Tamas (Sanskrit: तमस्tamas,lit. 'darkness') is one of the threeguṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by theSamkhya school ofHindu philosophy.^[1] The other two qualities arerajas (passion and activity) andsattva (purity, goodness).Tamas is the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy. Generally it is referred to as the lowestguṇa of the three.

TheVedic wordtámas refers to "darkness", and stems from theIndo-European word*temH-es, meaning "dark". Cognates with the Vedic include theLithuanian wordtamsà meaning "darkness",^[2] the Serbian wordtama meaning "darkness", as well as the Latin wordtenebrae meaning "darkness", the latter whence Englishtenebrous.

InSamkhya philosophy, aguṇa is one of three "tendencies, qualities":sattva,rajas andtamas. This category of qualities have been widely adopted by various schools of Hinduism for categorizing behavior and natural phenomena. The three qualities are:

• Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, positive, peaceful, virtuous.^[3]
• Rajas is the quality of passion, activity, being driven, moving, dynamic.^[4][5]
• Tamas is the quality of dullness or inactivity, apathy, inertia or lethargy.^[6][4]

Action that is virtuous, thought through, free from attachment, and without craving for results is consideredSattvic. Action that is driven purely by craving for pleasure, selfishness and much effort isRajasic. Action that is undertaken because of delusion, disregarding consequences, without considering loss or injury to others or self, is called Tamasic.^{[citation needed]}

— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, verses 23–25 [31]

In Indian philosophy, these qualities are not considered as present in either-or fashion. Rather, everyone and everything has all three, only in different proportions and in different contexts.^[1] The living being or substance is viewed as the net result of the joint effect of these three qualities.^[1][5]

According to theSamkya school, no one and nothing is either purely Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.^[5] One's nature and behavior is a complex interplay of allguṇas in varying degrees. In some, the conduct is Rajasic with significant influence of Sattvicguṇa; in some it is Rajasic with significant influence of Tamasicguṇa, and so on.^[5]

In Bhagavad Gita verse 18.32, the influence oftamas onbuddhi is described as where a person "regards wickedness as virtue and virtue as wickedness".^[7]

TheSikh scripture refers totamas in its verses:

• "The Fourteenth Day: one who enters into the fourth state, overcomes time, and the three qualities ofrajas,tamas, andsattva." (SGGS[1])
• "Those who embody the energies ofsattva-white light,rajas-red passion, andtamas-black darkness, abide in the Fear of God, along with the many created forms." (SGGS[2])
• "Your Power is diffused through the three gunas:rajas,tamas andsattva." (SGGS[3])
• "Rajas, the quality of energy and activity;tamas, the quality of darkness and inertia; andsattva, the quality of purity and light, are all called the creations ofMaya, Your illusion. That man who realizes the fourth state – he alone obtains the supreme state." (SGGS[4])

• Tamasic foods

• Guṇa

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