Bhagavad Gita BG 16.22
Chapter 16, Verse 22 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः । आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
etair vimuktah kaunteya tamo-dvarais tribhir narah acaraty atmanah shreyas tato yati param gatim
Meaning
Freed from these three gates of darkness (desire, anger, greed), O Arjuna, a man does what is good for himself and thus goes to the supreme goal.
Understanding
The turn toward liberation after the extended teaching on the demonic: etair vimuktah (freed from these — the three gates described in v21: kama/desire, krodha/anger, lobha/greed). Tamo-dvarais tribhir narah (the man freed from the three gates of tamas/darkness). Acaraty atmanah shreyas (he acts in what is good for himself — shreyah = the higher good, the ultimate welfare, as opposed to preyas/immediate pleasure). Tato yati param gatim (from there goes to the supreme goal — param gati = the highest destination). The three gates of darkness (desire, anger, greed) are the demonic's defining inner conditions — they shut out the light of wisdom and the Divine. Freedom from these three opens the path to shreyah (true welfare) and param gati (liberation). This verse is the pivot: from the portrait of the demonic to the prescription for liberation.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| विमुक्तः | vimuktah | freed, liberated, released from |
| तमोद्वारैः | tamo-dvarais | gates of darkness/tamas (tamas = darkness, dvara = gate) |
| आचरति | acarati | acts, practices, does (in daily life) |
| श्रेयः | shreyah | the higher good, ultimate welfare (contrasted with preyas = immediate pleasure) |
| परां गतिम् | param gatim | the supreme goal, the highest destination (param = supreme) |
| एतैः | etaiḥ | from these |
| विमुक्तः | vimuktaḥ | liberated |
| कौन्तेय | kaunteya | O son of Kunti |
| तमो-द्वारैः | tamo-dvāraiḥ | from the gates of darkness |
| त्रिभिः | tribhiḥ | by three |
| नरः | naraḥ | a person |
| आचरति | ācarati | acts, practices |
| आत्मनः | ātmanaḥ | for the self |
| श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | the highest good |
| ततः | tataḥ | then |
| याति | yāti | one goes |
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