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Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 14.17
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च ।
प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥ १७ ॥
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ
rajaso lobha eva ca
pramāda-mohau tamaso
bhavato ’jñānam eva ca
From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Goodness develops real knowledge; passion develops greed; ignorance develops foolishness, madness and illusion.
Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa consciousness develops goodness, helping people see things clearly and making peace and prosperity possible.
Practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness to rise to goodness, rather than relying on money for happiness.
These notes cover verses 14.16–18
Results of actions in different modes (Covered in Summarized Theme 14A above)
Mode of passion results in misery
e.g. Building a skyscraper requires so much toil and misery for little happiness
One may experience so-called mental happiness e.g. I have this house or money
Mode of Ignorance
Ignorance leads to misery – Examples:
Performer is without knowledge and therefore all activities lead to misery and next life is animal life
Animal life is always miserable but under illusion one does not understand this
Grossest type of ignorance – Slaughtering poor animals for the taste of tongue - especially cow killing is most vicious
Ref. Rg Veda – Killing cow after taking its milk is the grossest ignorance
WARNING! Human society is advancing in the wrong direction
Ref. Vishnu Purana – “Namo brahmanya”
Brahmanas are the symbol of spiritual education
Cows are the symbol of most valuable food. They are very dear to Krishna
“Real advancement of civilization” implies that Brahamans and cows must be given all protection
Modern human society – spiritual knowledge is neglected, cow killing is encouraged
Suggested solution — All nations should take care to provide the easiest process, Krishna consciousness, to save humanity from the greatest danger
Focus of learning: Purport 14.17*
How does Krishna consciousness help
One will develop the mode of goodness in this society
People will see things as they are
Mode of ignorance — One does not see things as they are because ‘no education’ makes one irresponsible e.g. one does not see the equal and opposite reactions of animal killing
How to stop irresponsible activities and benefit the current civilization
Educate to stop irresponsible behavior
Education makes them sober and one knows things as they are
Then one becomes happy and prosperous
What if all do not take to this education
Even if a certain percentage develops Krishna consciousness and become situated in the mode of goodness, then there is peace and prosperity all over
Otherwise under passion there will be no peace and prosperity
Makes one greedy and unlimited hankering for sense enjoyment
Even if one has money, he will neither be happy nor have peace of mind because under the mode of passion his profession and occupation are very troublesome
Devise so many plans and schemes to acquire money to maintain his status quo.
And ignorance makes one mad, distressed by various circumstances one takes shelter of intoxications and sinks further down – future is very dark
Happiness is only possible in the mode of goodness by practicing Krishna consciousness; not just by earning money
Focus of learning: Purport 14.18
According to the degree of goodness one can go to different upper planetary systems
Passion is usually mixed, between goodness and ignorance
Even if pure passion, one remains on earth as a king or a rich man
Otherwise may go down
May go mad in the next life
One cannot forcibly go to higher planets
Mode of Ignorance
Lowest Quality
Result is very risky
According to the degree one comes to any of the 8 million species
“Tamasah” – Those who continue to stay in ignorance without rising to the higher modes have a very dark future
Krishna consciousness is the “System and opportunity to elevate to higher mode of goodness”
Both, the results of one’s action and the results after one’s death, are predominated by a specific mode of nature and thus bring about certain results
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: prakṛti, guṇa.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 14.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to nature & guṇas?
Observe which mode shaped your last decision.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.