Verse 14.18

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 14.18:

ऊर्द्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्व-स्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।
जघन्य-गुण-वृत्ति-स्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥ १८ ॥

ūrddhvaṃ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ |
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ || 18 ||

ūrddhvam–upwards (to the upper planetary systems); gacchanti–they go; sattva-sthāḥ–those situated in goodness; madhye–in the middle planets (as human beings); tiṣṭhanti–remain; rājasāḥ–those in the quality of passion; jaghanya-guṇa–of the (most) abominable quality; vṛtti-sthāḥ–those situated in activities; adhaḥ–down (to the lower planets); gacchanti–go; tāmasāḥ–who are in the quality of darkness.

Those situated in the mode of goodness go to the higher celestial planets. Those in the mode of passion remain as human beings within the Earth planet, and those in the mode of ignorance, being absorbed in laziness, madness and so forth, descend to the lower planets.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

According to this gradation, those in the mode of goodness go up to Satya-loka, and those in the mode of passion remain in Manuṣya-loka, the middle planet, Earth. The word jaghanya means ‘abominable’, and its tendencies are gross ignorance, laziness, etc. Those who are thus situated go to hell.