Shloka 8
तमोगुण-निरूपण
Analysis of Tamas and its Marks
नैशात्मकं तमो विद्यात् त्रिगुणं मोहसंज्ञितम् । अधर्मलक्षणं चैव नियतं पापकर्मसु । तामसं रूपमेतत् तु दृश्यते चापि सड्भतम्
naiśātmakaṃ tamo vidyāt triguṇaṃ mohasaṃjñitam | adharmalakṣaṇaṃ caiva niyataṃ pāpakarmasu | tāmasaṃ rūpam etat tu dṛśyate cāpi saṅghatam ||
Vāyu-deva bersabda: “Ketahuilah tamas bersifat malam dan kegelapan—salah satu daripada tiga guṇa, juga disebut moha (khayalan/kelalaian). Ia bertanda adharma dan hadir sebagai kecenderungan yang menetap dalam diri mereka yang melakukan perbuatan berdosa. Inilah rupa tamas; dan ia juga terlihat muncul dalam gabungan, bercampur dengan sifat-sifat yang lain.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tamas is defined as the dark, obscuring guṇa that produces moha (delusion), inclines one toward adharma, and becomes a stable disposition in those who persist in sinful conduct; it can also appear mixed with other guṇas rather than in a pure form.
In this passage Vāyu-deva is instructing the listener by describing the nature and ethical signs of tamas, distinguishing it as a cause of delusion and unrighteous behavior, while noting that in lived experience the guṇas often manifest in combination.