Glossary · Philosophy
Guna
गुण
What does Guna mean?
Guna means 'strand' or 'quality'. Everything in material nature is woven from three strands: sattva brings clarity and knowledge, rajas brings activity and desire, tamas brings darkness and delusion. Their proportions determine a person's temperament and choices.
Chapter 14 of the Gita is the definitive teaching on the gunas: how each binds the soul, how they appear in food, work, charity, and faith, and how to transcend all three through devotion and equanimity.