[Advaita-l] tamoguna

[Sriram Krishnamurthy]

Dear List members,

Could anyone explain the real significance of one of the names in Sri Adi
Shankaracharya's Ashtothram, whereby one of the names appears as

*"Tamoguna Nivarakaya Namaha"*

Warm regards,
Sriram Krishnamurthy
On 4/10/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

> I'd like to raise the question of tamoguna.
>
> Like most people, I guess, I at first accepted the standard dictionat
> definition that sattwa is the quality of goodness and knowledge; rajas, the
> energy of action; and tamas, inertia and darkness.
>
> Then later I was introduced to the idea (and I'm asking for any source
> texts
> here) that there were two aspects to each guna : divine and demonic. So
> that
> 'demonic sattwa', kashaya,  is illusory goodness and knowledge (as anyone
> who has been to California will rcognise..); 'demonic rajas', vikshepa, is
> destructive agitation; and 'divine tamas' has something of Shiva : the
> divine measure of things which gives shape to all actions; and mal is the
> demonic 'inertia and darkness'' normally agttributed to tamas, without
> distinction.
>
> This seems to me to be an insult to tamas, if its divine aspect is not
> acknowledged..
>
> I hope for comments and source texts on this matter.
>
> Michael
>
>
>
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