Bhagavad Gita · 16.21 · Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures·21 of 24
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥
tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet
Sanskrit recitation
Choose a guide wiser than impulse · 16.17–16.24 · Teaching
Translation
There are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these three.
Meaning
Lust, anger and greed, -- these highway robbers will cause a man to fall into the dark abyss of hell, misery or grief. These are the three fountainheads of misery. These three constitute the gateway leading to the lowest of hells. These are the enemies of peace, devotion and knowledge. When these evil modifications of the mind arise in it, man loses his balance or poise and discrimination and commits various evil actions.Lust, anger and greed denote selfblindness and ignorance, for there are no Vasanas, wants, anger, or greed in Brahman or the pure immortal Self.Narakasya dvaram The gate to hell The gate leading to hell. The self is destroyed by merely entering at the gate, i.e., it is not fit to do any right exertion to attain the goal of life.As this gate causes selfdestruction, let everyone renounce these three. (Cf.III.47)In the next verse the man who has abandoned these three evils is highyl eulogised.
After Swami Sivananda
Choose a guide wiser than impulse· 16.17–16.24→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 16.17Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices in name only for ostentation, contrary to scriptural ordinances.
- 16.18Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust, and anger, these malicious people hate Me in their own bodies and in the bodies of others.
- 16.19Those cruel haters, the worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the wombs of demons only.
- 16.20Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, they do not attain Me, thus falling, O Arjuna, into a condition still lower than that.
16.21There are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed; therefore, one should abandon these three.
- 16.22A person who is liberated from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, practices what is beneficial for them and thus goes to the Supreme Goal.
- 16.23He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.
- 16.24Therefore, let the scripture be thy authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the scriptures, thou shouldst act in this world.
Word-by-word→
- etat
- these
- idam
- this
- tathā
- and
- trayam
- three
- tyajet
- should abandon
- dvāram
- gates
- tasmāt
- therefore
- kāmaḥ
- lust
- lobhaḥ
- greed
- krodhaḥ
- anger
- narakasya
- to the hell
- nāśhanam
- destruction
- tri-vidham
- three types of
- ātmanaḥ
- self
Related verses
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- 5.12The one who is united (the well-poised or harmonized) having abandoned the fruit of action…