Samkhya Karika 54

ऊर्ध्वं सत्त्वविशालस्तमोविशालश्च मूलतः सर्गः ।
मध्ये रजोविशालो ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तः ॥ ५४ ॥

ūrdhvaṁ sattvaviśālastamoviśālaśca mūlataḥ sargaḥ ।
madhye rajoviśālo brahmādistambaparyantaḥ ॥ 54 ॥

ūrdhvaṁ=upper (worlds of Brahmā); sattva=sattva guna; viśālaḥ=prevalent; tamaḥ=tamas guna; viśālaḥ=prevalent; ca=and; mūlataḥ=lower, the nether (world); sargaḥ=creation; madhye=in the middle; rajaḥ=rajas guna; viśālaḥ=prevalent; brahmādi=beginning with Brahmā; stamba=blade of grass; paryantaḥ=up to

Sattva is predominant in the higher regions, tamas in the lower regions and rajas in the middle regions. Such is the creation from Brahmā etc. to a blade of grass.

Gaudapada takes the higher regions to be the same as the eight regions belonging to celestial beings mentioned in the previous karika. Mishra, on the other hand, lists the six heavenly regions as those that are listed as the “lokas” in classical Indian literature – Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, Janah, Tapah and Satya or Brahma Loka. In these lokas the beings do not have a physical body. All these regions have a dominance of Sattva Guna. Dominance implies that the other two gunas – rajas and tamas are also present to some extent.

The lower regions belonging to cattle, reptiles etc. (mentioned in the previous karika) have a dominance of tamas guna. Again, there is some presence of sattva and rajas gunas also.

In the middle region where humans reside, the rajas guna is dominant. Again, sattva and tamas are also present to some degree. It is the rajas guna that is the cause of suffering experienced by the humans.

The final part of the karika states that this creation extends from the highest divine beings like Brahma (dominated by sattva guna), all the way down to a blade of grass (dominated by tamas guna).