Bhagavad Gita 16.21 identifies lust (kama), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha) as the three gates to self-destruction. Krishna warns that these interconnected forces destroy discernment and degrade the soul. Understanding how they operate and learning to overcome them is essential for spiritual progress and psychological wellbeing.
Every spiritual tradition recognizes certain internal tendencies as particularly dangerous to human wellbeing and spiritual progress. In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 21, Krishna identifies the three most destructive: lust (kama), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha). He calls them the triple gate to hell - the doorways to self-destruction.
Why these three? Because they strike at the core of human functioning. Lust corrupts desire, the motivation for action. Anger corrupts response to obstacles and frustration. Greed corrupts the capacity to be satisfied and at peace. Together, they form a toxic triangle that degrades consciousness, destroys relationships, and leads to suffering in this life and beyond.
This verse comes at a crucial point in Chapter 16, which contrasts divine (daivi) and demoniac (asuri) natures. After describing the hallmarks of each, Krishna zeroes in on the specific qualities that cause the most harm. He's not speaking abstractly - this is urgent, practical psychology for anyone serious about self-improvement and spiritual growth.
What makes these tendencies particularly dangerous is their interconnection. They feed each other in vicious cycles. Unfulfilled desire triggers anger; the drive for more fuels greed; greed intensifies desire. Breaking this cycle requires understanding how each operates and applying targeted remedies. The Gita provides both the diagnosis and the cure.
Transliteration: tri-vidham narakasyedam dvaram nashanam atmanah | kamah krodhas tatha lobhas tasmad etat trayam tyajet ||
The Sanskrit of this verse is direct and powerful. Each word carries specific meaning that deepens our understanding.
"Tri" means three, "vidham" means kind or type. This threefold classification is significant - these are not random examples but a complete set. Together, lust, anger, and greed cover the spectrum of self-destructive tendencies. Understanding all three is necessary for liberation.
Genitive case indicating possession. These are specifically the gates "of hell" - they belong to that realm of suffering. The word naraka comes from "nara" (human) and suggests the suffering that beings create for themselves through their own choices.
A demonstrative pronoun pointing to what follows. Krishna is identifying something specific and present - not abstract theory but immediate reality in human psychology.
A gate is something you enter through. These tendencies are not hell itself but the entrance to it. This implies that one can stop before entering, can turn back, can choose not to pass through. The gate metaphor offers hope - gates can remain unopened.
From the root "nash" (to perish, be destroyed). This word indicates complete destruction - not mere discomfort but fundamental ruin. The seriousness of Krishna's warning is unmistakable.
This is crucial. What is destroyed is not just worldly success or reputation but the soul's wellbeing. The self - atman - becomes degraded. This connects to the soul's highest purpose being undermined.
The first gate. Kama is intense desire for sensory gratification. In its extreme form, it controls rather than serves the individual. See the extensive analysis of kama in verse 3.37.
The second gate. Krodha is the heated emotional reaction to perceived obstruction. It clouds judgment and leads to actions that cause suffering. Related teachings appear in verses about managing anger.
Connecting word emphasizing that greed is equally destructive as the first two - not an afterthought but of equal danger.
The third gate. Lobha is the insatiable craving for more - more possessions, more power, more of everything. It prevents contentment and drives endless acquisition.
This logical connector indicates that the instruction to follow is a direct consequence of what was just explained. Because these are gates to self-destruction, therefore...
"Tyajet" is an optative form indicating what should be done. The instruction is clear and unambiguous: these three must be given up. Not moderated, not managed - abandoned. This is Krishna's prescription for the soul's welfare.
Kama is the first gate because it is the root from which the others grow. In the Gita's analysis, kama is not merely sexual desire but any overwhelming craving that controls behavior.
In verse 3.37, Krishna identifies kama (along with krodha) as the "all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world." It arises from the mode of passion (rajas) and is described as insatiable like fire - the more it consumes, the more it wants.
Kama begins as a seemingly innocent desire but can grow to dominate the entire personality:
This progression is described in verses 2.62-63: "While contemplating sense objects, attachment develops. From attachment, desire arises. From desire, anger is born. From anger comes delusion; from delusion, loss of memory; from loss of memory, destruction of intelligence; and from destruction of intelligence, one falls down."
Kama manifests in many forms beyond the obvious:
Kama destroys through several mechanisms:
Krodha, the second gate, arises directly from unfulfilled kama. When desires are obstructed, anger emerges as a force to remove the obstruction.
According to verse 2.62, anger arises from desire. When what we want is blocked, the emotional energy of desire transforms into the heated force of anger directed at whatever seems to obstruct us.
Anger follows a recognizable pattern:
Anger takes many forms, some obvious and some subtle:
Anger's destructive power is recognized across cultures:
The Gita's teaching on anger connects to broader teachings about courage - true strength is not reactive rage but controlled power in service of dharma.
Lobha, the third gate, is the drive for accumulation beyond any reasonable need. While kama seeks specific pleasures, lobha wants more of everything, without limit.
Lobha is characterized by insatiability - no amount is ever enough. Like a fire fed with fuel, greed grows with feeding. Unlike natural desires that can be satisfied, greed is an endless appetite that consumes without satisfaction.
Greed follows a predictable pattern:
Greed manifests in various domains:
Greed destroys wellbeing in multiple ways:
The Gita's teaching on wealth provides a balanced perspective - material success is not condemned but greed for excessive accumulation is recognized as spiritually harmful.
Understanding how lust, anger, and greed reinforce each other is essential for breaking their hold. They form a self-perpetuating cycle.
This connection is explicitly stated in verse 3.37: kama and krodha arise from rajas and are the all-devouring enemy. The dynamic:
Desire and greed fuel each other:
Anger and greed interact destructively:
Together, the three form a self-sustaining system. Each strengthens the others. Breaking the cycle requires addressing all three, not just one. Reducing anger without addressing underlying desires provides temporary relief but not lasting freedom. Similarly, addressing greed without examining fundamental desires leaves the root cause untouched.
The verse refers to these as gates to "naraka" - hell. What does this mean in Gita philosophy?
The Gita acknowledges realms of suffering where souls may take birth based on karma. Verse 16.19 states that the envious and cruel are cast into demoniac wombs repeatedly. Verse 16.20 adds that such souls sink to the lowest condition.
More immediately, "hell" refers to the psychological and spiritual state created by these tendencies. The person consumed by lust, anger, and greed lives in hell now:
The verse specifically says these are gates to the destruction of the self (nashanam atmanah). This is the deepest meaning:
This connects to teachings about death and immortality - what we do with our consciousness determines our future trajectory.
Krishna's instruction is clear: "therefore one should abandon these three" (tasmad etat trayam tyajet). How is this accomplished? The Gita provides multiple approaches.
The three gates are expressions of rajas and tamas. Cultivating sattva naturally weakens them. This includes sattvic diet (17.8-10), sattvic activities, sattvic associations, and sattvic thinking. A pure mind has less fuel for lust, anger, and greed.
The Gita recommends three types of austerity (17.14-16):
Understanding the true nature of these tendencies helps overcome them:
Perhaps the most powerful remedy is redirecting desire toward the divine:
Regular meditation practice provides space between stimulus and response:
How can these teachings be applied in everyday situations?
When overwhelming desire arises:
When anger arises:
When the impulse to accumulate arises:
Bhagavad Gita 16.21 identifies three destructive tendencies - lust (kama), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha) - as the triple gates to hell that lead to the soul's degradation. Krishna warns that these three must be abandoned because they are destructive to the self. This verse provides essential psychological wisdom for spiritual seekers.
Kama is intense desire or craving for sensory gratification. In the Gita, it refers to any overwhelming desire that controls rather than serves us. Chapter 3.37 identifies it as arising from the mode of passion (rajas). It becomes destructive when it enslaves the mind, overrides discrimination, and leads to unethical action.
The three form a destructive chain: unfulfilled lust leads to anger (3.37), and the pursuit of desires leads to greed for more. Alternatively, greed seeks objects of desire (lust), and obstruction of either triggers anger. They reinforce each other in a cycle that progressively degrades the consciousness and leads to self-destruction.
In Gita philosophy, hell (naraka) refers to states of suffering arising from demoniac tendencies. It includes lower births in future lives, but more immediately it refers to the psychological hell of being controlled by destructive emotions. The person becomes their own torturer through lust, anger, and greed.
The Gita recommends: regulating the senses through self-discipline (6.26), cultivating sattva guna through diet and lifestyle (17.8-10), practicing meditation (6.10-15), developing devotion to the Supreme (9.27), studying scripture for discrimination (2.59), and associating with spiritually minded people (10.9). Gradual purification weakens these tendencies.
No. The Gita distinguishes between sattvic (regulated, beneficial) and tamasic (destructive) forms of desire and emotion. Healthy desires for spiritual growth, for example, are encouraged. The verse targets the excessive, uncontrolled manifestations of these tendencies that destroy discrimination and lead to harmful actions.
Download the Srimad Gita App for daily verses, guided meditations, and comprehensive teachings to help you overcome lust, anger, and greed.
Download the AppGet personalized spiritual guidance with the Srimad Gita App. Daily verses, AI-powered insights, and more.