Bhagavad-gītā 14.17
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च।प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च।।14.17।।
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva cha pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jñānam eva cha
From Sattva arises wisdom, and greed from Rajas; miscomprehension, delusion and ignorance arise from Tamas.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| sattvāt | from the mode of goodness |
| sañjāyate | arises |
| jñānam | knowledge |
| rajasaḥ | from the mode of passion |
| lobhaḥ | greed |
| eva | indeed |
| cha | and |
| pramāda | negligence |
| mohau | delusion |
| tamasaḥ | from the mode of ignorance |
| bhavataḥ | arise |
| ajñānam | ignorance |
| eva | indeed |
| cha | and |
Keep the verse in view while connecting sattvāt (from the mode of goodness), pramāda (negligence), and cha (and). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the three qualities that bind embodied life. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 14.17.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Study how the three guṇas arise, bind, become visible in effects and are related to a response beyond identification.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
From Sattva arises wisdom
- 2
greed from Rajas
- 3
miscomprehension, delusion and ignorance arise from Tamas
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 14.17, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 14.17 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 14.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 14.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 14.17, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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