Rajas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the plural of the unrelated word raja, see Raja (disambiguation).
In Hinduism, rajas, or rajo-guna is the quality of activity. If a person or thing tends to be extremely active, excitable, or passionate, that person or thing is said to have a preponderance of rajas. It is contrasted with the quality of tamas, which is the quality of inactivity, darkness, and laziness, and with sattwa, which is the quality of purity, clarity, and healthy calmness.
Rajas is described in the Samkhya philosophy, One of the Six Indian Schools of Philosophy. It is a force which promotes one or more of the following: (1) action; (2) change, mutation; (3) passion, excitement; (4) birth, creation, generation. Note that passion is a feeling (often) associated with the act of generating something new. Rajas is viewed as being more positive than tamas, and less positive than sattva; except, perhaps, for one who has "transcended the gunas".
The (eventual) fruit of rajas is pain, even though the immediate effect of rajas is pursuit of pleasure. See paradox of hedonism.
Persons who are "movers and shakers" may be characterized as rajasic. Rajas provides raw get-up-and-go power: it propels "go-getters".
Consuming food too quickly is rajasic.
[edit] Quotes
- "O Arjuna, know that rajas is the source of lust and attachment and the producer of desire for sense gratification and sentimental infatuation; that enslaves the embodied consciousness by attachment to fruitive activities." (BG 14:7)
- "O Arjuna, when greed, restless exertion with great endeavor for fruitive activities, agitation of the senses, incessant desire for sensual indulgence; when all these arise, rajas predominates." (BG 14:12)
- "The result of virtuous activities in sattva is declared purity, the result in rajas is misery, and the result in tamas is nescience." (BG 14:16)
- "Arjuna said: what is it that incites one to commit sinful acts even against one's will as if compelled by force? Lord Krishna said: it is lust which becomes anger arising from rajas; know this lust to be insatiable, extremely sinful and the greatest enemy in this world." (BG 3:36-37)
