gati

(Sanskrit; Pāli, course or destination). Name for the various destinies or realms of rebirth, of which there are generally held to be six: (1) the gods (deva); (2) humans; (3) demons (asura); (4) animals; (5) hungry ghosts (pretas); (6) hell (naraka). The first three are regarded as good destinies (sugati) and the last three as woeful (durgati). Early Buddhist sources usually speak of five realms, omitting the third. See also bhavacakra.