BG 14.18
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
Word-for-word meanings
sattva-sthāḥ — those who are situated in sattva; gacchanti — ascend; ūrdhvam — upwards; rājasāḥ — those of the nature of rajas; tiṣṭhanti — remain; madhye — in the middle region; tāmasāḥ — [and] those of the nature of tamas; vṛtti-sthāḥ — who are stuck in base behavior and nature; jaghanya — [born of] the lowest; guṇa — quality; gacchanti — glide; adhaḥ — downwards.
Translation
Those who are situated in sattva ascend upwards [to higher regions], those of the nature of rajas remain in the middle region [the earthly sphere], and those of the nature of tamas, who are stuck in base behavior and nature born of the lowest qualities, glide downwards [to lower regions].