Tejas - Meaning
The name Tejas means Sharp; Luster; Brilliance and is of Indian origin. Several ancient Indian texts refer to the word “Tejas” in several contexts. A few of them are given below.
In the Vaisheshikaschool of philosophy Tejas (तेजस्, “fire”) is one of the nine dravyas (‘substances’), according to the Vaiśeṣika-sūtras. These dravyas are considered as a category of padārtha (“metaphysical correlate”). These padārthas represent everything that exists which can be cognized and named. Together with their subdivisions, they attempt to explain the nature of the universe and the existence of living beings. Tejas is also regarded as one of the five bhūtas (‘elements’) possessing a specific quality making it cognizable.
Tejas (तेजस्, “light”) refers to one of the nine substances (dravya) according to the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika school of philosophy (cf. Vaiśeṣikasūtra 1.1.5, Saptapadārthī, Tarkabhāṣā and Bhāṣāpariccheda). Tejas is the third dravya. Annaṃbhaṭṭa defines tejas as that which has hot touch. Praśastapāda states in his bhāṣya that there are colour, touch, number, magnitude, distinctness, conjunction, disjunction, remoteness, proximity, fluidity and velocity in tejas. It has also bright-white colour and hot touch. Śivāditya, in his Saptapadārthī and Viśvanātha in his, Bhāṣāpariccheda, discuss tejas in the same way. Kaṇāda also describes tejas as “tejo rūpa-sparśavat. Tejas uṣṇata”. That means tejas possesses colour and touch. The touch of it is hot.
Tejas (तेजस्, “spirit”) refers to one of the eight aspects of the male’s sattva, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 24. These sattvas form the support of sentiments (rasa) in drama and are defined according to the science of sāmānyābhinaya, or “harmonious representation”.
Sanskrit dictionaries give several meaning to the word Tejas. A small sample is given below.
1) Sharpness.
2) The sharp edge (of a knife &c.).
3) The point or top of a flame.
4) Heat, glow. glare.
5) Lustre, light, brilliance, splendour; दिनान्ते निहितं तेजः (dinānte nihitaṃ tejaḥ) R.4.1; तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ (tejaścāsmi vibhāvasau) Bg.7.9,1.
6) Heat or light considered as the third of the five elements of creation (the other four being pṛthivī, ap, vāyu and ākāśa).
7) The bright appearance of the human body, beauty; अरिष्टशय्यां परितो विसारिणा सुजन्मनस्तस्य निजेन तेजसा (ariṣṭaśayyāṃ parito visāriṇā sujanmanastasya nijena tejasā) R.3.15.
8) Fire of energy; शतप्रधानेषु तपोधनेषु गूढं हि दाहात्मकमस्ति तेजः (śatapradhāneṣu tapodhaneṣu gūḍhaṃ hi dāhātmakamasti tejaḥ) Ś. 2.7; U.6.14.
9) Might, prowess, strength, courage, valour; martial or heroic lustre; तेजस्तेजसि शाम्यतु (tejastejasi śāmyatu) U. 5.7; Ś.7.15.
10) One possessed of heroic lustre; तेजसां हि न वयः समीक्ष्यते (tejasāṃ hi na vayaḥ samīkṣyate) R.11.1; Pt.1.328;3.33.
11) Spirit, energy.
12) Strength of character, not bearing insult or ill-treatment with impunity.
13) Majestic lustre, majesty, dignity, authority, consequence; तेजोविशेषानुमितां (tejoviśeṣānumitāṃ) (rājalakṣmīṃ) दधानः (dadhānaḥ) R.2.7.
14) The essential nature of anything.
15) Essence, quintessence.
16) Spiritual, moral, or magical power.
17) Fire; यज्ञसेनस्य दुहिता तेज एव तु केवलम् (yajñasenasya duhitā teja eva tu kevalam) Mb.3.239.9.
18) Clearness of the eyes.
19) A shining or luminous body, light; ऋते कृशानोर्न हि मन्त्रपूतमर्हन्ति तेजांस्यपराणि हव्यम् (ṛte kṛśānorna hi mantrapūtamarhanti tejāṃsyaparāṇi havyam) Ku.1.51; Ś.4.2.
20) The sun; उपप्लवांस्तथा घोरान् शशिनस्तेजसस्तथा (upaplavāṃstathā ghorān śaśinastejasastathā) Mb.12. 31.36.
Source: Vaisheshika – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Vaisheshika
Source: Shodhganga: A study of Nyāya-vaiśeṣika categories (vaisesika)
https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/283794
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary https://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/apte/
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-natyashastra/d/doc210153.html/
https://deccanviews.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/decorative-in-indian-art-jewellery-in-ancient-india/