Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]Those who follow Sattva go upwards; the Rajasic remain in the middle; and the Tamasic, who follow the course of the lowest guṇa, go downwards.
BG 14.18
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः । जघनगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ | jaghana-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ ||
"Sattva-abiders go upward; rajasic dwell in the middle; tamas-abiders sink downward — the cosmic gradient."
All public-domain translations
4 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]The Sattva-abiding go upwards; the Rajasika dwell in the middle; and the Tamasika, abiding in the function of the lowest Guna, go downwards.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]Those who are seated in goodness go upwards; those whose nature is passion remain in the middle; those whose nature is darkness and who follow the course of the lowest quality, go down.
K.M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva (1883–96)
[13]Those who are seated in Goodness go upwards; the Passionate remain in the middle; the Dark-natured, dwelling in the ways of the lowest quality, go down.