Hunter Explains the Three Gunas to the Brahmana

The brahmana, having heard the hunter's explanation of the body's fire and the winds that sustain it, asked again — this time about something even more subtle. "Now tell me exactly about the qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas," he said. "I am asking you, tell me exactly about their characteristics." The hunter answered. "Yes, I will tell you what you have asked me. Because you have asked, I will tell you exactly about the characteristics of these qualities." He began with the lowest. "Tamas is characterized by ignorance, while rajas motivates to action. It is said that sattva is the greatest because of its immense powers of illumination." Then he described the kind of person each quality produces. "One who is extremely ignorant, foolish, prone to dreaming, insensible, ugly, dark, prone to anger, and lazy — that person is under the influence of tamas." "O brahmana rishi! An excellent man who is ready in action and speech, affectionate, without enmity, industrious, steady, and proud — that person is under the influence of rajas." "A man with illumination, persevering, without attachment and without enmity, without anger, wise, and self-controlled — that person is under the influence of sattva." Then the hunter described what happens when the quality of sattva deepens into something more. "When one with the illumination of sattva suffers from the difficulties of the world, when one has learnt everything that has to be learnt, one hates the ways of the world. Then a form of detachment makes itself felt. Pride becomes milder and uprightness becomes stronger. Then all conflicts are pacified. Any restraint in anything then becomes unnecessary." And then he said something that cut across the rigid order of birth and caste. "O brahmana! One may be born as a shudra. But if he is established in his good qualities, he will become a vaishya, and even a kshatriya. Similarly, one who follows worthy conduct can become a brahmana." The hunter finished: "Thus, I have told you everything about the qualities. What else do you wish to hear?"