The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas

Krishna describes the destinations of those dominated by each guna: 'Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā'—those situated in sattva (sattva-sthāḥ) go upward (ūrdhvam gacchanti). 'Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ'—those in rajas (rājasāḥ) remain in the middle (madhye tiṣṭhanti). 'Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ'—those situated in the lowest mode of tamas (jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ) go downward (adhaḥ gacchanti). This verse summarizes the progression: sattva leads to higher realms, rajas keeps you in the middle (human realm), tamas leads to lower realms. Understanding this helps you see the progression from tamas to rajas to sattva, but also reminds you that the ultimate goal is to transcend all three, not just to reach the highest material realm. True liberation comes from rising above all three gunas completely.