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श्री
ह्रीं
क्लीं
गं
ऐं
क्रीं
हूं
सौं
दुं
ॐ तत् सत्
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः

Aligning Consciousness

Ch 14Verse 18
Adhyāya 14 Shloka 18

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः | जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः || १८ ||

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

"Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds."

Historical Context

The Direct Meaning

Krishna charts the macro-trajectory of the soul across lifetimes. 'Ūrdhvaṁ' (upward) go those situated in goodness, reaching higher planes of existence. 'Madhye' (in the middle) stay those in passion, cycling repeatedly through the earthly plane of endless labor and mixed pain/pleasure. 'Adho' (downward) fall those steeped in the abominable habits of ignorance, degrading into lower, darker species or hellish conditions.

Translated from the original Sanskrit text

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