Rajas

(Revision as of 00:09, 22 Oct 2004)

Originating in Samkhya philosophy, rajas is one of the three gunas of Hinduism. It is a common means, along with the other two states, of categorizing behavior and natural phenomena in Hindu philosophy. It has been translated to mean "too active" and refers to one of three possible qualities (or gunas) or mental states of a person's mind. A rajas quality implies that a person with mental state has an ever active, in turmoil or has a chaotic state of mind. That person is constantly seeking diversions and essentially has difficulty focusing their attention for long durations of time.

The other two vedic mental states are Sattva and Tamas

The word rajas does not have the same meaning as raja.

It is used in Hindu diagnostics to assess conditions and diets in Ayurveda.

See also: Sulphur

References

• Tirtha, Swami Sada Shiva. The Ayurveda Encyclopedia.