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

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *temH-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *témHos

Proto-Indo-Iranian *támHas

Sanskrit तमस् (tamas)

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

तमस् • (támas) stem, n

1. darkness, gloom (also in plural)
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 5.14.4:

     अ॒ग्निर्जा॒तो अ॑रोचत॒ घ्नन्दस्यू॒ञ्ज्योति॑षा॒ तमः॑ ।
     अवि॑न्द॒द्गा अ॒पः स्वः॑ ॥

     agnírjātó arocata ghnándásyūñjyótiṣā támaḥ.
     ávindadgā́ apáḥ svàḥ.

     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

	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