Guna
/ˈɡuː.nə/noun
In Indian philosophy, one of three fundamental qualities or forces—sattva, rajas, and tamas—that shape nature and human behavior.
Did you know?In Sāṃkhya philosophy, the three gunas are not moral labels but ever-shifting constituents of nature, believed to influence thought, emotion, and action.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
guṇa
“A strand, thread, quality, attribute, or constituent property”
Ancient Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit
triguṇa
“The three qualities: sattva, rajas, and tamas”
5th Century BCE–4th Century CE
Sanskrit
guṇa
“A technical philosophical term for a constituent quality of prakṛti, or nature”
19th Century
English
guna
“A transliteration used in English translations of Indian philosophical texts”
Modern English
English
guna
“One of the three qualities believed in Sāṃkhya and related traditions to shape nature and consciousness”