Written by London Swaminathan

swami_48@yahoo.com

Date: 8 November 2018

GMT Time uploaded in London –14-27

Post No. 5638

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There are beautiful slokas/couplets in Sanskrit language giving details about gateways to hell and heaven. We find it in Pali scriptures and Tamil scriptures as well. Bhagavad Gita, Dhammapada, the Buddhist Veda and Tamil Veda Tirukkural have got similar couplets.

Let us look at Sanskrit slokas first:-

Hitopadesa (sloka) says,

Doors to Death (Mrtyoh dvarani):-

1.Beginning of an unworthy act

2.Enmity with one’s own kin

3.Competition with a stronger person

4.Faith in young women

Anicita karyarambah svajana virodho baliyasa spardha

Pramadajanavisvaso mrtyoh dvarani catvari

–Hitopadesa 3-149

Gateway to Moksha/Liberartion

Yoga Vasistah says

1.Control of mind

2.Inquiry

3.Contentment

4.Association with saints

are the four gateways to Moksha.

mokshadvare dvarapalascatvah parikirtitah

samo vicharah santosascaturtah sadhusangamah

Gateways of Hell

kama krodha lobha dambha

kamo lobhastatha  krodho dhambascatvara ithyami

xxx

Bhagavad Gita (16-21) says,

The Triple Gate of Hell

trividham narakasyaedam

dvaram nasanam atmanah

kamah krodhas tatha lobhas

tasmad etat trayam tyajet

The gateway of this hell leading to the ruin of the soul is threefold, lust, anger and greed. Therefore, these three, one should abandon (BG 16-21)

Tiruvalluvar, author of Tamil Veda Tirukkural says,

Once the triple evils of lust, anger and delusion are eliminated

All sorrow will come to an end —(Kural 360)

Buddha in The Dhammapada says

He in whom these (envy, greed and wickedness) are destroyed, removed by the very root, he who is free from guilt, and is wise, is said to be handsome (263)

Lord, saints and poets repeated the same advise in different words.

Tags- Gateway, Hell, Heaven, Moksha, Greed, Lust, delusion, envy, anger.

–Subham–