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Bhagavad Gita · 16.21 · Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures·21 of 24

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनःकामः 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.

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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