UdyamGita

There are certain behaviors people display, and based on these behaviors one can easily identify the prime guna of a person.

If a person has in depth knowledge, is still hungry for more, and continuously invests in fine tuning his skills and testing his knowledge, he is focused and diverts all his senses towards acquiring knowledge. Due to the very quality of being knowledgeable, he is humble, soft spoken, and away from show off traits. This is a Sattva guna dominant personality.

A Rajo guna dominant personality often displays a lot of uncontrolled passion, has specific result expectations from every action, is workaholic in nature, and shows uncontrolled emotions and high expectations from others.

People who are lazy most of the time, who constantly need external motivation, who often display negligence in assigned work, imagine unrelated factors and hence give excuses for not completing tasks, who are satisfied with basic knowledge and are not interested in cultivating it further, and who prefer to stay in their comfort zone with limited knowledge and skills, do not mind remaining at the same level of knowledge and skills throughout their life.

Krishna now gives Arjun something immensely practical: visible markers of the guṇas.

The inner mode does not stay hidden—it expresses itself through behavior, energy, and attitude.

• When sattva rises, knowledge illuminates all the “gates” of the body.
• When rajas dominates, desire-driven action, restlessness, and greed take over.
• When tamas prevails, darkness manifests as inertia, negligence, and delusion.

The guṇas announce themselves clearly—if one is attentive.

Business Insight

In organizations, behavior is the most reliable diagnostic tool.

Titles, resumes, and credentials often mislead. But daily conduct never does. By observing how people learn, act, react, and avoid responsibility, an entrepreneur can quickly identify the dominant guṇa operating within them.

This awareness allows leaders to:

• assign roles intelligently,
• set realistic expectations,
• and choose the right management approach for each individual.

Misreading guṇas is one of the costliest leadership errors.

Leadership Lesson

Sattva-Dominant Behavior – Quiet Mastery

A sattvic individual displays unmistakable traits:

• deep and evolving knowledge,
• continuous hunger to learn,
• focused use of senses toward mastery.

They refine their skills, test their understanding, and remain grounded despite competence. Humility, soft speech, and absence of show-off are natural outcomes—not cultivated behaviors.

Such people do not seek attention; attention follows them. They are the knowledge backbone of any organization.

Rajas-Dominant Behavior – Restless Action

Rajasic individuals are easy to spot:

• excessive passion and urgency,
• obsession with specific outcomes,
• visible emotional fluctuations.

They are workaholics, but rarely peaceful. Expectations from others are high, tolerance for delay is low, and disappointment surfaces quickly. While they drive momentum, their uncontrolled emotions often create friction within teams.

They need direction, boundaries, and clear incentives to function optimally.

Tamas-Dominant Behavior – Comfortable Stagnation

Tamasic behavior is marked by:

• laziness and inertia,
• constant need for external motivation,
• negligence toward assigned responsibilities.

Such individuals frequently imagine unrelated constraints, generate excuses, and avoid accountability. They are content with basic knowledge and resist skill development. Comfort zones feel safer than growth.

Left unchecked, this mindset anchors individuals—and sometimes entire teams—at the same level indefinitely.

Key Takeaways

• Guṇas reveal themselves through daily behavior, not words.
• Sattva shows up as humility, focus, and hunger for mastery.
• Rajas appears as restless action and outcome obsession.
• Tamas manifests as inertia, excuses, and resistance to growth.
• Effective leaders read guṇas early and manage people accordingly.