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Chapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures · 24 verses

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Character & ethicsChapter 16 · The Divine and Demoniac Natures
16.2016.22

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 16.21

Lust, anger and greed lead toward degradation.

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: ।

काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्‍त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ २१ ॥

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ

dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas

tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet

Translation

There are three gates leading to this hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Give Up Three Enemies

  1. 1Lust, anger and greed are three gates to hell that degrade the soul.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that anger and greed arise when lust is not satisfied. These enemies can block liberation from material entanglement.
  3. 3Try to give up lust, anger and greed to avoid falling into demoniac life.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 16, The Divine and Demoniac Natures: lust, anger, greed and scriptural guidance.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Lust, anger, greed are gates to degradation.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: kāma, krodha, lobha.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 16.21 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to character & ethics?

Practice

Identify which of the three gates you guard least.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 16 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 3.37Lust, anger and mastery over sensesBG 16.22Lust, anger, greed and scriptural guidance

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

Ask the study guide

Ask about BG 16.21 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.