Indian school of perennial psychology has been one of the most ancient schools of thoughts on personality. Lost in the thought currents of the western psychology, two interconnected personality theories have been thriving in the bosom of Upanishadic traditions of India.

In Ayurveda, “Personality” is presented from theoretical and empirical grounds to develop a scientific and elemental testing procedure and categorization.  The personality models are referred to as the Triguna and Tridosha personality models. 

Link between Tridoshas & Trigunas – The Prakriti is made up of Trigunas- Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. The Trigunas consist of an amalgamation of Tridoshas- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. All living beings have the combination of Tridoshas but there is one dominant Tridosha. The functioning of the Prakriti is influenced by the interaction between Trigunas and Tridoshas.

The tridoshas  are also responsible for the higher order of human emotions such as love, compassion and understanding and are the forces that govern all psycho-physiological functions in the body and mind respectively.

The different combinations of the Trigunas and Tridoshas together produce varying effects on body and mind. Through these combinations, the traits and types of personality described in Ayurveda, globalize the understanding of human behavior. Dasgupta (1961) describes the gunas as “the universal characteristics of all kinds of mental tendencies”.