Devanagari
सत्त्वाद् धर्मो भवेद् वृद्धात् पुंसो मद्भक्तिलक्षण: ।
सात्त्विकोपासया सत्त्वं ततो धर्म: प्रवर्तते ॥ २ ॥
Verse text
sattvād dharmo bhaved vṛddhāt
puṁso mad-bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ
sāttvikopāsayā sattvaṁ
tato dharmaḥ pravartate
Synonyms
sattvāt
—
from the mode of goodness
;
dharmaḥ
—
religious principles
;
bhavet
—
arise
;
vṛddhāt
—
which are strengthened
;
puṁsaḥ
—
of a person
;
mat
—
bhakti — by devotional service to Me
;
lakṣaṇaḥ
—
characterized
;
sāttvika
—
of things in the mode of goodness
;
upāsayā
—
by serious cultivation
;
sattvam
—
the mode of goodness
;
tataḥ
—
from that mode
;
dharmaḥ
—
religious principles
;
pravartate
—
arise .
Translation
When the living entity becomes strongly situated in the mode of goodness, then religious principles, characterized by devotional service to Me, become prominent. One can strengthen the mode of goodness by cultivation of those things that are already situated in goodness, and thus religious principles arise.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
From an increase in sattva, dharma, characterized by secondary bhakti to me, becomes prominent. One can strengthen sattva by cultivation of sattvika items. From that sattva, dharma arises.
This verse describes the ability of sattva to conquer the other guṇas. By increase in sattva, dharma with bhakti as a secondary characteristic arises. Or “from sattva, dharma, which derives is good qualities from bhakti alone, arise.” This means that dharma without bhakti has no good qualities. How does sattva increase? By use of sattvika items, sattva increases. From increase of sattva, dharma arises.
Purport
Since the three modes of material nature are constantly in conflict, vying for supremacy, how is it possible that the mode of goodness can subdue the modes of passion and ignorance? Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains how one can be strongly fixed in the mode of goodness, which automatically gives rise to religious principles. In the Fourteenth Chapter of
Bhagavad-gītā,
Lord Kṛṣṇa elaborately explains the things that are in goodness, passion and ignorance. Thus, by choosing food, attitudes, work, recreation, etc., strictly in the mode of goodness, one will become situated in that mode. The usefulness of
sattva-guṇa,
or the mode of goodness, is that it produces religious principles aimed at and characterized by devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Without such devotional service to the Lord, the mode of goodness is considered useless and merely another aspect of material illusion. The word
vṛddhāt,
or “strengthened, increased,” indicates clearly that one should come to the platform of
viśuddha-sattva,
or purified goodness. The word
vṛddhāt
indicates growth, and growth should not be stopped until full maturity is reached. The full maturity of goodness is called
viśuddha-sattva,
or the transcendental platform on which there is no trace of any other quality. In pure goodness all knowledge automatically manifests, and one can easily understand one’s eternal loving relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the actual meaning and purpose of
dharma,
or religious principles.
Śrīla Madhvācārya points out in this regard that an increase in the mode of goodness strengthens religious principles and the invigorated execution of religious principles strengthens the mode of goodness. In that way, one can advance higher and higher in the mode of spiritual happiness.