Bhagavad Gita
Guna-traya-vibhaga-yoga (The Yoga of Distinguishing the Three Modes of Material Nature)14.18
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Bhagavad Gita · 14.18
Devanāgarī

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ |
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ऊर्ध्वम्ūrdhvamupward.
गच्छन्तिgacchantithey go.
सत्त्वस्थाःsattva-sthāḥthose established in sattva.
मध्येmadhyein the middle.
तिष्ठन्तिtiṣṭhantithey remain.
राजसाःrājasāḥthose in rajas.
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्थाःjaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥthose who abide (sthah) in activity (vritti) born of the lowest (jaghanya) mode.
अधःadhaḥdownward.
गच्छन्तिgacchantithey go.
तामसाःtāmasāḥthose in tamas.
Translation

“Those situated in the mode of goodness rise upward [to the higher planets]; those in the mode of passion remain in the middle [on the earthly planets]; and those sunk in the lowest mode of ignorance go downward [to the lower worlds].”

Version

699bedbe1ed2 · published Jul 2, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC

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