Verse
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः ।जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः ॥
ūrdhvaṃ gacchanti sattvasthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥjaghanyaguṇavṛttisthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
They rise upwards who are in sattwa; those in rajas remain in the middle; those enveloped in ignorance and inertia, the effect of the lowest quality, the tamas, go downwards.
Gītā 14·18