What is Guna?
In Sanskrit, the phrase Guna translates as a peculiarity, quality, tendency, or attributes. The Samkhya philosophy considers the concept as originally notable. According to the philosophy, everything that is changeable and is not infinite is a part of Maya. The universe is the only element that cannot be changed. The Universe consists of three Gunas, Satva, Rajas, and Tamas. It is believed that these three qualities are always present in all the objects but one quality is always more dominant than the others. Gunas are present in food, innate objects, humans, or animate objects.
In other contexts, it is meant as kind, qualities, species, or a subdivision. In human behavior, Gunna is referred to as nature, attributes, or innate nature.
Rajas – The Gunna of Manipulation and Passion
Rajas is one of the three Gunas developed by the Samkhya School of Hindu. Rajas are considered to be the quality that derives motion, activity, and energy.
According to Lord Brahma, the three Gunas support each other, depend on each other, and cannot be separated.
In nature, Rajas Gunna holds the power to bloom the flowers, sprout the seeds and allow the babies to be born. The vibration frequency of the Rajas Gunna is higher in comparison to the Tamas Gunna.
Rajas hold the energy of change, passion, unbridled enthusiasm, and self-confidence to get the work done. This Gunna is characterized by the feeling of attachment, desire, or satisfaction.
Those with dominant Rajas hold the tendency to remain active and compulsive. They have a nature of finding faults and do not forgive easily. The person who has highly rajas qualities may easily lean towards selfishness and greediness.
The energy of Rajas is future-directed and manifests yearning and sorrow.
Effects Of Rajas Gunna on Mind
All the movements and activities in the sphere of life are influenced by Rajas. The reason behind it is because Rajas Gunna brings hyperactivity and restlessness with it. It concludes that if the mind has excess Rajas qualities then it will never rest, it will always remain fearful, agitated, and anxious.
If the person holds more rajasic qualities than satvik in the mind then he or she will be more competitive than others. The person will be full of ego and pride.
People holding rajasic attributes can be very aggressive and can face short temper issues.
They will be categorized as jealous and selfish because they crave power and success in the wrong ways.
Rajas people will go to any lengths to achieve what they desire. For them, good or bad doesn’t matter till they are getting what they desire.
People holding rajasic qualities are more compulsive than others. They do take compulsive actions and decisions. This can lead to a lot of disruption and tension in the mind. They are stubborn and always think that whatever they do is right. They hold their beliefs very strongly and do not bend in front of others.
Rajasic people are also very materialistic. They cannot stay happy on their own, they need people and other materialistic things to keep them happy. They do not get easily satisfied with the things they get because of which they find it difficult to maintain their friendship and relationships. They cannot forgive people easily as they are great at holding grudges in their minds.
Apart from all these issues, we need rajasic attributes to get thighs done. The mind dominated by Rajas Gunna is not ideal but the quality is still needed to have determination in life. A person who sets a goal in his life should try to balance out the rajasic attributes to go with it.
Just like other Gunas, Rajas can also be decreased or increased by changing one’s lifestyle.
Balancing Rajas
To balance out Rajas one should encourage more of tamas energy. Practicing Pranayama, while bringing attention to the feet muscles, could help to fight Rajas. Performing Nadi shodhana clears the mind, smooths out the nervous system, and cools the body. One should avoid spicy or fried foods and try to eat more leafy greens and antioxidant-rich food.
