Sanskrit

Noun

रजस् • ‎(rájas) n

1. "coloured or dim space", the sphere of vapour or mist, region of clouds, atmosphere, air, firmament (in Veda one of the divisions of the world and distinguished from दिव् ‎(div) or स्वर् ‎(svar), "the sphere of light" , and rocanā divaḥ, "the ethereal spaces", which are beyond the rajas, as ether is beyond the air; often rajas, = "the whole expanse of heaven or sky" , divided into a lower and upper stratum, the rajas uparam or पार्थिवम् ‎(pārthivam) and the rajas uttamam or परमम् ‎(paramam) or दिव्यम् ‎(divyam)

   hence dual रजसी ‎(rajasī) - "the lower and higher atmospheres"

   sometimes also three and RV. I, 164, 6 even six such spheres are enumerated, hence pl. रजांसि ‎(rajāṃsi) - "the skies" (RV., AV., TS., VS.)

2. vapour, mist, clouds, gloom, dimness, darkness (RV., AV.)
3. impurity, dirt, dust, any small particle of matter (RV. etc.; compare गोरजस् ‎(go-rajas))
4. the dust or pollen of flowers (Kālid., BhP.)
5. cultivated or ploughed land (as "dusty" or "dirty"), arable land, fields (RV.)
6. the impurity i.e. the menstrual discharge of a woman (GṛS., Mn., MBh., Suśr. etc.)
7. the "darkening" quality, passion, emotion, affection (MBh., Kāv. etc.)
8. (philosophy) the second of the three guṇas or qualities (the other two being सत्त्व​ ‎(sattva, “goodness”), and तमस् ‎(tamas, “darkness”); compare IW. 85; rajas is sometimes identified with तेजस् ‎(tejas); it is said to predominate in air, and to be active, urgent, and variable) (Sāṃkhyak., VarBṛS., Suśr. etc.)
9. "light" or "day" or "world" or "water" (Nir. IV, 19)
10. a kind of plant (= पर्पट​ ‎(parpaṭa)) (Bhpr.)
11. tin (L.)
12. autumn (L.)
13. sperm (L.)
14. safflower (L.)
15. name of a rishi (son of Vasiṣṭha) (VP.)

Derived terms

• रजस्वला ‎(rajasvalā)

References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1898) A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 0863