Complete learning edition. The Sanskrit source remains separate from attributed word meanings, translation, explanation and commentary witnesses. Diagrams and memory aids are study tools, not replacements for the source text.
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
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the three qualities.
Link
Use the line starts: sattvāt sañjāyate / pramāda-mohau tamaso.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Circle repeated sounds, names, or grammatical endings before consulting a meaning.
Read one line aloud, cover it, and reconstruct as much as you can from memory.
Compare with a checked edition and record the source before adding any translation.
Build meaning without hiding the work
Study how the three guṇas arise, bind, become visible in effects and are related to a response beyond identification.
Mark forms you want to investigate
These are visual tokens, not a reviewed sandhi split. Select repeated forms, endings, compounds, particles or speaker markers; verify segmentation with the Sanskrit tools or a checked edition.
Three questions for this verse
- 1
Which guṇa or combination is described?
- 2
What sign, action or result follows?
- 3
What response to the modes is presented?
Apply the verse to a changing influence, not a fixed label for a person.
Attempt before comparison
Make revision visible
Assessment: read aloud, explain the verse’s role in its chapter, identify one source boundary, answer one question and schedule a return.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
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.
Use an authorized edition