Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 18

Chapter 14 – Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

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

Transliteration

ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ .
jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ॥

Meaning

Those established in sattva rise upward; the rajasic remain in the middle; and the tamasic, abiding in the functions of the lowest guna, go downward.

Word meanings

ऊर्ध्वम् – upward
गच्छन्ति – go
सत्त्वस्थाः – those established in sattva
मध्ये – in the middle, in the human world
तिष्ठन्ति – remain
राजसाः – the rajasic
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्थाः – abiding in the functions of the lowest guna
अधः – downward
गच्छन्ति – go
तामसाः – the tamasic

Anvaya (word order)

सत्त्वस्थाः ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति, राजसाः मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति, जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्थाः तामसाः अधः गच्छन्ति ।

Explanation

This verse sums up the whole discussion of the gunas and their consequences. Krishna names three directions: upward, middle and downward. The sattvastha, those firmly established in sattva, in whose lives sattva steadily predominates, rise upward. They attain higher and purer worlds and also keep growing spiritually.

'The rajasic remain in the middle.' The verb tishthanti, 'they stay', is telling. They neither rise nor fall altogether, but keep circling within the human world on the wheel of action and its fruits. Their busyness takes them nowhere; it simply keeps them going round.

Tamas is called jaghanya, the lowest guna. The tamasic, abiding in its functions of sloth, heedlessness and delusion, go adhah, downward, taking birth in lower forms of life.

The verse describes not only the destiny after death but also the direction of this present life. Each day the mind is either rising, circling in place, or sinking. The following verses, however, make clear that even the highest worlds lie within the gunas. Real freedom lies beyond all three directions.

Context

Verses 14 to 17 described the fruits and destinies associated with the gunas; this verse summarises them. From the next verse Krishna begins to teach the way to go beyond the gunas altogether.

Life lesson

Ask yourself each day whether your life is rising, going round in circles or sinking. Changing the direction lies in your own hands.

Key terms

Sattvastha: One firmly established in sattva
Jaghanya guna: The lowest guna — tamas
Urdhva, madhya, adhah: The three directions: upward, middle and downward