Bhagavad Gita 14.18 meaningThe three moods of nature
In simple wordsSo simple a child gets it
“Calm lifts you up. Laziness pulls you down.”
What it means
“Those rooted in clarity rise; those in passion stay in the middle; those sunk in inertia go down.”
The original Sanskrit
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः । जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
Translations
Literal translation
People who conform to sattva go higher up; those who conform to rajas stay in the middle; those who conform to tamas, who conform to the actions of the lowest quality, go down.
Swami Gambhirananda
हिंदी अनुवाद
सत्त्वगुण में स्थित पुरुष उच्च (लोकों को) जाते हैं; राजस पुरुष मध्य (मनुष्य लोक) में रहते हैं और त मोगुण की अत्यन्त हीन प्रवृत्तियों में स्थित तामस लोग अधोगति को प्राप्त होते हैं।
Swami Tejomayananda
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Commentaries
How great teachers across 1,200 years have explained this verse.
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Keep reading · 14.19“When a person sees that only these forces act, and knows what is beyond them, they reach my nature.”