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Tama means

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Instruction

Tama means "the darkness of this material world."
Nectar of Instruction 5, Purport:

One should not accept a spiritual master without following his instructions. Nor should one accept a spiritual master just to make a fashionable show of spiritual life. One must be jijñāsu, very much inquisitive to learn from the bona fide spiritual master. The inquiries one makes should strictly pertain to transcendental science (jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam). The word uttamam refers to that which is above material knowledge. Tama means "the darkness of this material world," and ut means "transcendental." Generally people are very interested in inquiring about mundane subject matters, but when one has lost such interest and is simply interested in transcendental subject matters, he is quite fit for being initiated. When one is actually initiated by the bona fide spiritual master and when he seriously engages in the service of the Lord, he should be accepted as a madhyama-adhikārī.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Tama means “darkness.”
Krsna Book 89:

The Mahā-Viṣṇu form of the Lord is also called Puruṣottama (Puruṣa-uttama) because He is beyond the material world. Tama means "darkness," and ut means "above, transcendental"; therefore, uttama means "above the darkest region of the material world."

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Ut means above, and tama means this darkness.
Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

So try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt, transcendental, paraḥ avyaktāt. That is puruṣottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has said, "Anyone who has understood Me, ajam avyayam, ajam—I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact—he knows me perfectly." That is called puruṣottama. Puruṣa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means "not of this material world." Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means "above this darkness."

Tama means darkness.
Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Śreya uttamam. Uttamam means the udgata-tamam. That is transcendental. Tama means darkness. Anything of this material world, that is in darkness because this material world is dark. You know that the whole world, whole universe, is dark. Therefore there is requisition of the sunlight, moonlight, electricity. It is dark. So uttamam means which is beyond this darkness, beyond this darkness. That means transcendental subject, spiritual subject. In the spiritual world there is no darkness. So if anyone is desirous of inquiring about the spiritual world, then he requires to find out a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no necessity. For a man who wants to remain in this darkness, for material benefit...

Ut means "trans-," and tama means "darkness."
Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

And uttamam. Uttamam means "which is transcendental." Ut means "trans-," and tama means "darkness." So uttama means "the knowledge which is beyond this material darkness." This material world is called darkness, and when the knowledge surpasses this material world, material knowledge, that is really called uttama. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt: "from which the darkness has been separated." Light, the knowledge of light...

Tama means this material world.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Uttamam. Ut means transcendental, above. Utgatam. Just like utpana. So uttama means ut, above, tama. Tama means this material world. This material world is known as tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ, the Vedas say. "Don't remain in darkness. Come to the spiritual platform." Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ.

Ut mean udgata, transcendental, and tama means this material world, darkness.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

Pavitram idam uttamam. Uttamam. Ut mean udgata, transcendental, and tama means this material world, darkness. In the material world the nature is darkness. Just like at night it is darkness. This is the nature of this material world. But it is... There is illumination on account of the sun. So God has created the sun to give us light. Sometimes we have heard that on account of absence of the sunshine they commit suicide. In Switzerland, no, where?

Devotee: Scandinavia.

Prabhupāda: Scandinavia, they say. So the darkness is very, very disgusting. But this material world is dark. To give us little relief, Kṛṣṇa, God, has given us the sun. The day before yesterday, I think... Yesterday, in the morning, we saw, while coming on the path, how the sun was coming through the sea nicely. Within a second the whole light came. So this is God's arrangement. Don't think that this arrangement... Exactly in the time, six o'clock in the morning, immediately the sun comes out of the sea and gives you light. Because this material world is dark, so in order to give you relief... Otherwise you'll commit suicide. God is so kind, He is giving you light. So uttamam.

This material world is tama, darkness.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

Therefore Vedic literature says tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet." This word is used when the sense is "You must." This is vidhi-lin form of verb, gacchet, abhigacchet. You must. There is no excuse. You cannot learn. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you want to know uttamam subject matter... Ut, ut means udgatam, transcending. Tamaḥ means this material world. This material world is tama, darkness. But if you are interested in the matter which is transcendental to this material world, that means spiritual world, then tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta, you must surrender to a guru.

This material world is called tamaḥ. Tamaḥ means darkness.
Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, being illuminated... In that illumination, which is called brahmajyoti, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. The Vaikuṇṭha are self-illuminated. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no darkness. Tamasaḥ param. Therefore is said here that taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate: "That spiritual world is beyond this material world." This material world is called tamaḥ. Tamaḥ means darkness. Just like this night, it is darkness. Why it is darkness? By nature it is dark. Simply by the sunshine, moonshine, electricity, we keep it brightened for some time. Otherwise, by nature it is darkness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Tama means this material world.
Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

So we have to begin from this uttamā-bhakti. Uttama means nirguṇa, or transcendental. Uttama. Uttama, udgata-tamaḥ. Ut means transcendental, when you surpass. Tama. Tama means this material world. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). That is uttamā-bhakti. That is transcendental bhakti.

Tama, tama means darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So one should be very much inquisitive. What sort of inquisitiveness? Asking his spiritual master, "What is the rate of this article?" Just like businessman? No. That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that you should inquire. What is that inquiry? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ (SB 11.3.21). Jijñāsuḥ. Inquisitive. What is that? What is that inquiry? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive to understand uttamam, beyond this darkness. Because anything you inquire about material things, that is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Uttama. Tama, tama means darkness. Ut. Ut means udgatam.

Tama means this material world.
Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So every word has volumes of meanings. Udga... Therefore sometimes right commentary required. So uttamam means udgataṁ tamam. Tama means this material world. When one is inquisitive to understand about the spiritual life, then he should accept a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no need. A spiritual master is not a fashion, that "Oh, I should have a spiritual master." People after fashion. No. One must be very much inquisitive to know. What about, inquisitive? Uttamam. Śreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life. If one is actually inquisitive to understand about the highest perfectional stage of our life, then he should search after a spiritual master. That is the direction.

Tama means ignorance.
Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

So one who is inquisitive... The uttama... Udgata-tama yasmāt. Udgata-tama. Tama means ignorance. So in the spiritual world, there is no ignorance. Jñāna. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they simply say, jñāna, jñānavān. But jñāna is not stereotyped. There is varieties of jñāna. Just like in Vṛndāvana, there is jñāna, but there is varieties. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as servant. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as friend. Somebody wants to appreciate Kṛṣṇa's opulence. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as father and mother. Somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as conjugal lover, as paramour—never mind. So somebody wants to love Kṛṣṇa as enemy, just like Kaṁsa. That is also vṛndāvana-līlā. He is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa in a different way, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Pūtanā, she also apparently came as lover of Kṛṣṇa, to offer her breast for sucking; but the internal desire was how to kill Kṛṣṇa. But that is also taken indirect love, indirect love. Anvayāt.

Tama means this darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described here: uttama-śloka. Kṛṣṇa is never described by ordinary verses. Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means... Uttama means also liberated. Ut. Ut means transcendental, one who has crossed, ud gata. Ut. Ut means one who has gone to the other side. Tama. Tama means this darkness. This world, this material world... Just like it is dark now. Therefore the country on the part of the world which is always covered by darkness... Already there is darkness, and if again that country does not get the facility of sunshine, it is considered that that country is condemned. It is shastric injunction. Any country which does not get the full facility of sunshine, it is to be considered condemned. I think I remarked this long ago, when I first came in the television. They asked me in London that "What is your conception of hell?" And "This is hell, London." Not conception. Practically... Always dark, moist, drizzly. No sunshine. Cloudy, misty. Simply big, big buildings. That's all. So there must be clear sunshine.

Tama means darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

This life, human life, it is not cats' and dogs' life. It is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One can realize the Absolute Truth if he is inquisitive. Brahma-jijñāsā. Just like you are advancing by inquiring. Jijñāsā. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ. This is human life. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttama means which is not material, which is beyond material... Ut-tama . Ud-gata-tama yasmāt. Tama means darkness. Here they are so-called scholars, big big professor, scientist, and... but they are in the darkness, tama. Tama means darkness. They do not know what they are. Ask any scientist, any philosopher, "What you are?" He will say, "I am this body. I am Indian. I am American. I am white. I am black. I am this. I am that. I am Christian. I am Hindu." He will say. But all these designation is outward, external.

Tama means darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So when a human becomes jijñāsu, inquisitive, śreya uttamam... Śreya means ultimate goal of life, and uttamam... Uttamam. Tama means darkness. Tama means darkness. Not in the darkness, but uttamam. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt. When he transcends this darkness field of activities... Tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness activities. Come to the light activities." So when one becomes inquisitive for the light activity, he is human being. He's called jñānī. The karmīs, they are in darkness. Their activity has no meaning.

One who is inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, uttama. Ut means transcendental, and tama means the darkness.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Guru, who is to seek out that guru? Not ordinary person. Ordinary persons who are trying to know the news of the world, they do not require any guru. There is no necessity. Their subject matter is supplied by the newspaper, magazines, and so many other things. But guru is needed for whom? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, uttama. Uttama means... Ut means transcendental, and tama means the darkness. This world is dark. Just like at night now because there is no more sunshine, it is dark. Actually it is dark. Simply by sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire, in this way we keep it glittering. Otherwise, it is dark. This whole universe is dark. By God's arrangement, there is sun, moon, like that, illumining.

Tama means darkness, and ut means above. Uttama.
Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), and Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So qualitatively I am also sac-cid-ānanda. So why I am enjoying this temporary life for ten years or twenty years or two hundred years? This is called knowledge. Etaj jñānam. Other jñānam, they are not jñānam. I have said many times. They are arts, śilpa, to live for some time and make some artistic way of living condition and forget my real problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So for this purpose one should approach guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One who is actually interested for spiritual life, he should inquire about a guru. Not as a fashion, that "I may... Let me keep one guru and..." No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Just like Devahūti is doing. Uttamam, something beyond this darkness. Tama means darkness, and ut means above. Uttama. That is uttama. So one who is interested... Uttama life means the spiritual life. Tama life means this material life. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. If you can transcend this darkness, the world of darkness, and if you come to the world of light, that is required.

Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.
Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining Himself. Absolute Truth is the ultimate end, Vedānta. The subject matter of knowledge is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we have got this human form of life to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No. The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam. The Absolute or the auspicity beyond this material world. Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.

Ut means "trans," and tama, tama means "darkness," and śloka means "verses." So uttamaśloka means verses which are not of this material world.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

Here, these brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā, the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā and the siddhas and the great saintly persons and elevated yogis, how they have become? Sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ. They fluently explain in very nice words, just like prayer. Whenever the Lord's name... Kṛṣṇa's name is Uttamaśloka. Uttama, uttama means selected, high class. Actually, not high class. It is transcendental. Ut means "trans," and tama, tama means "darkness," and śloka means "verses." So uttamaśloka means verses which are not of this material world. When Brahma-saṁhitā we read, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **, these words, these vibrations are not of this material world. These are vibration transcendental, above this material world. Sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ. And they are so learned that fluently they went on praying the Lord with uttamaśloka, selected transcendental sounds, but nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ.

Raja means activity. And tama means darkness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So maintenance cannot be taken by anyone except by God. Therefore this material world is being operated in three departmental qualities: sattva, raja, tama. Sattva is maintenance. Sattva means goodness. Goodness is maintenance. And raja means activity. Without activity, there cannot be any creation in this material world. If you want to construct something, there must be activity. Raja means activity. And tama means darkness. So these, these qualities are working. These qualities are working. Now, in your country, by the rajo-guṇa you have created so many things, a nice country, very nicely operating. But another side: the confusion is there, the hippies. You see? Future hope of the country is very dark. You see? It will spoil the whole thing if the country's not alive to the situation.

Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

Prahlāda Mahārāja is induced to pray Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to pacify. He was in violent feature. So he's requesting, "My dear Lord," sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno. "Now, all these demigods, they are Your assistants, and they are situated in transcendental position." Sattva-dhāmno. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditam. Our situations are differently calculated. Not that every one of us is situated on the same platform. On the material platform, we are situated in three different positions: sattva-raja-tama. Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness. So, so long we are in the material platform, the highest positional situation is in the modes of goodness.

Rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lusty desires.
Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:

A devotee who is always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa and His activities... We are therefore presenting Kṛṣṇa and His activities. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All these books which we are distributing and publishing, what is this? This is Kṛṣṇa and His activities, that's all. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna. So if you simply read our books very carefully, then immediately this disease of heart palpitation, anxiety, will cease because on account of the dirty things, product of this tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa... That is disturbing us. We are covered by the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, rajas-tamaḥ. So rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lusty desires. This is rajas-tamaḥ. So we have to... If we actually want to become free from anxieties, then we have to learn how to kill this, or how to avoid this anxiety due to rajas-tamo bhāvaḥ (SB 1.2.19).

Tama means this material world.
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

So one who is such devotee, simply depending on Kṛṣṇa, naicchat, he doesn't require, neither he desires all those material profits. Tān asurottamaḥ. Asurottamaḥ. Although he was born in the asura family, materialistic family, still, he is uttama; he is no more in the material world. Uttama. Udgata-tama hy asmād. Tama means this material world. So those who are devotees, they are not living in this material world. They are in the spiritual world, uttama. It doesn't matter in which family he is born. Everyone can become a devotee. There is no hindrance, and there is no check in any material condition to become a devotee. Simply one has to desire how to become a devotee. Then it is fulfilled.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Tama means material, and jyoti means spiritual.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- Bombay, November 9, 1975:

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting that "Actually they address me as (paṇḍita), but I am not paṇḍita, because I am on the mental platform and the sensual platform, not even intellectual platform." And above that intellectual platform is the spiritual platform. So the śāstra says that one should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttamam means spiritual. Tama means material, and jyoti means spiritual. So Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in the dark, material platform. You just approach a spiritual platform." These are the Vedic civilization. One should be inquisitive about... Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Ut means udgatam, transcendental.

Ut means transcendental, and tama means darkness.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:

A person requires a guru when he is inquisitive, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ, when he is very much eager to understand the spiritual śreya uttamam. Uttamam. Ut means transcendental, and tama means darkness. This world is called darkness, ignorance. So one who wants to transcend this position of ignorance and wants to know the transcendental subject, means spiritual subject, brahma-jijñāsā, he requires a guru, not any person, other person. If you are interested in things which is beyond this material world... That is necessary inquiry. So here is the enquiry, that Sanātana Gosvāmī says that "You have delivered me from the clutches of material attachment. I was minister, getting good salary, very nice post. So many aristocrats was offering me respect. So I think it was not necessary. My real necessary is to advance in spiritual consciousness. So kindly You have given me relief from this material concept of life. Now, according to Your desire, I have left everything. Now let me know what is my duty."

Initiation Lectures

Tama means this material world, which is darkness.
Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

You have to follow the ācārya. Ācārya upāsana. Aham... The, what will be the result? Now, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi. I shall cross over.... Tariṣyāmi. Duranta-pāram. The extensive, unlimitedly extensive, the ocean of material existence. Ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tama. Tama means this material world, which is darkness. Because our business is to go out of this darkness to the light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. We have to go to the light. So this is the process. Aham... And what is that process? Tama mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa, one who gives liberation. Hari. Hari means one who takes away all your sinful activities. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). He's taking; therefore His name is Hari. Mukundāṅghri. Another name is Mukunda. Mukunda means... Muk means mukti, and ānanda means bliss. Kṛṣṇa gives you mukti, deliverance, deliverance from this tama, this material world, and gives you transcendental bliss; therefore His name is Mukunda. Mukundāṅghri: the lotus feet of Mukunda. Niṣevayaiva. Simply by serving the lotus feet of Mukunda, I can do this. This is the sum and substance.

General Lectures

Tamaḥ means darkness.
Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Just like in darkness, ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means ignorance, without knowledge. That is called ajñāna. So ajñāna is compared..., ignorance, stupidity, is compared with darkness. Just like if you are, if this room, immediately, all lights are off, then it becomes dark. We cannot see where I am sitting, where others are sitting. It becomes a confusion. Similarly, in this material world, we are all in the darkness. This material world is called darkness. It is called tamaḥ. Tamaḥ means darkness. Or timir. Timir means darkness. And actually, it is darkness. Because, because this material world is dark, there is need of sunlight, there is need of moonlight, there is need of electricity. (aside:) This child disturbing. But there is another world. We get description from the Vedic literature, na yatra bhāsayate sūryo na śaśaṅko na pāvakaḥ. There is another world, spiritual world, where there is no darkness, and therefore, there is no need of sunlight, there is no need of moonlight, there is no need of electricity.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Tama means most, supermost.
Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Prabhupāda: So in the sixth chapter, last verse, you'll find yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatena... You have got our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is here? No? How is that, you don't keep Bhagavad-gītā? You'll find it is clearly stated that all yogis, the one yogi whose mind is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, he is first-class yogi. Yoginam api sarveṣāṁ. Sarveṣāṁ, of all yogis. There are different kinds of yogis. So yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata: "One whose mind is fixed up in Me," or Kṛṣṇa, āntarātmanā, "within the heart," śraddhāvān, "and is devotee," and bhajate, "and serves Me, oh," sa me yuktatamo mataḥ, "he is the first-class yogi." Tama. Tama means most, supermost. Yuktatamo. Yogi, better yogi and the supermost yogi.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

That's tara-tama, means comparative and superlative... That is called tara-tama.
Morning Walk -- May 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When the living entity comes to the human platform, though he is conditioned, but still, by practice of yoga he can develop...

Prabhupāda: Some of the powers.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...which cannot be developed by other living entities, like for example, fish.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. That distinction is there between one living entity and another. You have got some power, others have got another power. That's tara-tama, means comparative and superlative... That is called tara-tama. (pause) There are varieties of potencies. All these potencies are visible, some in you, some in me, some in others. But all the varieties in full potency is in God. That is God. Not like this rascal incarnation of God. What is that, they came? Bālajī?

Ut means transcendental, and tama means this material world.
Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So people are interested in the bodily concept of life. Anything which is immediately pleasing to my senses, we take it, "This is my end of life." Therefore śāstra says, śreya uttamam, not that śreyas which is immediately very pleasing to you. What is immediately pleasing to you, it will be a source of great displeasure at the end. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So uttamam. Uttamam. Ut means transcendental, and tama means this material world. "Beyond this material world," Uttama. Śreya uttamam. Because we are not this material body, therefore our śreyas, our highest perfection of life, is different. Here the perfection of life—you get a comfortable life of the body. That is not possible, however comfortably you may situate. You may be very rich man, you may have very rich connection or good apartment, but still, you cannot be happy because you are not this body. But they do not know.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lust.
Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Indian man: Is it not better to run than to stand still and sleep?

Prabhupāda: No, running is not stopped, but running must be with some purpose, aim of life. That they do not know. They are missing the aim of life.

Indian man: I meant, Swamiji, rajas is a better manifestation than tamas.

Prabhupāda: No, you have to go above rajas-tamaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ means greediness and lust.

Page Title:Tama means
Compiler:Labangalatika, Serene, Vaishnavi
Created:02 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=26, Con=4, Let=0
No. of Quotes:32