# तमस् (tamas)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/tamas

तमस् (tamas) is a Sanskrit word meaning darkness or gloom, the darkness of hell or a particular division of hell, the name of a son of Shravas, Daksha, and Prithu-shravas, the darkness of hell or a division of hell, mental darkness, illusion, error, sin, or sorrow, the gloom or darkness of hell. Its 42 recorded definitions are grouped into 14 contexts, among them Physical Darkness or Gloom, Compound Terms: Dispellers of Darkness/Ignorance, Mental Darkness, Ignorance, or Tamas Guṇa.

- **Root:** तम् (tam)
- **Etymology:** E. तम् to be disturbed, and असुन् Unadi affix; that property by which the mind is troubled, the world perplexed, &c.; also तमस and तम — E. tam to be disturbed, and asun Unadi affix; that property by which the mind is troubled, the world perplexed, &c.; also tamasa and tama
- **SLP1:** `tamas`  **IAST:** tamas  **Devanagari:** तमस्
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/tamas/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Physical Darkness or Gloom (9 definitions)
- darkness or gloom  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 438,1] तमस् (tamas) a n. darkness, gloom (also pl. ), RV. ( ° मः प्रणीत (°maḥ praṇīta), ‘led into darkness’, deprived of the eye's light or sight, i, 117, 17 ) &c. [ ID=82894 ]
- Darkness  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 1 Darkness; किं (kiṃ) वाऽभविष्यदरुणस्तमसां विभेत्ता तं (vā'bhaviṣyadaruṇastamasāṃ vibhettā taṃ) चेत्सहस्रकिरणो धुरि नाकरिष्यत् (cetsahasrakiraṇo dhuri nākariṣyat) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 7. 4; Vikramorvaśīyam (Bombay) 1. 7; Meghadūta (Bombay) 37
- 1. Darkness or gloom. 2. A hell. 3. An eclipse. 4. Error, ignorance, or delusion. 5. Darkness as one of the three fundamental qualities of creation.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 107-2 ] तमस् (tamas) tám-as, n. ( sg. & pl. ) darkness; gloom of hell; N. of a hell; eclipse = Rāhu; error, ignorance; delusion; Darkness ( one of the three fundamental qualities (guṇas) incident to creation; in the Sāṅkhya philosophy one of the five forms of Avidyā ). [ ID=8418 ]
- 1. Darkness, ignorance, delusion, sin, or sorrow. 2. Rahu, the ascending node.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 324-a ] तमस् (tamas) ( मः ) ((maḥ)) 5. n. Darkness; ignorance, folly, delusion, sin, sorrow. m. Rāhu, the ascending node. [ ID=16544 ]
- 1. Darkness. 2. Illusion or error. 3. Ignorance as a quality of nature. 4. Grief or sorrow. 5. Sin.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 304-09 ] तमस् (tamas) (I) n. 1. Darkness, आविर्भूते शशिनि तमसा रिच्यमानेव रात्रिः (āvirbhūte śaśini tamasā ricyamāneva rātriḥ) Vikr. i., Megh. i.37; 2. illusion, error, मुनिसुताप्रणयस्मृतिरोधिना मम च मुक्तमिदं तमसा मनः (munisutāpraṇayasmṛtirodhinā mama ca muktamidaṃ tamasā manaḥ) Sak. vi.; 3. ignorance as one of the three qualities or constituents of nature (the other two being सत्व (satva) and रजस् (rajas) ), M. xii.24; 4. grief, sorrow; 5. sin. [ ID=15261 ]
- 1. Darkness. 2. The gloom of hell. 3. The name of a hell. 4. Rahu, the personified ascending node. 5. The quality of darkness and ignorance.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0355-a ] तमस् (tamas) tam + as, n. 1. Darkness, Hit. pr. 16. 2. The gloom of hell, Man. 4, 242. 3. The name of a hell, Mārk. P. 12, 10. 4. = Rāhu, or the personified ascending node, Rām. 2, 63, 2. 5. One of the three guṇas, or qualities in- cident to creation, the property of dark- ness, whence proceed folly, ignorance, stupidity, worldly delusion, etc., Man. 12, 24. Comp. Dīrgha-, m. The name of a Ṛṣi, MBh. 2, 293. — Cf. O.H.G. de- mar; A.S. dim thystre; Lat. tenebrae. [ ID=5728 ]
- 1. Darkness or gloom. 2. Mental darkness, illusion, error, or ignorance.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 198 ] तमस् (tamas) n. darkness, gloom; mental darkness, illusion; error, ignorance (ph.). [ ID=12006 ]
- 1. Darkness. 2. Spiritual darkness or infatuation. 3. Darkness as one of the three qualities of existence.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 162-b ] támas, n. —1. darkness; —2. spiritual darkness, infatuation; —3. darkness as one of the three pervading qualities of all existence, see guṇa 3. [√tam.] [ ID=1729 ]
- 1. Darkness or gloom. 2. The darkness of hell or a division of hell. 3. The obscuration of the sun or moon during an eclipse, personified as Rahu. 4. Mental darkness, illusion, error, sin, or sorrow. 5. In Samkhya philosophy, the quality of darkness, ignorance, or inertia inherent in nature.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0364-a ] Tamas, as, n. darkness, gloom; the darkness of hell, hell itself or a peculiar division of hell; the obscuration of the sun or moon in eclipses, darkness personified as Rāhu or the ascending node; mental darkness, illusion, error (constituting one of the five Page0364-b+ 81 forms of a-vidyā in the Sāṅkhya phil.), sin, sorrow; (in the Sāṅkhya phil.) darkness or ignorance as one of the three qualities or constituents of everything in creation, the other two being sattva and rajas, see guṇa; as an inherent quality of nature tamas is heavy and obstructive, and predominates in earth and water, whence they fall and tend downwards; in living beings it is the cause of ignorance, illusion, lust, anger, pride, sorrow, dulness, and stolidity; ( as ), m., N. of a descendant of Gṛtsa-mada, a son of Śravas and father of Pra-kāśa; N. of a son of Pṛthu-śravas and father of Uśanas; [cf. Lith. tamsa, ‘darkness;’ tamsus, ‘obscure:’ Russ. temnyi, ‘dark;’ temno-ta, ‘darkness:’ Hib. teim, ‘dark, obscure;’ teimhen, ‘darkness;’ teimheal, ‘an eclipse, dark- ness:’ Old Germ. demar: Old Sax. thim: Angl. Sax. dim: Lat. tenebrœ?]. —Tamaḥ-prabhā or tama-prabhā, f., or tama-prabha or tamaḥ- prabha, as, m. a hell, one of the lowermost di- visions of the infernal regions. —Tamaḥ-praveśa, as, m. groping in the dark; mental perplexity or aberration. —Tamaḥ-sthita, am, n. ‘situated in darkness,’ N. of a hell, one of the lowest divisions of hell. —Tamasā-kṛta, as, ā, am, or tamas- kalpa, as, ā, am, like darkness, black, gloomy. —Tamas-kāṇḍa, as, m. or tamas-tati, is, f. great or spreading darkness. —Tamas-vat, ān, atī, at, hav- ing darkness, dark, gloomy; ( tī ), f. night. —Tamas- vin, ī, inī, i, dark, gloomy; ( nī ), f. night; turmeric. —Tamo-gā, ās, ās, am, Ved. roaming in the dark- ness, concealing himself in darkness, an epithet of Śuṣṇa. —Tamo-gu, us, m. an epithet of Rāhu, the personified ascending node, the causer of darkness. —Tamo-guṇa, as, m. the quality of darkness or ignorance; see above under tamas. —Tamoguṇin, ī, inī, i, having the quality of tamas predominant in the temperament, irascible, ignorant, proud, &c. —Tamo-ghna, as, ī, am, destroying darkness; ( as ), m. the sun; the moon; fire; an epithet of Viṣṇu; an epithet of Śiva; a Buddha. —Tamo- jyotis, is, m. ‘light in darkness,’ a fire-fly. —Tamo- darśana, bilious fever. —Tamo-nud, t, t, t, dis- persing darkness; ( t ), m. a shining body; the sun; the moon; fire; a lamp; light. —Tamo-nuda, as, ā, am, dispersing darkness; ( as ), m. the sun; the moon. —Tamo-'ntakṛt (°mas-an°), t, t, t, making an end of darkness; ( t ), m., N. of one of the attendants of Skanda. —Tamo-'ntya (°mas-an°), as, m. one of the ten ways in which an eclipse may happen. —Tamo-'paha (°mas-ap°), as, ā, am, removing darkness physical or moral, illumining, enlightening; ( as ), m. the sun; the moon; fire; a Buddha. —Tamo-bhid, t, t, t, dispersing darkness; ( t ), m. a fire-fly. —Tamo-bhūta, as, ā, am, ‘become dark- ness,’ dark, covered with darkness; ignorant. —Ta- mo-maṇi, is, m. ‘the jewel of darkness,’ a kind of gem; a fire-fly. —Tamo-maya, as, ī, am, consisting or composed of darkness, derived from it, covered with it; ( as ), m. the mind enveloped with darkness, vexation, anger, one of the five forms of a-vidyā in the Sāṅkhya phil. —Tamo-'ri (°mas-ari), is, m. the enemy of darkness, the sun. —Tamo-vat, ān, atī, at, dark, gloomy; [cf. tamas-vat. ] —Tamo- vikāra, as, m. disease, sickness, (as a modification of the Guṇa tamas. ) —Tamo-vṛta, as, ā, am, obscured, clouded; overcome with or influenced by rage, fear, &c., or any of the effects of the property of darkness. —Tamo-vṛdh, t, t, t, Ved. rejoicing or delighting in darkness; (Sāy.) growing in the dark- ness, increasing by the darkness. —Tamo-han, ā, -ghnī, a, Ved. striking down or dispersing darkness. —Tamo-hara, as, ā, am, removing darkness, illu- minating; ( as ), m. the moon. [ ID=20460 ]

### Compound Terms: Dispellers of Darkness/Ignorance (7 definitions)
- removing darkness or enlightening  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अपह (apaha) a. removing darkness or ignorance, illumining, enlightening; Kirātārjunīya 5. 22. (
- 1. The sun. 2. The moon. 3. Fire. 4. A Buddha.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — हः (haḥ) ) 1 the sun. 2 the moon. 3 fire. 4 a Buddha
- 1. The sun. 2. The moon. 3. Fire.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — अरिः (ariḥ) 1 the sun. 2 the moon. 3 fire
- 1. The sun. 2. The moon. 3. Fire. 4. Vishnu. 5. Shiva. 6. Knowledge. 7. A Buddha.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — घ्नः (ghnaḥ) 1 the sun. 2 the moon. 3 fire. 4 Viṣṇu. 5 Śiva. 6 knowledge. 7 a Buddha
- 1. A shining body. 2. The sun. 3. The moon. 4. Fire. 5. A lamp or light.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — नुद् (nud) m. 1 a shining body. 2 the sun. 3 the moon; Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 3. 33. 4 fire. 5 a lamp, light
- 1. The sun. 2. The moon. 3. The Supreme Being.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — नुदः (nudaḥ) 1 the sun. 2 the moon. 3 the Supreme Being
- 1. dispersing darkness. 2. the sun. 3. the moon.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — हन्, - हर (han, -hara) a. dispersing darkness. ( — m. ) 1 the sun. 2 the moon. [ ID=14425 ]

### Mental Darkness, Ignorance, or Tamas Guṇa (6 definitions)
- mental darkness, ignorance, illusion, error, sin, and sorrow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > mental darkness, ignorance, illusion, error (in Sāṃkhya phil. one of the 5 forms of अ - विद्या (a-vidyā), Mahābhārata (Title) xiv, 1019; Sāṃkhyak. &c. one of the 3 qualities or constituents of everything in creation [the cause of heaviness, ignorance, illusion, lust, anger, pride, sorrow, dulness, and stolidity; sin, L.; sorrow, Kirātārjunīya (Title) iii; see गुण (guṇa) & cf. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) p. 45 ] Manu-smṛti (Title) xii, 24 f. and 38; Sāṃkhyak. &c.), Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 31, 9; Rāmāyaṇa (Title) ii; Śak.; Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title) v, 144 [ ID=82897 ]
- Mental darkness, illusion, or error  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 3 Mental darkness, illusion, error; मुनिसुताप्रणयस्मृतिरोधिना मम च मुक्तमिदं तमसा (munisutāpraṇayasmṛtirodhinā mama ca muktamidaṃ tamasā) मनः (manaḥ) Śakuntalā (Bombay) 6. 7
- Darkness or ignorance, as one of the three fundamental qualities in nature  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 4 (In Sān. phil. ) Darkness or ignorance, as one of the three qualities or constituents of every thing in nature (the other two being सत्त्व (sattva) and रजस् (rajas) ); Kumārasambhava (Bombay) 6. 60; Manusmṛti 12. 24
- see tamas above  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — गुणः (guṇaḥ) see तमस् (tamas) above (4)
- 1. The property of darkness and ignorance. 2. Darkness or gloom. 3. Sin. 4. Sorrow or grief. 5. Rahu, the personified ascending node.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तम (tama) स् (tamas) [Printed book page 367 ] तम (tama) स् (tamas) n. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1 The third of the qualities incident to the state of humanity, the Tama guṇa, or property of darkness, whence proceed folly, ignorance, mental blindness, worldly delusion, &c. 2 Darkness, gloom. 3 Sin. 4 Sorrow, grief. mn. ( - माः - मः (-maḥ) (-māḥ-maḥ) ) Rāhu or the personified ascending node: see राहु (rāhu). E. तम (tama) to be disturbed, and असच् (asac) Uṇādi affix; that property by which the mind is troubled, the world perplexed, &c.; also तम (tama) म् (tamam) and तम (tama). [ ID=17073 ]
- 1. The property of darkness and ignorance. 2. Darkness or gloom. 3. Sin. 4. Sorrow or grief. 5. Rahu or the personified ascending node.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तम (tama) स (tamasa) ् (tamas) [Printed book page 305-a ] तम (tama) स (tamasa) ् (tamas) n. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1. Third of the qualities incident to the state of humanity, the Tama guna, or property of darkness, whence proceed folly, ignorance, mental blindness, worldly delusion, &c. 2. Darkness, gloom. 3. Sin. 4. Sorrow, grief. mn. ( - माः - मः (-maḥ) (-māḥ-maḥ) ) Rahu or the personified ascending node: see राहु (rāhu). E. तम (tama) ् (tam) to be disturbed, and असुन् (asun) Unadi affix; that property by which the mind is troubled, the world perplexed, &c.; also तम (tama) स (tamasa) and तम (tama). [ ID=17056 ]

### Compound Terms: Manifestations of Physical Darkness (3 definitions)
- great or spreading darkness  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — कांडः - डं (kāṃḍaḥ -ḍaṃ) great or spreading darkness
- spreading darkness  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — ततिः (tatiḥ) spreading darkness
- 1. Obscured or clouded. 2. Affected by emotions such as anger or fear.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वृत (vṛta) a. 1 obscured, ( pb ) clouded. 2 affected with anger, fear &c

### Hell or the Darkness of Hell (3 definitions)
- the darkness of hell or a particular division of hell  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the darkness of hell, hell or a particular division of hell, Manu-smṛti (Title) iv, viii f.; Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) ii, 6, 4; Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Title) xii, 10 [ ID=82895 ]
- The gloom or darkness of hell  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 2 The gloom or darkness of hell; Manusmṛti 4. 242
- a sort of hell  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — प्रभा (prabhā) a sort of hell

### Rāhu, Eclipses, or Astronomical Obscuration (3 definitions)
- the obscuration of the sun or moon in eclipses, attributed to Rahu  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the obscuration of the sun or moon in eclipses, attributed to Rāhu (also m., L. ), R.; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) v, 44; Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka (Title) ii; VarYogay.; Sūryas. [ ID=82896 ]
- an epithet of Rahu  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — गुः (guḥ) an epithet of Rāhu
- an epithet of Rahu  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) (II) m.n. An epithet of Rāhu. [ ID=15262 ]

### Compound Terms: Entities Associated with Darkness (2 definitions)
- a firefly  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — ज्योतिस् (jyotis) m. a fire-fly
- a fire-fly  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — भिद्, - मणिः (bhid, -maṇiḥ) a fire-fly

### Etymology or Cross-Reference (2 definitions)
- darkness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > तमस् (tamas) [ cf. तिमिर (timira); Lat. temere &c.] [ ID=82899 ]
- See column 1.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 438,2] तमस् (tamas) b, ° स (°sa), &c. See col. 1. [ ID=83008 ]

### Proper Name of Individuals (2 definitions)
- the name of a son of Shravas, Daksha, and Prithu-shravas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a son (of Śravas, Mahābhārata (Title) xiii, 2002; of Dakṣa, i, Sch.; of Pṛthu-śravas, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) iv, 12, 2 ) [ ID=82898 ]
- a brahman, son of Shravas and father of Prakash  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 673-2 ] Tamas 1, a brahman. § 736 b (Vītahavyop.): XIII, 30, 2002 (son of Śravas and father of Prakāśa). [ ID=10722 ]

### Compound Terms: Actions/States in Physical Darkness (1 definition)
- 1. Groping in the dark. 2. Mental gloom.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — प्रवेशः (praveśaḥ) 1 groping in the dark. 2 mental gloom

### Compound Terms: Disease/Sickness from Tamas (1 definition)
- sickness, disease  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — विकारः (vikāraḥ) sickness, disease

### Epithet of Śiva (1 definition)
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Tamas 2 = Śiva (1000 names 1 ). [ ID=10723 ]

### Sin or Moral Transgression (1 definition)
- 1. Sin. 2. An epithet of Rahu.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 6 Sin. — m., — n. An epithet of Rāhu

### Sorrow or Grief (1 definition)
- Grief, sorrow  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > तमस् (tamas) [Printed book page 0531-b ] तमस् (tamas) n. [ तम् - असुन् (tam-asun) ] 5 Grief, sorrow

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546