Bhagavad Gita 16.21

Meaning

16.21 This door of hell, which is the destroyer of the soul, is of three kinds-passion, anger and also greed. Therefore one should forsake these three.

Commentary

16.21 त्रिविधम् triple? नरकस्य of hell? इदम् this? द्वारम् gate? नाशनम् destructive? आत्मनः of the self? कामः lust? क्रोधः anger? तथा also? लोभः greed? तस्मात् therefore? एतत् this? त्रयम् three? त्यजेत् (one) should abandon.Commentary 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.