Chapter 16 · Verse 22

Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures

एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः।आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम्

etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamo-dvārais tribhir naraḥ ācharaty ātmanaḥ śhreyas tato yāti parāṁ gatim

Word Meanings

etaiḥ vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ tribhiḥ naraḥ ācharati ātmanaḥ śhreyaḥ tataḥ yāti parām gatim

Translation

O son of Kunti, a person freed from these three gates of darkness—lust, anger, and greed—strives for the welfare of the soul and thereby attains the supreme goal.

Commentary

एतैः from these? विमुक्तः liberated? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya? तमोद्वारैः gates to darkness? त्रिभिः (by) three? नरः the man? आचरति practises? आत्मनः for him? श्रेयः what is good? ततः and then? याति goes to? पराम् the Supreme? गतिम् Goal.Commentary When these gates to hell are abandoned? the path to salvation is made clear for the aspirant. He gets the company of sages? which leads to liberation. He gets spiritual instructions and practises them. He hears the scriptures? reflects? meditates and attains Selfrealisation.Tamodvara Gate to darkness leading to hell which is full of pain and delusion.