The Three Strands (Guṇas: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

The three guṇas are the basic 'strands' or qualities woven through all of nature: sattva (clarity, balance, light), rajas (energy, drive, restlessness), and tamas (heaviness, inertia, darkness). Every thing and every state of mind is a particular blend of the three, and their constant shifting is what produces change. This Sāṃkhya analysis became common currency far beyond its home school, shaping how the Gītā and much of Hindu thought describe character and the world.