सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च ।प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva ca |pramādamohau tamaso bhavato 'jñānam eva ca ||
- सत्त्वात् · sattvāt
- from lucidity
- सञ्जायते · sañjāyate
- arises
- ज्ञानम् · jñānam
- knowledge
- रजसः · rajasaḥ
- from passion
- लोभः · lobhaḥ
- greed
- प्रमादमोहौ · pramādamohau
- negligence and delusion
- तमसः · tamasaḥ
- from inertia
- भवतः · bhavataḥ
- come into being
- अज्ञानम् · ajñānam
- ignorance
- एव · eva
- indeed
“From lucidity arises understanding; from passion, greed — and from inertia arise negligence, delusion, and ignorance.”
— Original plain-language translation
The cycle is now complete: each guna breeds its own mindset, which breeds matching acts, which renew the guna. Breaking the loop means deliberately feeding sattva — through company, food, study, and honest work. See 17.7–17.10 for how daily choices tilt the balance.
— Reader's notes (original)