14.18 Up, level, and down Krishna speaks
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः
ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ
Those established in clarity go upward; those in restlessness remain in the middle; and those in inertia, holding to the lowest, go down.
Explanation
Up, level, down — and no ladder to climb.
Clarity goes upward, restlessness stays in the middle, inertia goes down.
It looks like a hierarchy to ascend, and the next two verses will say it is not. Even the top of this diagram is inside it, which is the difference between improving your position and leaving the board.
Word by word
- ūrdhvam
- upward
- gachchhanti
- rise
- sattva-sthāḥ
- those situated in the mode of goodness
- madhye
- in the middle
- tiṣhṭhanti
- stay
- rājasāḥ
- those in the mode of passion
- jaghanya
- abominable
- guṇa
- quality
- vṛitti-sthāḥ
- engaged in activities
- adhaḥ
- down
- gachchhanti
- go
- tāmasāḥ
- those in the mode of ignorance
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