"Veda" means knowledge in the Sanskrit language, and the Vedic literature contains wisdom about all fields of human endeavor, from medicine and physics to aeronautics, drama and military science. According to the Vedas, all facets of existence in this world, including the food we eat, the work we do, and our interpersonal style, are permeated by the three modes of material nature, or the three gunas. These gunas are tamas, or the mode of inertia, rajas, the mode of activity, and sattva, the mode of enlightenment. Books such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam are filled with stories and descriptions of how these gunas manifest and interact, forming a profound basis for understanding human psychology.

The Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI), developed by Dr. David Wolf, is the most extensively researched and validated psychological assessment tool based on the three gunas. Understanding your guna profile can be a powerful tool towards self-realization, and can provide insight to what types of vocation will be most satisfying for you. Also, the results from the VPI can serve as a foundation for systematic, scientific elevation of your spiritual consciousness.