Guna: the twenty qualities in Ayurveda
Ayurveda describes everything by its qualities: heavy or light, hot or cold, oily or dry.
Guna (Sanskrit for “quality”) is the Ayurvedic way of describing the qualities of a person, food, herb or season. Classical texts list twenty gunas as ten pairs of opposites, such as heavy and light or hot and cold. The guiding idea is that like increases like and opposites balance. It is a traditional framework.
Sanskrit: Guṇa
The ten pairs
| Pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Guru / Laghu | Heavy / Light |
| Sheeta / Ushna | Cold / Hot |
| Snigdha / Ruksha | Oily / Dry |
| Manda / Tikshna | Slow / Sharp |
| Sthira / Sara | Stable / Mobile |
| Mridu / Kathina | Soft / Hard |
| Vishada / Picchila | Clear / Slimy |
| Shlakshna / Khara | Smooth / Rough |
| Sukshma / Sthula | Subtle / Gross |
| Sandra / Drava | Dense / Liquid |
Like increases like
In Ayurveda, qualities that match yours grow, and opposite qualities balance. Dry, light, cold qualities are linked with Vata. Hot, sharp qualities with Pitta. Heavy, slow, cool qualities with Kapha.
Gunas in AAVIE’s herbs
Each herb page lists its guna. Shatavari, for example, is classically described as heavy and unctuous. Ayurveda describes every herb by its rasa and guna, and these are part of how a Vaidya thinks about a selection.
Common questions
What does “opposites balance” mean?
It is a traditional rule: qualities opposite to yours are used to move you toward balance, subject to safety and individual fit.
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