Bhagavad Gita 18.37यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्।तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ॥
yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme 'mṛtopamam tat
sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam
Sanskrit recitation
Knowledge, work, and the worker · 18.29–18.40 · Teaching
Translation
That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar—that happiness is declared to be sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind due to self-realization.
Hindi translation
हे भरतवंशियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुन ! अब तीन प्रकारके सुखको भी तुम मेरेसे सुनो। जिसमें अभ्याससे रमण होता है और जिससे दुःखोंका अन्त हो जाता है, ऐसा वह परमात्मविषयक बुद्धिकी प्रसन्नतासे पैदा होनेवाला जो सुख (सांसारिक आसक्तिके कारण) आरम्भमें विषकी तरह और परिणाममें अमृतकी तरह होता है, वह सुख सात्त्विक कहा गया है।
Meaning
Agree vishma iva In the beginning it is attended with much pain as one has to abandon the sensual objects and comforts and practise severe austerities and rigorous Sadhana. He has to undergo a severe ordeal when he practises Yama, Niyama, Tapas and various other vows. He has to cultivate dispassion or indifference to sensual pleasures. This gives him much pain at first. The practice of concentration and meditation also gives pain the beginning. Subjugation of the senses is also very troublesome. Nux vomica is very bitter. One feels much discomfort when he takes a mixture that contains nux vomica. But he derives much pleasure in the end when he gets vigour and good appetite and when his dyspepsia is cured. Even so the aspirant drinks the nectar of immortality in the end, attains the highest knowledge, rejoices in the,Self to his hearts content and enjoys supreme peace and eternal bliss.Proktam It is declared by the wise.Atmabuddhiprasadajam Born as purity of ones own intellect or born of the direct, perfect and clear knowledge of Brahman or the immortal, selfluminous, eternal and supreme Self or the Absolute. The individual self experiences Sattvic happiness when it realises union with the highest Self.The pleasure so born is Sattvic. (Cf.VI.1,2)
After Swami Sivananda
Knowledge, work, and the worker· 18.29–18.40→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 18.29Hear thou the threefold division of intellect and firmness, according to the Gunas, as I…
- 18.30The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what should be done and what…
- 18.31That by which one wrongly understands dharma and adharma, and also what ought to be done…
- 18.32That intellect, O Arjuna, which is enveloped in darkness and sees Adharma as Dharma and…
- 18.33The unwavering firmness, through which Yoga restrains the functions of the mind,…
- 18.34But that, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to Dharma (duty), enjoyment of pleasures, and…
- 18.35That firmness, O Arjuna, by which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief,…
- 18.36And now, O Arjuna, hear from Me of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices through…
18.37That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar—that happiness is declared…
- 18.38That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with the objects, which is…
- 18.39That happiness which at first, as well as in the end, deludes the self, and which arises…
- 18.40There is no being on earth or in heaven among the gods that is liberated from the three…
Word-by-word→
- tat
- that
- yat
- that which
- agre
- in the beginning
- ātma
- self
- buddhi
- intelligence
- sukham
- happiness
- upamam
- compared to
- amṛta
- nectar
- proktam
- is said
- sāttvikam
- in the mode of goodness
- pariṇāme
- at the end
- prasāda-jam
- satisfactory.
- viṣam iva
- like poison
Read this when you feel
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