Glossary · Philosophy
Tamas
तमस्
What does Tamas mean?
Tamas is the heaviest of the three gunas. It manifests as procrastination, sleepiness, confusion, and the inability to distinguish right from wrong. Tamasic action is begun from delusion, without regard for consequences or harm.
The Gita treats tamas as the quality most to be overcome. Even rajas, with all its restlessness, is a step above tamas because it at least moves a person toward engagement with life.