Krishna says, "When a wise person perceives that there is no agent of action other than the three ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ (modes of nature), and realises 'that' which is higher than the ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ , he attains My being (14.19). By transcending the three ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ (๐๐ช๐ฃ๐-๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐) , one (๐๐๐๐) is released from birth, death, old age and misery; and attains immortality" (14.20). Essentially, the three ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ are the agents of action or real ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ (doer).
One way to understand death is as the separation of the ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ from the physical body when the body can't sustain automaticity for numerous reasons. Subsequently, the immortal ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ goes to another body and the cycle continues. This leads to the belief that inexplicable bad phases of our life are a result of the bad ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ , sins or curses of previous lives and good phases are noble deeds (๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐จ) of previous lives. Spiritual texts are also interpreted accordingly.
The second type of death is the separation of ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ from the physical body while the body is still capable and functional. This is called ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐จ๐๐ (ultimate freedom) or enlightenment. This is the state where ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ no longer have the ability to bind the ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ to the physical body. Krishna describes this state as transcending ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ and says such people attain HIS being. They are free from misery and are immortal.
These verses clarify that no ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ is inferior or superior. They are modes of nature with different characteristics but all of them bind ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ with the body. The essence is to transcend all of the ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ as being ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐-๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐ is being healthy, while being under the influence of any ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ is like suffering from a disease. Another inference is that one can transcend from any ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ to the state of ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐-๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐. There is no hierarchy amongst the ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ hence there is no need for us to follow a sequence.