Bhagavad-gītā 14.18
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः।।14.18।।
ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ
The Sattva-abiding go upwards; the Râjasika dwell in the middle; and the Tâmasika, abiding in the function. of the lowest Guna, go downwards.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through ūrdhvam (upward), jaghanya (abominable), and tāmasāḥ (those in the mode of ignorance). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the three qualities that bind embodied life. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 14.18.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Study how the three guṇas arise, bind, become visible in effects and are related to a response beyond identification.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
The Sattva-abiding go upwards
- 2
the Râjasika dwell in the middle
- 3
and the Tâmasika, abiding in the function
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Link
Use the line starts: ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti / jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 14.18, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 14.18 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 14.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 14.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 14.18, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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