________________
Typology flourished in the 19th century in the West. A few of the notable typologists of this period are: J. C.Yung, Herbert, Jahannes Muuler, Hanle, William and Pavlov, to mention a few of them. *3 Kretschmer correlated the physique with personality characteristics. Jung's distinction of introversion and extroversion is important. H.Y. Eysenck used the Jungian concepts and attempted to develop certain fundamental dimensions of personality. Researches in the personality types is a long story in the Western thought. Sprenger's classification is based on social behaviour. He has classified men into theoretical economic, the aesthetic, political and the religious types.
3. Ancient Indian thought has made substantial contribution in the researches in the psychological types of personality. The criteria of understanding and classifying personality have, however, been varied. The emphasis is not merely on physiological and psychological traits, but there are attempts to understand the essential nature of personality in an integrated way. Religious and spiritual criteria also play an important part.
Śvetāśvatara Upanisad mentions the fundamental attributes, sattva, rajas and tamas as the criteria for understanding the personality characteristic. *4. The equilibrium of the gunas is the basic criterion of an integrated personality. The differences in the strength of the gunas bring about the personality differences. This is the implication of the view in 'the' Svetasvatara Upanisad. In the Bhagavadgita we find the elaboration of this point so as to present a more comprehensive analysis of the personality types. Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "four-fold distinction among men were created by me on the basis of the distribution of the strength of the guṇas." *5 This verse is to be interpreted as explaining the distinction in the personality types according to the relative predominence of the gunas. Harmony and order are the qualities of the sattvic temper. The sattvics are idealistic, analytic, intelligent and careful. The rajasics are egoistic and proud. They are emotional and fickle minded. The tamasics are evil-minded. They are sluggish and lazy. Though all the three gunas are to be found in every individual, one of them predominates in different ways in different individuals.
Based on the Guna theory, Varaha Mihira has given the classification of personality types in seven forms. He has also mentioned the five-fold classification of dwarfs on the basis of physical and psychological characteristics. *6. We have various types of classification of personality types on the basis of the analysis of persona
तुलसी प्रज्ञा
178
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
