Gita 16.21
Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः | कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||२१||
tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ | kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet ||21||
In essence: Lust, anger, and greed—this is the triple gate of hell that destroys the soul. Therefore, one must abandon all three.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Abandon desire completely? Isn't some desire necessary even for spiritual progress?"
Guru: "The desire being condemned is 'kāma'—desire rooted in selfish craving, particularly sensual desire that objectifies and consumes. Desire for liberation, desire to serve, desire to know truth—these are different. The test: Does this desire bind me to ego-satisfaction, or does it open me to something beyond ego? Kāma pulls inward to ego; sattvic aspiration opens outward to truth."
Sadhak: "How do lust, anger, and greed relate to each other?"
Guru: "They form a psychological syndrome. Kāma is the seed: 'I want.' When obtaining what I want is blocked, krodha arises: 'How dare this obstacle exist!' And lobha is kāma's expansion: 'I want more, always more.' They cycle: greed increases desires, desires frustrated produce anger, anger reinforces the sense of entitlement (more greed). Breaking any one weakens all."
Sadhak: "The verse says these destroy the self. But the self cannot be destroyed?"
Guru: "The eternal Atman is indestructible—this remains Gita's teaching. But the jīva's spiritual progress, its access to its own true nature, can be destroyed or rather, deeply obscured. A life consumed by lust, anger, and greed produces no spiritual evolution, no peace, no wisdom. The self's purpose in incarnation is thwarted. This is existential destruction even if ontological destruction is impossible."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Identify which of the three gates is your primary weakness: kāma, krodha, or lobha. Everyone has a dominant pattern. Today, specifically watch for that one. Awareness is the beginning of abandonment.
When any of the three arises, pause before acting. Name it: 'This is desire,' 'This is anger,' 'This is greed.' The naming creates distance. Then ask: 'Do I want to walk through this gate?' Choice becomes possible when automaticity is interrupted.
Review: How many times did you approach or enter these gates today? Not for guilt but for clarity. Each recognition strengthens the capacity to choose differently. Resolve: 'Tomorrow I will recognize earlier and choose more consciously.'