Tri-gunas - The design principle

dharma are simply laws. Laws of Universe (across all domains), laws of social groups of biological beings, laws made by human beings for their societal evolution. All these dharma are based on the design principle of three gunas. The three gunas are sattva, rajas and tamas. saMkhya kArika says Sattvam laghu prakaasham Ishtam upashthambakam chalam cha rajah || Guru varnakam eva tamah pradeepavacharthato vrittih Sattva is light and desiring radiation/light.

Raja is stagnant and flowing. Tamas is heavy and covering says the sloka. In thermodynamics domain Sattva is the entropy or information content or represents the number of microstates in a system. When energy is added to a closed system, it can increase entropy (unusable energy) or usable energy.

Higher the entropy, the usable energy is less and system becomes 'lighter' (laghu). Sattva in other words is information content or knowledge. A system with more micro-states is more prone to radiating (prakasham) away its energy . In thermodynamics domain Rajas is the energy available in a system for conversion to heat.

It is the 'internal energy' (stagnant, upasthambakam) in a system as well as energy available to move/interact with other systems (flowing, calam). In thermodynamics domain, Tamas is the property of mass, which 'condenses' (guru) energy in a limited space, encompassing/covering (varanakam) energy and creating matter forms (particles).

Tamas counteracts sattva. Lower the molar masses higher is the entropy and vice-versa. Tamas counteracts rajas. It condenses otherwise flowing energy in a space. In consciousness domain Satvva is Knowledge, Rajas is passion/emotions and Tamas is lack of knowledge or lack of passion.

A sattvic person is knowledgeable person. A rajasic person is passionate person. A tamasic person is laggard or ignorant. When we surround ourselves with diverse information, our entropy or information content or knowledge increases. We are able to take better decisions.

When we surround ourselves with same information, our energy or passion increases. We often take emotional decisions. When we get no information we remain in the dark. In social domain Sattva are the knowledge providers (brahmanas), Rajas are the service providers (ksatriyas), Tamas are the material providers (vaizyas).

These are not 'jAtis' but varNas or paints that beings wear for a society to evolve. In biological body Sattva are the Information processing systems (Central/peripheral Nervous systems), Rajas are the metabolic systems (digestive, circulatory, respiratory) and Tamas are the lympatic (immune systems).

Sattva is the Pitta, Rajas is the Kapha and tamas is the vAtA. Since any deficiency in Pitta (means madness and acidity), the nervous systems (stress, lack of rest, tension etc) induce acidity in stomach, it's known through that effect. Since any deficiency in Kapha (indicates congestion in lungs) the metabolic systems results in congestion in the lungs, it is known through that effect.

Since any deficiency in vAtA (indicates gas) the immune system results in bacterial imbalance or viral infections that trigger gas in the stomach, it is known through that effect. Thus the zillion layered Universe with all its matter forms and biological beings with consciousness has continuously evolved by the effect of varying tri-gunas at every layer which serve as a common design principle.