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R. Swaroop ¹, Kiran Kumar K. Salagame ², Archana Bhat Kallahalla ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Studies in Psychology, University of Mysore, Mysuru, IN
2 Department of Psychology, University of Mysore, Mysuru, IN
3 Department of Mathematics and Humanities-India, Platform, BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, IN

Abstract

Ancient India was a home for conceptual studies. More often than not, concepts were derived from the experiences of individuals. As most of the individual experiences come under the ambit of subjectivity, they perhaps lack the stamp of objectivity demanded by the modern science. Yet, potentially, many a times, subjective experiences of those individuals belonging to ancient India apparently form to be fragments of objective truths. It is in this context today that the empirical analysis of those concepts appears relevant and render meaningful. Every work of the ancients deemed as scriptures, proposed happiness as the primary aim of the self and also of the society. Alternatively, happiness can be also termed as self-sufficiency at the individual level and self-sustenance at the collective level. It is here that triguna played the role of a tool or an instrument to achieve the above mentioned individual and collective goals. There exists a thin blurring line of difference between the metaphysical concepts and psychological concepts of ancient India. Everything in the purview of triguna is psychological, whereas, a notch above triguna is metaphysical. This paper analyzes only the psychological relevance of the concept triguna. It also puts across the efforts as put in by the authors to standardize a Situation Sampling Methodology to examine the concept empirically. The tool consists of 25 life situations that are commonly experienced by people.

Keywords

Personality Theory, Sattva, Rajas, Tamos, Triguna, Situation Sampling Method.

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R. Swaroop ¹, Kiran Kumar K. Salagame ², Archana Bhat Kallahalla ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Studies in Psychology, University of Mysore, Mysuru, IN
2 Department of Psychology (Retired), University of Mysore, Mysuru, IN
3 Department of Mathematics and Humanities, India Platform, BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, IN

Abstract

The efforts to understand self in the context of society and the society in the context of self has been a perennial activity of the human kind for centuries. In this effort, the role of India has been considerably the most strenuous. Irrespective of how precisely ancient Indians have achieved a tangible result in the aforementioned activity, the efforts are commendable. The vastness of documents in regards to understanding the intrinsic relationship between the self and society and vice-versa is impeccable. Those documents deemed as scriptures are articulated in a way, that, it becomes relevant for people of all ages. However, the conclusions arrived at in those scriptures require a more systematic empirical investigation in the context of contemporary social sciences. Those scriptures are apparently religious to some and inherently spiritual to others. In spite of what and how people perceive and feel the scriptures, scriptures have struck a chord with the majority of the Indian population. Owing to the solidarity the major population has shown in accepting the scriptures, it becomes intriguing and worth an examination. An examination that yearns to verify the basis of such solidarity is it backed up by thorough logic or is it driven by blind beliefs? To investigate one such conceptual framework from an empirical perspective, the AHS scale as developed by authors was further correlated with the the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. If both the scales have their own ways of measuring an individual, the dimensions of Eysenck and the personality aspects of triguna theory apparently hold some conceptual resemblance. Considering the fact that earlier researchers had taken up a similar research and also had coincidentally found results very similar to this result, this work becomes even more intriguing to see, how across three decades the two concepts have stood as pillars to two different cultures of psychology. The tool is checked for its validity on a sample size of 200, who were administered the AHS scale along with the EPQ. The obtained results are discussed below.

Keywords

triguna, sattva, rajas, tamas, AHS Scale, Eysenck Personality Theory EPQ Scale.

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S. Jayasheela ¹, Kiran Kumar K. Salagame ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Studies in Psychology, University of Mysore, Karnataka, IN

Abstract

According to Indian thought, triguna represents essential energies of the mind and individual's personality is determined and dependent on triguna viz., satva, rajas and tamas. The three guna influence the physical and mental activities of every individual. Vyasa in his commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra distinguishes between five states of mind viz., kshipta, mudha, vikshipta, ekāgra and niruddha. Each of these states of mind involves certain cognitive and personality characteristics, which are associated with satva, rajas and tamas. It is stated that yoga practices lead to enhancement of satva and regulation and decline of rajas and tamas. To examine this 60 YP and 60 normal controls (n=120) were studied using Vedic Personality Inventory and Chitta bhumike Inventory. The scores on the two inventories were correlated. The obtained correlations in both the groups indicate that kshipta and mudha states of mind are negatively correlated with satva and positively correlated with tamas, as discussed in Yogic literature. Only in yoga practitioner group kshipta and mũdha shows positive correlation with rajas. Scores of Vikshipta, ekagra and niruddha sub-scales do not show significant correlations with the three guna. The t-tests show that the two groups differed significantly on chitta bhumike but not on the three guna.

Keywords

Yoga, Triguna, Chitta Bhumike.

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