Abandon desire, anger, and greed.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः |कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||१६-२१||
trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ . kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet ||16-21||
Use this verse as a daily Three Gates check.
Meaning
Three are the gates of hell, destructive of the self: desire, anger, and greed. Therefore one should abandon these three.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Desire, anger, and greed are the three gates to inner downfall.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is the most practical diagnostic verse of Chapter 16. Krishna names the three major destroyers of inner life: uncontrolled desire, reactive anger, and greedy accumulation.
Read the traditional commentary
After the long exposition of the demoniac nature, Krishna distills its entire anatomy into three roots: kama (lust), krodha (anger), and lobha (greed). These are the trividha dvaram, the triple gate of hell — the three doorways through which all self-destruction enters. To understand them is to hold the master key to the whole chapter.
The phrase nashanam atmanah, 'destructive of the self,' is crucial. These three do not merely cause outer harm; they corrode the soul from within, dimming its light and binding it to suffering. Notice too that they are interlinked — thwarted desire becomes anger, fulfilled desire becomes greed for more.
Krishna's counsel is direct and liberating: tasmad etat trayam tyajet — therefore abandon these three. Where earlier verses diagnosed at length, this one prescribes in a single breath, handing the seeker a clear and actionable focus for the inner work.
In daily life
When stuck, identify which gate is active: desire, anger, or greed.
A person about to send an angry message can label it as the anger gate and pause.
Try this today
Label today’s main gate and choose one opposite virtue.
I close the gates of desire, anger, and greed.Reflect
Which of the three gates is active in me today?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘त्यजेत्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on greed, in other chapters
- Verse 18.27When work springs from greed and craving, you swing endlessly between elation and grief.
- Verse 2.62The chain from desire to suffering begins with where we choose to dwell with our attention — wisdom lies in managing attention before desire manages us.
- Verse 3.37The real enemy within is insatiable desire, which sours into anger — name it clearly, for an enemy understood can be conquered.
- Verse 5.23Learn to withstand the surge of desire and anger without being swept away — that very capacity makes you a yogi and a happy person.
Swipe left for 16.22 · Removing inner poison opens the path to the Supreme.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 16.21
Who says Bhagavad Gita 16.21, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 16.21, in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 16.21 mean?
Three are the gates of hell, destructive of the self: desire, anger, and greed. Therefore one should abandon these three. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 16.21 for daily life?
When stuck, identify which gate is active: desire, anger, or greed. A person about to send an angry message can label it as the anger gate and pause.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 16.21 mean?
त्रिविधम् — threefold; नरकस्य इदम् द्वारम् — this gate of hell; नाशनम् आत्मनः — destructive of the self; कामः — lust, desire; क्रोधः — anger.
Where does verse 16.21 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 21 of 24 in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 16.22.