yadā sattve pravṛddhe tu
pralayaḿ yāti deha-bhṛt
tadottama-vidāḿ lokān
amalān pratipadyate
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 14.14
When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
One in goodness attains higher planetary systems, like Brahmaloka or Janoloka, and there enjoys godly happiness. The word amalan is significant; it means “free from the modes of passion and ignorance.” There are impurities in the material world, but the mode of goodness is the purest form of existence in the material world. There are different kinds of planets for different kinds of living entities. Those who die in the mode of goodness are elevated to the planets where great sages and great devotees live.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
When a person with a predominance of sattva dies (pralayam yati), he attains the pure worlds of the worshipers of Hiranyagarbha (uttama vidam) and others, worlds which give happiness.
The word uttama vidam means “of those who attain (vindanti) the supreme (uttama).”
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
14.14 When the ‘Sattva prevails’ i.e., while the Sattva continues to be prevalent, if the embodies self meets with death, It reaches the pure worlds, i.e., regions conducive to the knowledge of the self. The purport is this: If Satva preponderates in a person at the time of death, he will be reborn in the families of those who have the knowledge of the self, and thus be qualified to perform auspicious acts which are the means of attaining the true knowledge of the self.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna explains the result of sattva guna or mode of goodness being predominant at the time of death is that the jiva or embodied being will reach the pure, luminous higher realms of those who worship the highest demigods such as Hiranyagarbha.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Now Lord Krishna explains that a jiva or embodied being when situated in sattva guna or mode of goodness at the moment of death reaches the pure unblemished association of the spiritually perfected in the higher heavenly planets up to the planet of Brahma which is where the virtuous and pious reside.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
14.14-15 Yada etc. Rajasi etc. When the Sattva is predominantly on the increase on account of increase on account on account of incessantly practising actions of the Sattva throughout the entire life-at that [time] having met dissolution [of body], one attains the auspicious worlds. Likewise whosoever has practised throughout his life the activities of the Rajas, he, by his [last] journey attains manhood for mixed enjoyment. Likewise : i.e. in the same order, if one practises action of the Tamas alone by one’s entire life, then [on his death] he is reborn in the bodies of the hell, of the animals, of the trees and so on. Those, who explain [the passage under study to the effect] : ‘These results [are for him in whom] the Sattva etc., have predominantly increased only at the time of death’ – these commentators have not correctly entered into (grasped) the behaviour of the embodied. For, nothing but delusion arises, by all means at the last moment, without exception in the case of one and all. However, with regard to our explanation [given above] these passages and other verses (Ch. VIII, 5ff) speak in one voice.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
14.11-13 Sarva-etc. upto kurunandana. In all the gates : in all the sense-organs. Greed etc., are born in succession when the Rajas dominates. Similarly, absence of mental illumination and so on arise in succession only at the time of the increase of the Tamas.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
yada sattve pravrddhe tu
pralayam yati deha-bhrt
tadottama-vidam lokan
amalan pratipadyate
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
yadā — when; sattve — the mode of goodness; pravṛddhe — developed; tu — but; pralayam — dissolution; yāti — goes; deha-bhṛt — the embodied; tadā — at that time; uttama-vidām — of the great sages; lokān — the planets; amalān — pure; pratipadyate — attains.
