wives a person can have depends on his Varna.
´There are four classes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Of
these, according to the order of the classes, ...
- 107k
7
votes
Accepted
Can anyone with Rajo or Tamo Guna predominant be devotee of Sri Vishnu?
I. Can one with predominance of Rajas and Tamas worship Lord Vishnu?
Yes. Those with Rajasic and Tamasic Guna predominance can become devotees of Vishnu. Where Vishnu is considered the Supreme, though ...
- 9,333
6
votes
Do the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) cleanly map onto the 3 gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)?
Vishnu and Rudra are Satvic and Tamasic respectively only in view of activities and in nature they are inverse to this. Brahma is always Rajasic. This is explained in Chapter Sixteen: Description of ...
- 30.5k
6
votes
Classification of Mahapuranas on the three Gunas Sat, Rajas and Tamas
Since you mentioned other scriptural references, I am quoting what Garuda Purana says on the classification of Puranas according to Gunas.
Garuda Purana classify Puranas according to Gunas in ...
- 3,823
6
votes
Accepted
Are the 3 gunas mentioned in the Vedas?
Yes The three gunas is mentioned in Maitri upanishad here
Fifth Prapathaka
In the beginning 5 darkness (tamas) alone was this. It was in the Highest, and, moved by the Highest, it becomes uneven ...
- 5,068
6
votes
If a brahmin has qualities of sudra should he be prohibited from duties of a brahmin?
Here is statement of Lord Maheswara himself from the Anushashana Parva of Mahabharata:
Endued with knowledge and science, purified from all dross, and fully conversant with the Vedas, a pious ...
- 46.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Do the three Gunas apply only in the materialistic plane?
I am answering from the perspective of Advaita Vedanta.
In Advaita Vedanta, AgyAna or ignorance is considered as endowed with the 3 Gunas - TrigunAtmikA. Other terminologies used for AgyAna are ...
- 107k
6
votes
Accepted
Does any Āstika text mention Gunas association with the Adharmic cults?
From Manu Smriti:
12.95. All those traditions (smriti) and those despicable systems of philosophy, which are not based on the Veda, produce no reward after
death; for they are declared to be founded ...
- 107k
6
votes
Accepted
Are lust/anger considered Rajasic or Tamasic?
According to the following verse of Manu Smriti lust is Rajasik.
आरम्भरुचिताऽधैर्यमसत्कार्यपरिग्रहः । विषयोपसेवा चाजस्रं राजसं
गुणलक्षणम् ॥ ३२ ॥
ārambharucitā'dhairyamasatkāryaparigrahaḥ | ...
- 107k
5
votes
Accepted
If a brahmin has qualities of sudra should he be prohibited from duties of a brahmin?
A Brahmin who does not have the qualities of an ideal Brahmin should have to be treated accordingly.There are many verses in Smritis which say so.
Manu Smriti 4.245. A Brahmana who always connects ...
- 107k
5
votes
Accepted
What are the 32 auspicious traits of Narayana or Lord Vishnu?
Lord Narayanas of Lord Vishnu's 32 auspicious traits are mentioned in
Brahma Moksha Kanda - (Chapter 22 , Verse 4 to 17) of Garuda Purana.
तस्मादाहुर्लक्षणेत्येव् सर्वे तलक्क्षणं श्रुणु चादौ ...
- 31.4k
5
votes
What are Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic foods?
There are Three types of Guna
1. Sattva (the quality of goodness): Sattva is Calm, Saintly. Its brings up quality that allows spiritual holiness, forgiveness and submission to God. Foods dear to ...
5
votes
Why is Shiva purana called a Tamasic purana?
And the answer is "no" because if you go and check epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana there is nothing like even the Vayu Purana which is mentioned in Mahabharata itself means it exists in the times ...
- 3,861
5
votes
Is Rajo guna the reason for allowing kings to have multiple wives?
NO; the mode of Rajas has nothing to do with number of wives. It has obviously nothing to do with Kshatriya-s.
Rajas is associated with "desires". All entities have mode of Rajas in them in some ...
- 19.3k
5
votes
Does ISKCON advocate birth-based caste-system or guṇa-based? And on what basis?
What type of caste-system (varṇāśrama) does ISKCON advocate? Birth-based or guṇa-based?
It seems ISKCON advocates guna based caste-system as mentioned in this commentary:
Herein it is clearly ...
- 888
4
votes
Do the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) cleanly map onto the 3 gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)?
To an extent they are related. Swami Nikhilananda says in his book The Upanishads (V1, p 59):
With reference to His [Saguna Brahman] three activities of creation, preservation, and destruction, ...
- 23.1k
4
votes
If a brahmin has qualities of sudra should he be prohibited from duties of a brahmin?
Manu Smriti II.168 says:
A twice-born man who, not having studied the Veda, applies himself to other (and worldly study), soon falls, even while living, to the condition of a Sudra and his ...
- 23.1k
4
votes
According to guṇa-based varṇa system, at what age can one be certified a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, etc?
As per the shastra one attains dwijahood i.e twice born when the samskara i.e sacred thread ceremony is performed. In absence of this even the brahmin is not entitled for vedas.
For performing this ...
- 18.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible