Bg. 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

sattvātplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsattvāt

from the mode of goodness.—from the mode of goodness; sañjāyateplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsañjāyate

develops; is transformed into.—develops; jñānamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjnanam

knowledge.—knowledge; rajasaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrajasah

from the mode of passion; infatuated with rajo-guṇa; of passion; of the mode of passion.—from the mode of passion; lobhaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biglobhaḥ

avarice; greed; hankering.—greed; evaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeva

alone; also; also the word eva; although; as; as it is; as it were; as much as; as they are; at all; at that time; certainly; certainly,; certainty; completely; definitely; even; ever; exactly; exactly like; factually; Himself; immediately; in fact; in this way; indeed; it is all like that; just; just so; like; like that; like this; of course; on the very; only; quite; simply; so; surely; the word eva; they are; thus; truly; undoubtedly; very; without doubt.—certainly; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—also; pramādaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpramada

ladies; of joy; woman, who maddens.—madness; mohauplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmohau

and illusion; illusion.—illusion; tamasaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtamasah

from the darkness; from the mode of ignorance; ignorance; ignorant; in the mode of ignorance; material contamination; of darkness; of ignorance; of the darkness; of the darkness of material existence; of the mode of ignorance; the world of darkness; to the darkness of the material world.—from the mode of ignorance; bhavataḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhavatah

are; develops; of You; of Your exalted personality; of your good self; of Your Lordship; of yourself; there are; to you; toward you; unto you; you; Your.—develops; ajñānamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigajnanam

ignorance; ignoraṇce; nescience; nonsense; which is nothing but constant ignorance and darkness.—nonsense; evaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeva

alone; also; also the word eva; although; as; as it is; as it were; as much as; as they are; at all; at that time; certainly; certainly,; certainty; completely; definitely; even; ever; exactly; exactly like; factually; Himself; immediately; in fact; in this way; indeed; it is all like that; just; just so; like; like that; like this; of course; on the very; only; quite; simply; so; surely; the word eva; they are; thus; truly; undoubtedly; very; without doubt.—certainly; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—also. ¶

From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, grief develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and illusion develop. ¶

Since the present civilization is not very congenial to the living entities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is recommended. Through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, society will develop the mode of goodness. When the mode of goodness is developed, people will see things as they are. In the mode of ignorance, people are just like animals and cannot see things clearly. In the mode of ignorance, for example, they do not see that by killing one animal they are taking a chance of being killed by the same animal in the next life. Because people have no education in actual knowledge, they become irresponsible. To stop this irresponsibility, education for developing the mode of goodness of the people in general must be there. When they are actually educated in the mode of goodness, they will become sober, in full knowledge of things as they are. Then people will be happy and prosperous. Even if the majority of the people aren’t happy and prosperous, if a certain percentage of the population develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness and becomes situated in the mode of goodness, then there is the possibility for peace and prosperity all over the world. Otherwise, if the world is devoted to the modes of passion and ignorance, there can be no peace or prosperity. In the mode of passion, people become greedy, and their hankering for sense enjoyment has no limit. One can see that even if one has enough money and adequate arrangement for sense gratification, there is neither happiness nor peace of mind. That is not possible because one is situated in the mode of passion. If one wants happiness at all, his money will not help him; he has to elevate himself to the mode of goodness by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One engaged in the mode of passion is not only mentally unhappy, but his profession and occupation are also very troublesome. He has to devise so many plans and schemes to acquire enough money to maintain his status quo. This is all miserable. In the mode of ignorance, people become mad. Being distressed by their circumstances, they take shelter of intoxication, and thus they sink further into ignorance. Their future in life is very dark. ¶