the 3 gates to hell

[Paramananda das]

dear vaisnavas
Please accept my humble obaisences
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
In his Vraja Vilasa Stava,Srila Raghunath das Goswami writes in his very first vers:
The highwaymen lust, greed and anger have captured me and bound me with the ropes of the desire for fame. I pray that the heroic devotees of Lord Krishna, the enemy of the Agha demon, may defeat my captors and cut the ropes that bind me.

this is our humble research:

Krsna has advised us in Bhagavad Gita to try to give up this lust anger and greed for good:
tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajet...

"There are three gates leading to this hell—lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul."

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
The beginning of demoniac life is described herein. One tries to satisfy his lust, and when he cannot, anger and greed arise. A sane man who does not want to glide down to the species of demoniac life must try to give up these three enemies which can kill the self to such an extent that there will be no possibility of liberation from this material entanglement.

lust anger greed etc are like highway men trying to rob us of our treasure of KC,they are agents of the material energy,maya
lets look at the commentaries of the acaryas of all 4 vaisnava sampradayas:Srila Madhavacarya has not commented on this sloka
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
Lord Krishna concisely enunciates that lust, greed and anger are the three gates leading straight to hell. All the demoniac vices and characteristics iterated previously are the symptoms of lust, greed and anger which are the root cause and basis of all the others. These three are very destructive and degenerative for a ... human being completely obscuring discrimination and the consciousness of the atma or immortal soul and hence to be shunned and avoided by all means, for their influence propels one directly into lower, debased life forms and reincarnations in hellish existences. So lust, greed and anger must be renounced, abandoned and rejected if one wants to avoid residing in hell.

Ramanuja's Commentary
Lord Krishna confirms that the demoniac nature is in itself a hellish condition of life perpetuating more and more degraded hellish existences. The three portals to hellish existence are lust, greed and anger which completely destroy and ruin all opportunities for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Lust, greed and anger are... the foundations for all the other vices and sinfulness described previously which run rampant among the demoniac. The word dvaram means portal and gate inferring the cause. The words nasanam atmanah means destructive or even suicidal denoting how utterly negative lust, greed and anger are in evolving the consciousness to commune with the immortal soul. Therefore Lord Krishna emphasizes that lust, greed and anger must be permanently abandoned, fully relinquished and completely neutralised since these three voracious vices comprise the cause that leads a jiva or embodied being directly to dreaded naraka or the hellish planets.

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Lord Krishna has now ended descriptions of the basic details of the nature and characteristics of the demoniac. Now He strongly advises by any means to avoid the triple threat of lust, greed and anger which is the underlying root cause of all demoniac vices and evils. As soon as lust, greed and anger are abandoned all ... other vices and evils dissolve and dissapate. Birth in hellish existences has three doors in the form of the door of lust, the door of greed and the door of anger. As soon as anyone enters into any one of these three doors they become void of discrimination and their mind becomes apprehended and controlled by the senses. This causes complete chaos and utter ruin to any human being, blocking access to their higher nature and totally obscuring the consciousness of the atma or immortal soul which leads to moksa or liberation from material existence. The three doorways of lust, greed and anger causes one to perform such sinful and abominable activities that damnation is the only result and leads a human being directly to hell to suffer immensely for their sinful inequities. Hence one should be extremely vigilant to avoid these three doors and keep them far away at a safe distance.

In his Prema Bhakti Chandrika Srila Narottama das Thakura writes:

1 anya-abhilasa chadi jnana karma parihari
kaya mane kariba bhajana
sadhu-sange krsna-seba na pujiba devi-deva
ei bhakti parama-karana
Rejecting all other desires, and abandoning philosophical speculation and fruitive work, in the company of the devotees I will worship and serve Lord Krsna with my body and mind. I will not worship the demigods and demigoddesses. Devotional service is the reason for my life.

2 maha janera jei patha tate habe anurata
purbapara kariya bicara
sadhana-smarana-lila ihate na kara hela
kaya mane kariya susara
Devotedly follow the path of the great devotees in the past. Properly using your body and mind, don't neglect either the regulative devotional practices or the remembrance of the Lord's pastimes
3 asat-sanga sada tyaga chada anya gita-raga
karmi jnani parihari dure
kebala bhakata-sanga prema-katha-rasa-ranga
lila-katha braja-rasa-pure
Always reject the company of the impious. Give up attraction to non-devotional songs. Leave the karmis and jnanis far away. Only associate with the devotees. Take pleasure in hearing the nectar descriptions of pure love for Krsna. Become flooded by the nectar of the narrations of the Lord's pastimes in Vraja.

4 jogi nyasi karmi jnani anya-debata-pu jaka dhyani
iha-loke dure parihari
karma dharma duhkha soka jeba thake anya joga
chadi bhaja giribara-dhari
Putting the yogis, svamis, karmis, jnanis, demigod-worshippers, and meditators far away, and rejecting the torments that are fruitive work, ordinary religion, and the other yogas, worship Lord Giridhari.
5 tirtha-jatra parisrama kebala manera bhrama
sarba-siddhi gobinda-carana
drdha-biswasa hrde dhari mada-matsar ja parihari
sada kara ananya bhajana
The struggle to travel to various holy pilgrimage places is simply the mind's mistake, because to make spiritual advancement all one actually needs is the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. Abandoning pride and envy, and with firm faith in your heart, always worship Lord Govinda without deviation.

6 krsna-bhakta sanga kari krsna-bhakta anga heri
sraddhanbita srabana-kirtana
arcana bandana dhyana naba-bhakti maha-jnana
ei bhakti parama-karana
See the devotees of Lord Krsna, associate with the devotees of Lord Krsna. Faithfully engage in the nine-fold process of devotional service, which includes hearing about the Lord, chanting His glories, worshipping Him, offering obeisances to Him, and remembering Him. Following these activities enlightens the devotees with spiritual knowledge.
7 hrsike gobinda-seba na pujiba devi-deva
ei ta ananya-bhakti-katha
ara jata upalambha bisesa sakali dambha
dekhite lagaye mane byatha
I shall use these senses to serve Lord Govinda, and I shall decline to worship the various demigods and demigoddesses. I shall only speak about pure devotional service. The numberless different philosophies and conceptions of life are all products of the conditioned soul's pride. Trying to understand them brings no real benefit but only a pain within the mind.
8 dehe baise ripu-gana jateka indriya-gana
keha kara badhya nahi haya
sunile na suna kana janile na jane prana
drdhaite na pare niscaya
The insubordinate senses are like enemies that live within the body. Tell the ear to hear and it may rebel, refusing to hear. Tell the mind to understand a particular point, or become firm in a certain way, and it may very well disobey.
9 kama krodha moha lobha mada matsar ja dambha-saha
sthane sthane ni jukta kariba
ananda kari hrdaya ripu kari parajaya
anayase gobinda bhajiba
I shall fight with lust, anger, bewilderment, greed, madness, envy and pride. Defeating them, I will become blissful at heart, and I will easily become able to worship Lord Govinda.

10 kama krsna-karmarpane krodha bhakta-dwesis-jane
lobha sadhu-sange hari-katha
moha ista-lablha-bine mada krsna-guna-gane
nijukta kariba jatha tatha
Lust I will engage in offering the fruits of my work to Lord Krsna. Anger I will direct towards the enemies of the devotees. Greed I will engage by being greedy to hear the topics of Lord Hari in the association of the saintly devotees. Bewilderment will be manifested because I cannot immediately attain my worshipable Lord. Madness will be there when I madly glorify the transcendental attributes of Lord Krsna. In this way I will engage each of these in the service of Lord Krsna.
11 anyatha swatanta kama anrthadi jara dhama
bhakti-patha sada deya bhanga
kiba ba karite pare kama-krodha sadhakere
jadi haya sadhu-janara sanga
If lust is not controlled, then it becomes the breeding ground for a host of vices and checks one's advancement on the path of devotional service. However, if one stays in the association of the saintly devotees, then that association will carry him beyond the influence of lust, anger, and their friends.
12 krodha ba na kare kiba krodha-tyaga sada diba
lobha moha ei ta kathana
chaya ripu sada hina kariba manera adhina
krsnacandra kariya smarana
I shall not become angry. I shall renounce anger. I shall become free from my six enemies, such as greed and bewilderment. I shall control my mind, and always remember Lord Krsnacandra.
13 apani palabe saba suniya gobinda raba
simha-raba jena kari-gana
sakala vipatti jabe mahananda sukha pabe
jara haya ekanta bhajana
When lust and his friends hear the word "Govinda" they immediately begin to flee, as a herd of elephants flees when it hears a lion's roar. If one engages in single-pointed devotional service to Lord Krsna, then the worshipper attains transcendental bliss, and all kinds of calamities flee from him.
14 na kariba asat-cesta labha puja pratistha
sada cinta gobinda-carana
sakala santapa jabe parananda sukha pabe
prema-bhakti parama-karana
Don't sin. Take no interest in profit, adoration, and distinction. Instead meditate on the lotus feet of Lord Govinda. In this way all sufferings will go far away and transcendental bliss and pure love for Lord Krsna will spontaneously come.
15 asat-sanga kutinati chada anya paripati
anya debe na hariha rati
apana apana sthane piriti sabai tane
bhakti-pathe padaye bigati
Give up the association of the impious non-devotees. Give up the tendency to find fault in others. Don't follow any spiritual path other than devotional service. Don't worship the demigods. If one takes to the worship of the demigods, he becomes deviated from the path of devotional service.
16 apana bhajana-pantha taha habe anurata
ista-deva-sthane-lila-gane
naisthika bhajana ei tomare kahila bhai
hanuman tahate pramana
O brother, please become attached to your worshipable Lord alone. Serve Him without deviation and sing the glories of His pastimes. I will now quote the words of Hanuman, who demonstrates this exclusive devotion to one's worshipable Deity. Hanuman said:
17 srinathe janaki-nathe
abhedah paramatmani
tathapi mama sarvasvam
ramah kamala-locanah
Although He is not different from Lord Narayana, lotus-eyed Lord Rama alone is the be-all and end-all of my life.
18 devaloka pitrloka paya tara maha-sukha
sadhu sadhu bale anuksana
jugala bhajaye jara premanande bhase tara
tandera nichani tri-bhubana
If one attains the planets of the demigods or Pitas and enjoys celestial happiness there, then I congratulate him, saying: well done, well done. However, I myself would never strive to attain such a thing. For myself I am content simply to worship the Divine Couple and swim and float in the bliss of pure love for Them. This pure love is the most valuable object in the three worlds.
19 prthak ayasa-joge duhkamaya-bisaya-bhoge
braje basa gobinda-sebana
krsna-katha krsna-nama satya-satya rasa-dhama
braja-jane-sange anuksana
Although I have taken great trouble to try to enjoy the miserable sense-gratification available in this world, I shall now give it up. I shall now reside in Vraja, serve Lord Govinda, hear and chant the topics of Lord Krsna, chant the holy names of Lord Krsna, and at every moment relish the transcendental mellows of devotional service in the association of the residents of Vraja.
20 sada seba-abhilasa manete kari biswasa
sada-kala haiya nirbhaya
narottama dasa bole padinu asat-bhole
paritrana kara mahasaya
I shall always aspire to serve the Lord, and great faith in the Lord will become manifested in my mind. In this way I shall remain always fearless in all situations. Narottama dasa says: Somehow or other I have accepted the role of a non-devotee. O my master, O great soul, please deliver me.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has advised us in his Kalyana Kalpa Taru:
mana re, keno miche bhajicho asar
bhutha-maya e sansar, jiber paksete char,
amangala-samudra apar

(2)
bhutatita suddha-jiba, niranjana sadasiba,
mayatita premer adhar
taba suddha-satta tai, e jada-jagate bhai,
keno mugdha hao bar bar?

(3)
phire dekho eka-bara, atma amrter dharo,
ta'te buddhi ucita tomar
tumi atma-rupi ho'ye sri-caitanya-samasraye,
brndabane thako anibar

(4)
nitya-kala sakhi-sange, parananda-seba-range,
jugala-bhajana koro' sar
e heno jugala-dhana, chare jei murkha jana,
ta'ra gati nahi dekhi ar

TRANSLATION
1) Oh my dear mind, please tell me why you uselessly adore and worship such false things in this world? This material world is simply composed of five gross elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether, but the pure spirit soul somehow wants to keep him in a most degraded condition of abject ruination by remaining within this unfathomable ocean of inauspiciousness.

2) The spirit soul actually lives beyond these five gross elements, and he is always spotlessly pure, devoid of material designations, and abounds in auspicious spiritual happiness. He is certainly a fit receptacle for pure love of Godhead, which is beyond the range of maya's illusions. Oh my dear mind, my dear friend! You are meant to be situated in pure transcendental existence as pure spirit soul, so I ask you now - why do you become enchanted and captivated again and again within this dull material universe?

3) Just become a little introspective for once, and try to keep in mind the fact that pure spirit soul is actually eternal and full of nectar. Such intelligent judgments are quite befitting you. Reassuming your real form as pure soul, just remain always in Vrndavana under the shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

4) Make the worship of the Divine Couple your only object of pursuit. And in the company of Their most dear cowherd girlfriends and maidservants, just perform transcendentally joyful service unto Their pastimes for all of eternity. I am not able to predict the destination of those foolish souls who dare to neglect such a treasure as this conjugal service.

in the next song of Kalyana Kalpa Taru he writes:
(1)
mana, tumi bhalabasa kamer taranga
jada-kama parihari', suddha-kama seba kori',
bistaraho aprakrta ranga

(2)
anitya jadiya kama, santi-hina abisrama,
nahi tahe pipasar bhanga
kamer samagri cao, tabu taha nahi pao,
paileo chare taba sanga

(3)
tumi seba koro' ja're, se toma' bhajite nare,
dukha jwale binoder anga
charo tabe micha-kama, hao tumi satya-kama,
bhajo vrndavaner ananga
janhar kusuma-sare, taba nitya-kalebare,
byapt ha'be prema antaranga

TRANSLATION
1) My dear mind, you are so fondly attached to rolling to and fro upon the waves of lust. Abandoning your sensual material lust, just render service in pure spiritual lust and thus extend yourself into the realm of transcendentally uncommon pastimes.

2) It is not possible to quench the thirst of this temporary mundane lust, for its nature is to continuously create a disturbing situation. Although you desire the things associated with lust, still you can not always get them. And even if you do get the things you lust after, you cannot keep them, for such temporary things will give up your company very soon.

3) My dear mind, you faithfully render service to this mundane lust, but I see that it actually cannot give you anything substantial; rather, it simply burns my entire body with miserable dissatisfaction. So then just give up all your false material lust and just accept the true, spiritual lust by worshiping the Cupid ofVrndavana. Then, He will shoot your spiritual body full of His flower arrow, and you will thereby become filled to the brim with eternal ecstatic love for Him.
note:
(embodied in the Kama Gayatri mantra)


The acaryas have said it all, remembering their holy words I offer my pranams at their lotusfeet and ask them to bless us all trying to serve Srila Prabhupada in his ISKCON
your humble servant
 Paramananda das