tamo darkness (syn. andhakāra, opp. joti), lit. as well as fig. (mental darkness = ignorance or state of doubt); one of the dark states of life & rebirth; adj. living in one of the dark spheres of life (cp. kaṇhajāta) or in a state of suffering (duggati) Snp.248 (pecca tamaṃ vajanti ye patanti sattā nirayaṃ avaṃsirā), Snp.763 (nivutānaṃ t. hoti andhakāro apassataṃ), Snp.956 (sabbaṃ tamaṃ vinodetvā) Vb.367 (three tamāni: in past, present & future) adj.: puggalo tamo tama-parāyaṇo DN.iii.233; AN.ii.85 Pp.51; Ja.ii.17
■ tamā tamaṃ out of one “duggati into another Snp.278 (vinipātaṃ samāpanno gabbhā gabbhaṃ t. t.… dukkaṃ nigacchati), cp. Mhvs.ii.225, also tamāto tamaṃ ibid. Mhvs.i.27; Mhvs.ii.215
■ tamat-agge beyond the region of darkness (or rebirth in dark spheres), cp. bhavagge (& Sk. tamaḥ pāre) SN.v. 154, SN.v.163.

• -andhakāra (complete) darkness (of night) variant reading for samandha˚ at Ja.iii.60 (Kern: tamondhakāra);
• -nivuta enveloped in d. Snp.348;
• -nuda (tama˚ & tamo˚), dispelling darkness, freq. as epithet of the Buddha or other sages Snp.1133, Snp.1136; Iti.32, Iti.108; Cnd.281; Vv.35#2 (= Vv-a.161); Mil.1, Mil.21, etc.;
• -parāyaṇa (adj.) having a state of darkness or “duggati” for his end or destiny SN.i.93; AN.ii.85 = Pp.51.

Sk. tamas, tam & tim;, cp. tamisra = Lat. tenebrae; also timira dark & P. tibba, timira Ohg. dinstar & finstar; Ags. thimm, E. dim