तमस्

See also: तामस

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• তমস্ (Assamese script)
• ᬢᬫᬲ᭄ (Balinese script)
• তমস্ (Bengali script)
• 𑰝𑰦𑰭𑰿 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀢𑀫𑀲𑁆 (Brahmi script)
• တမသ် (Burmese script)
• તમસ્ (Gujarati script)
• ਤਮਸ੍ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌤𑌮𑌸𑍍 (Grantha script)
• ꦠꦩꦱ꧀ (Javanese script)
• 𑂞𑂧𑂮𑂹 (Kaithi script)
• ತಮಸ್ (Kannada script)
• តមស៑ (Khmer script)
• ຕມສ຺ (Lao script)
• തമസ് (Malayalam script)
• ᢠᠠᠮᠠᠰ᠌ (Manchu script)
• 𑘝𑘦𑘭𑘿 (Modi script)
• ᢐᠠᠮᠠᠰ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦽𑧆𑧍𑧠 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐟𑐩𑐳𑑂 (Newa script)
• ତମସ୍ (Odia script)
• ꢡꢪꢱ꣄ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆠𑆩𑆱𑇀 (Sharada script)
• 𑖝𑖦𑖭𑖿 (Siddham script)
• තමස් (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩫𑩴𑪁 𑪙 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚙𑚢𑚨𑚶 (Takri script)
• தமஸ் (Tamil script)
• తమస్ (Telugu script)
• ตมสฺ (Thai script)
• ཏ་མ་ས྄ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒞𑒧𑒮𑓂 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨙𑨢𑨰𑨴 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Iranian *támHas, from Proto-Indo-European *témHos (“darkness”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬙𐬆𐬨𐬀𐬵 (təmah), Persian تم (tam, “cataract”), Latin tenebra (“darkness”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /tɐ́.mɐs/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈt̪ɐ.mɐs̪/

Noun

तमस् • (támas) stem, n

1. darkness, gloom (also in plural)

   तमः प्रणीत (támaḥ práṇīta) — "led into darkness", deprived of the eye's light or sight

   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.14.4:

     अग्निर्जातो अरोचत घ्नन्दस्यूञ्ज्योतिषा तमः ।
     अविन्दद्गा अपः स्वः ॥

     agnirjāto arocata ghnandasyūñjyotiṣā tamaḥ.
     avindadgā apaḥ svaḥ.

     Agni shone bright when born, with light killing the Dasyus and the darkness:
     He found the Kine, the Waters, the Sun.

2. the darkness of hell, hell or a particular division of hell
3. the obscuration of the sun or moon in eclipses, attributed to Rahu
4. mental darkness, ignorance, illusion, error
5. tamas, one of the three qualities or constituents of everything in creation (the cause of heaviness, ignorance, illusion, lust, anger, pride, sorrow, dullness, and stolidity)
6. sin
7. sorrow

Declension

Neuter as-stem declension of तमस् (támas)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	तमः támaḥ	तमसी támasī	तमांसि támāṃsi
Vocative	तमः támaḥ	तमसी támasī	तमांसि támāṃsi
Accusative	तमः támaḥ	तमसी támasī	तमांसि támāṃsi
Instrumental	तमसा támasā	तमोभ्याम् támobhyām	तमोभिः támobhiḥ
Dative	तमसे támase	तमोभ्याम् támobhyām	तमोभ्यः támobhyaḥ
Ablative	तमसः támasaḥ	तमोभ्याम् támobhyām	तमोभ्यः támobhyaḥ
Genitive	तमसः támasaḥ	तमसोः támasoḥ	तमसाम् támasām
Locative	तमसि támasi	तमसोः támasoḥ	तमःसु támaḥsu

Related terms

• तमस्वत् (támasvat)
• तमिस्र (támisra), तमिस्रा (támisrā)

Descendants

• Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀢𑀫 (tama)
  • Marathi: तंव (tauva)
• Pali: tamo

Borrowed terms

• → English: tamas