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Bhagavad-gītā 16.22

एतैर्विमुक्त: कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नर: । आचरत्यात्मन: श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥ २२ ॥
etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya
[etair vimuktah kaunteya]
tamo-dvārais tribhir naraḥ
[tamo-dvaarais tribhir narah]
ācaraty ātmanaḥ śreyas
[aacharaty aatmanah shreyas]
tato yāti parāṁ gatim
[tato yaati paraam gatim]
Word-for-word
etaiḥ — from these vimuktaḥ — being liberated kaunteya — O son of Kuntī tamaḥ - dvāraiḥ — from the gates of ignorance tribhiḥ — of three kinds naraḥ — a person ācarati — performs ātmanaḥ — for the self śreyaḥ — benediction tataḥ — thereafter yāti — he goes parām — to the supreme gatim — destination .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya
etaiḥ
from these
vimuktaḥ
being liberated
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
tamo-dvārais tribhir naraḥ
tamaḥ - dvāraiḥ
from the gates of ignorance
tribhiḥ
of three kinds
naraḥ
a person
ācaraty ātmanaḥ śreyas
ācarati
performs
ātmanaḥ
for the self
śreyaḥ
benediction
tato yāti parāṁ gatim
tataḥ
thereafter
yāti
he goes
parām
to the supreme
gatim
destination .
Important Words
  • vimuktaḥ — being liberated
    Past passive participle of vi-muc — to release. Vi is the intensive: completely freed. Not 'managing the gates' but freed from them. The Gītā promises a real, observable freedom, not merely better coping.
  • kaunteya — O son of Kuntī
    Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna by his mother's name. Kuntī was famously dharmic, brave, devotional. Each time Kṛṣṇa says 'kaunteya' He is reminding Arjuna of the line he carries — relevant when promising elevation.
  • tamaḥ - dvāraiḥ — from the gates of ignorance
    Compound: tamas (darkness, ignorance, the lowest guṇa) + dvāra (gate). The three gates of the previous verse are here named gates of tamas. Crossing them is exit from the mode of ignorance itself.
  • ācarati — performs
    From ā-car — to conduct, to practice. Ā-cāra — conduct. The verse uses the verb form: the freed soul ācarati — conducts himself toward self-benefit. Conduct, not philosophy, is the measure.
  • śreyaḥ — benediction
    Śreyas — that which is genuinely good, as opposed to preyas (the merely pleasing). The freed soul's actions automatically aim at the real welfare of the ātman, paired here with the genitive ātmanaḥ.
  • parām — to the supreme
    Accusative feminine — 'supreme' qualifying gatim. The same parām that 16.20's demoniac fail to approach is here within reach. The word ties verse 22 directly to verse 20 as its opposite.
The man who has escaped these three gates of hell, O son of Kuntī, performs acts conducive to self-realization and thus gradually attains the supreme destination.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The positive corollary of 16.21. Freed from those three gates — now reframed as 'gates of darkness' — a person becomes able to act for the self's true welfare. Action and destination align: practicing śreyas leads, of itself, to the supreme goal.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Note the renaming: 'narakasya dvāram' (16.21) → 'tamo-dvāraiḥ' (16.22). The same gates that open downward to hell are reframed as the architecture of tamas itself. The grammar is also reordered: in 16.21 they are the subject of destruction; here they are merely the ablative — what one has been released from. 'Śreyas' vs. 'preyas' is the old Kaṭha-distinction (1.2.1-2). Cross-ref: BG 6.40, where one who attempts śreyas never comes to harm.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कौन्तेय! एतैः त्रिभिः तमः-द्वारैः विमुक्तः नरः आत्मनः श्रेयः आचरति, ततः (च) पराम् गतिम् याति ।
he kaunteya! etaiḥ tribhiḥ tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ vimuktaḥ naraḥ ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ ācarati, tataḥ (ca) parām gatim yāti |
O Kaunteya, the man freed from these three gates of darkness practices what is beneficial for the self, and thence goes to the supreme destination.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
एतैः विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमः-द्वारैः त्रिभिः नरः । आचरति आत्मनः श्रेयः ततः याति पराम् गतिम् ॥
etaiḥ vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ tribhiḥ naraḥ | ācarati ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ tataḥ yāti parām gatim ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
एतैः etaiḥ एतद् pron. (pronoun) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)n. from these
विमुक्तः vimuktaḥ वि + √मुच् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. released, freed
कौन्तेय kaunteya कौन्तेय (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O son of Kuntī
तमः-द्वारैः tamaḥ-dvāraiḥ तमस् (n.) + द्वार (n.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) gates of darkness / tamas
त्रिभिः tribhiḥ त्रि numeral, ins.pl. (instrumental plural) three
नरः naraḥ नर (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) a man, person
आचरति ācarati आ + √चर् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) he practices, conducts (himself in)
आत्मनः ātmanaḥ आत्मन् (m.) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of the self
श्रेयः śreyaḥ श्रेयस् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), compar. (comparative) of शुभ (what is) beneficial, the higher good
ततः tataḥ ind. (indeclinable) thence
याति yāti √या pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) he goes
पराम् parām पर (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)f. supreme
गतिम् gatim गति (f.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) destination
Purport

One should be very careful of these three enemies to human life: lust, anger and greed. The more a person is freed from lust, anger and greed, the more his existence becomes pure. Then he can follow the rules and regulations enjoined in the Vedic literature. By following the regulative principles of human life, one gradually raises himself to the platform of spiritual realization. If one is so fortunate, by such practice, to rise to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then success is guaranteed for him. In the Vedic literature, the ways of action and reaction are prescribed to enable one to come to the stage of purification. The whole method is based on giving up lust, greed and anger. By cultivating knowledge of this process, one can be elevated to the highest position of self-realization; this self-realization is perfected in devotional service. In that devotional service, the liberation of the conditioned soul is guaranteed. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, there are instituted the four orders of life and the four statuses of life, called the caste system and the spiritual order system. There are different rules and regulations for different castes or divisions of society, and if a person is able to follow them, he will be automatically raised to the highest platform of spiritual realization. Then he can have liberation without a doubt.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
22. The person who is free from these three gates leading to darkness acts in the best interest of the self, and then attains the supreme goal.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
22. The person who is free from these three gates leading to darkness acts in the best interest of the self, and then attains liberation.
Commentary

The result of giving up these three items is described in this verse. He performs the most beneficial practices, which are actions according to his āśrama, and attains liberation (parām gatim).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

While transmigrating in the tree of this material world we have some choices in human life: whether one wants to go up or he wants to go down. Krsna has given us this choice. If we walk through the gates leading to hell, Krsna gives us directions. But for a sane man Krsna advises to give up those gates leading to hell: lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give them up. Contemporary civilization being demoniac cultivate lust and greed. And how to perform acts conducive to self‑realization?

[2. To obtain that supreme destination, one's activities should all be in accord with sastra. (23‑24) ]

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
16.22 O son of Kunti, narah, a person; who is vimuktah, free; etaih, from these; tribhih, three; tamo-dvaraih, doors to darkness, i.e., passion etc. which are doors to the darkness of hell consisting of sorrow and delusion; freed from three three which are such, acarati, strives for;-for what?-sreyah, the good; atmanah, of the soul: darred by which (doors) he could not strive earlier, and on the dispelling of which he strives. Tatah, thery, as a result of that striving; yati, he attains; the param, suprme; gatim, Goal, i.e. Liberation, as well. [Not only does he attain Liberation by renouncing the demoniacal alities, but he also secures happiness in this world.] The scripture is instrumental in this complete renunciation of the demoniacal alities and striving for what is good. Both can be undertaken on the authority of the scriptures, not otherwise. Hence,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
16.22 One who has been 'released from these three' - from desire, wrath and greed which constitute the gates of darkness causing erroneous knowledge of Myself -, he works for the good of the self. Gaining knowledge of Myself, he endevaours to be inclined towards Me. From there, he attains the supreme goal, which is Myself. Sri Krsna now teaches that the main cause of this Kind of degeneration is lack of reverence for the Sastras:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
16.21-22 Trividham etc. Etaih etc. Because the traid of desire etc., constitute the gate to the hell, therefore one should avoid that. What has been stated should not be neglected on the assumption that it is [based on] the human word. On the other hand, there is the authority of the eternal scripture on this subject. This is said [here] –
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
16.22 A man who is liberated from these three gates to darkness, O Arjuna, practises what is good for him and thus goes to the Supreme Goal.
Commentary

16.22 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.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
16.22 O son of Kunti, a person who is free from these three doors to darkness strives for the good of the soul. Thery he attains the highest Goal.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
16.22 These are the gates which lead to darkness; if a man avoid them he will ensure his own welfare, and in the end will attain his liberation.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 16.21 BG 6.45 BG 8.15 SB 5.7.8 SB 11.23.58 SB 2.1.6 CC Madhya 22.87 CC Madhya 19.151 CC Madhya 23.14 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.8BRS 1.4.15
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
He who has escaped these three gates engages in works for self-elevation — gradually attains the supreme goal.
Practical Applications
  • Trust that escaping these three is itself elevation.
  • Don't underestimate the foundational work.
  • Recognize gradual progress as real progress.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I underestimated foundational discipline?
  • What renewed appreciation is needed?
Analogy

A traveler who escapes a thorn-thicket walks more freely the rest of the journey. He may not yet be home, but every step now serves arrival. Once the three gates are closed behind him, ordinary action becomes śreyas — a means of self-elevation — automatically.

Stories
Bharata Mahārāja's Forest Years

Having renounced his kingdom and family, Bharata in the Bhāgavatam shows what life looks like after the three gates are shut. He performed worship by the riverbank, ate fallen fruit, kept silence. The verse describes him: vimuktaḥ — liberated from these — and now ācarati ātmanaḥ śreyaḥ — performing acts conducive to self-realization.

He did stumble — the attachment to a deer was an unanticipated knot — but the larger arc of his life is the verse's affirmation: once kāma, krodha, lobha are released, the supreme destination is gradually attained.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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