Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 14, Verse 17

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

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Word Meanings

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
•••

Translation

From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.

•••

Commentary

14.17 सत्त्वात् from purity? सञ्जायते arises? ज्ञानम् knowledge? रजसः from activity? लोभः greed? एव even? च and? प्रमादमोहौ heedlessness and delusion? तमसः from inertia? अज्ञानम् ignorance? एव even? च and.Commentary From Sattva When Sattva becomes predominant. Sattva awakesn knowledge just as the sun causes daylight. Sattva enlightens the intellect.Greed is insatiable like fire. Greed brings misery

and pain. Greed is born of Rajas. Rajas creates insatiable desire. Rajas makes one blind to the interests and the feelings of others. A Rajasic man treats others as tools to be utilised for his own selfadvancement or selfaggrandisement.Tamas produces shortsightedness? torpor and ignorance. A Tamasic man does not think a bit of the future conseences. He completely identifies himself with the body and

begins to fight with people if they injure his body or speak ill of him. He is ready to do any sinful act in retaliation. He has no sense of proportion and no sense of balance or poise.

17 of 27 verses