Bhagavad Gita 16.21 · Tri Vidham Narakasyedamत्रिविधं 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.
Hindi translation
काम, क्रोध और लोभ -- ये तीन प्रकारके नरकके दरवाजे जीवात्माका पतन करनेवाले हैं, इसलिये इन तीनोंका त्याग कर देना चाहिये।
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…
- 16.18Given over to egoism, power, haughtiness, lust, and anger, these malicious people hate Me…
- 16.19Those cruel haters, the worst among men in the world, I hurl those evil-doers into the…
- 16.20Entering into demoniacal wombs and deluded, birth after birth, they do not attain Me, thus…
16.21There are three gates to this hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and greed;…
- 16.22A person who is liberated from these three gates of darkness, O Arjuna, practices what is…
- 16.23He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of…
- 16.24Therefore, let the scripture be thy authority in determining what ought to be done and…
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
- 18.53Having abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger, and covetousness, and being…
- 12.17He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil,…
- 5.3He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from…
- 6.24Abandoning unreservedly all desires born of Sankalpa (thought and imagination) and…