The spirit of inclusion is the essence of God. “Nir” is the word used for negation, and “nir” is used most frequently while describing the God Almighty. In Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra as an example, the mother Goddess is addressed as Nir-mala/ Nir-akara / Nir-guna / Nir-vikara. She is being referred to as the one without any blemish / form / quality / distorted perception. Similarly, when Lord Shiva is referred to, He is addressed as trigunam and trigunateetam, meaning one with three gunas and also one beyond these three gunas. No oxymoron but the truth needs to be understood.
Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are three gunas (qualities). Sattva is shuddha-chaintanya in a form. The ideal ground of action for the sattva is subtle and grounded in naturally good qualities. The motivation for the sattvic action is often a higher purpose. The ultimate good of the larger set of stakeholders is often the driving motivation. In terms of company or association, Shri Adi Shankaracharya helped us know “sat-sangatve” is better; being with people of desirable qualities is better than any other option.
Rajas refers to the “action”. The trigger for such actions may be the basal ego or false sense of achievement and accomplishment. One-upmanship may be witnessed in many a case. The answer to why one should get proven right or why one should win every game in which one participates has no explanations. The deep sense of identification of “self” with egoistic achievements is the root cause. The end result may be more harm than good in a collective sense.
Tamas is understood as darkness, the absence of light, analogically the jnana. Tamasic qualities are “heavy” and do not lead one to the ultimate goal. The grossness is witnessed in every posture and action. The nature of the food one consumes, the company one keeps, the mental view of the world one sees, and the “shushka-vedanta” that all is meaningless or purposeless are some of the driving points.
When God is complete and all-pervasive how can one restrict God in certain actions and grounds, including qualities? God is all-encompassing, trigunam, and also beyond all encompassment. This is real tri-guna-ateetam, beyond three qualities. The referring then is complete.
Prof S Ainavolu is a teacher of tradition and management. He is with VPSM, Navi Mumbai. Views are personal. You can read more at https://www.ainavolu.in/blog
