Bg 18.36
sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha
abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati
Bg 18.37
yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam
tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam
Bg 18.38
viṣayendriya-saṁyogād yat tad agre ’mṛtopamam
pariṇāme viṣam iva tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam
Bg 18.39
yad agre cānubandhe ca sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ
nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
Translation
36. And now hear from me, O best among the Bharatas, of the three-fold "pleasure," in which one rejoices by practice, and surely comes to the end-of-pain.
37. That which is like poison at first, but in the end like nectar, that "pleasure" is declared to be SATTWIC (pure), born of the purity of one's own mind, due to Self realisation.
38. That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, (which is) at first like nectar, (but is) in the end like poison, that is declared to be RAJASIC (passionate).
39. That pleasure, which at first and in the sequel deludes the Self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull) .
Commentary
In the logical thought development in this chapter, hitherto we found the three factors that constitute the "impulse of all actions": (1) the knowledge, (2) the actor and (3) the action. Afterwards, the very motive forces in all activity --- which not only propel activity, but intelligently control and direct it --- the Buddhi and the Dhriti, have also been shown severally, in their different types.
Every "actor" acts in his field, guided by his "knowledge," ruled by his "understanding" (Buddhi), and maintained by his "fortitude" (Dhriti). The dissection and observation of "work" is now complete since we have understood the "anatomy and physiology" of work. The "Psychology" of work is now being discussed: why does man act? In fact, every living creature acts propelled by the same instinct, namely, the craving for happiness.
With the three constituents of action --- namely, "knowledge," "agency" and "action" --- helped by the right type of "understanding" (Buddhi) and "fortitude" (Dhriti), every living creature from the womb to the tomb continues acting in the world. To what purpose? Everyone acts for the same goal of gaining happiness, meaning, a better sense of fulfilment.
And though the goal be thus one and the same (viz., happiness), since different types of constituents go into the make-up of our actions, and since we are so different in the texture of our UNDERSTANDING and FORTITUDE, the path adopted by each one of us is distinctly different from those adopted by all others. In and through the variety of actions in the universe, all people --- the good, the passionate, and the dull --- seek their own sense of satisfaction.
Since each of the five component parts that make up an "action" is of the three different types, it follows that "happiness" that is gained by the different types must also be different in its texture, perfection and completeness. Here follows a description of the three types of "happiness."
THROUGH PRACTICE (Abhyaasat) --- Through a familiarity of this complete scheme-of-things within, an individual can, to a large extent, come to diagnose himself and understand the why and the wherefore of all his miseries. He can thus learn to readjust and re-evaluate his life and thereby come to end his sorrows totally, or at least, alleviate them to some extent.
WHAT IS SATTWIC (PURE) "HAPPINESS"?
That "happiness" which, in the beginning, is like poison and very painful, but which, when it works itself out, fulfils itself in a nectarine success, is the enduring "happiness" of the 'good' (Sattwic). In short, "happiness" that arises from constant effort is the "happiness" that can yield us a greater beauty and a larger sense of fulfilment. The flimsy "happiness" that is gained through sense-indulgence and sense-gratification is a joy that is fleeting, and after its onslaught there is a terrific under-current that comes to upset our equilibrium and drag us into the depths of despondency.
The joy arising out of inner self-control and the consequent sense of self-perfection is no cheap gratification. In the beginning its practice is certainly very painful and extremely arduous. But one who has discovered in oneself the necessary courage and heroism to walk the precipitous "path" of self-purification and inward balance, comes to enjoy the subtlest of happiness and the all-fulfilling sense of inward peace. This "happiness" (Sukham), arising out of self-control and self-discipline, is classified here by the Lord as Sattwic "happiness."
BORN OUT OF THE PURITY OF ONE'S OWN MIND (Atma Buddhi Prasaada-jam) --- By carefully living the life of the 'good' (Sattwic) and acting in disciplined self-control, as far as possible in the world, maintaining the Sattwic qualities in all their "component parts," one can develop the 'Prasaada' of one's inner nature. The term 'Prasaada' is very often misunderstood in ritualistic language.
The peace and tranquillity, the joy and expansion, that the mind and intellect come to experience as a result of their discipline and contemplation are the true "Prasaada." The joy arising out of spiritual practices, provided by the integration of the inner nature, is called 'Prasada' which is the Sattwic "happiness," Prasaada-jam. In short, the sense of fulfilment and the gladness of heart that well up in the bosom of a cultured man, as a result of his balanced and self-disciplined life of high ideals and divine values of life, are the enduring "happiness" of all Men-of-Perfection, of all true men of religion.
WHAT IS RAJASIC (PASSIONATE) "HAPPINESS"?
That happiness which arises in our bosom when the appropriate world-of-objects comes in contact with our sense-organs is indeed a thrill that is nectarine in the beginning, but unfortunately, it vanishes as quickly as it comes, dumping the enjoyer into a pit of exhaustion and indeed into a sense of ill-reputed dissipation.
Rajasic "happiness" arises only when the sense-organs are actually in contact with the sense-objects. Unfortunately, this contact cannot be permanently established; for the objects are always variable. And the subjective mind and intellect, the instruments that come in contact with the objects, are also variable and changing. The sense-organs cannot afford to embrace the sense-objects at all times with the same appetite, and even if they do so, the very object in the embrace of the sense-organs withers and putrefies, raising the stink of death. No man can FULLY enjoy even the passing glitter of joy that the sense-organs give him, for even at the moment of enjoyment the joy-possibility in it gets unfortunately tainted by an anxiety that it may leave him. Thus, to a true thinker, the temporary joys of sense-objects are not at all satisfactory, since they bury the enjoyer, ere long, in a tomb of sorrow.
This sort of "happiness" is classified as the Rajasic type of "happiness" and is generally pursued by men of passion.
WHAT IS TAMASIC (DULL) "HAPPINESS"?
The "happiness" of the 'dull' (Tamasic) is that which deludes the Higher in us, and vitiates the culture in us; and, when the pursuit of such "happiness" is continued for a length of time, it gives to the intellect a thick crust of wrong values and false ideals, and ruins the spiritual sensitivity of the personality.
This type of Tamasic "happiness" satisfies mere sense-cravings; for such Tamasic "happiness" arises, according to the Lord, from sleep (Nidraa), indolence (Aalasya) and heedlessness (Pramaada).
SLEEP (Nidraa) --- It is not the psychological condition of the everyday sleep that is meant here. Philosophically, the term "sleep" stands for "the non-apprehension of Reality," and the incapacity of the dull-witted to perceive any permanent, ever-existing goal of life. This encourages one to seek simple sense-gratifications at the flesh level.
INDOLENCE (Aalasya) --- It is the incapacity of the intellect to think out correctly the problems that face it and come to correct judgement. Such an inertia of the intellect makes it insensitive to the inspiring song of life, and a person having such an intellect is generally tossed here and there by the passing tides of his own instincts and impulses.
HEEDLESSNESS (Pramaada) --- As every challenge reaches us and demands our response to it, no doubt, the Higher in us truly guides our activities; but the lower, indolent mind seeks a compromise and tries to act, heedless of the voice of the Higher. When an individual has thus lived for some time carelessly ignoring the Voice of the Higher, he becomes more and more removed from his divine perfections. He sinks lower and lower into his animal nature.
When such an individual, who is heedless of the higher calls, indolent at his intellectual level and completely asleep to the existence and the play of Reality, seeks "happiness," he only seeks a "happiness" that deludes the soul, both at the beginning and at the end. Such "happiness" is here classified by Krishna as "dull" (Tamasic).
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha
abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati
Bg 18.37
yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam
tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam
Bg 18.38
viṣayendriya-saṁyogād yat tad agre ’mṛtopamam
pariṇāme viṣam iva tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam
Bg 18.39
yad agre cānubandhe ca sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ
nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
Translation
36. And now hear from me, O best among the Bharatas, of the three-fold "pleasure," in which one rejoices by practice, and surely comes to the end-of-pain.
37. That which is like poison at first, but in the end like nectar, that "pleasure" is declared to be SATTWIC (pure), born of the purity of one's own mind, due to Self realisation.
38. That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, (which is) at first like nectar, (but is) in the end like poison, that is declared to be RAJASIC (passionate).
39. That pleasure, which at first and in the sequel deludes the Self, arising from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, is declared to be TAMASIC (Dull) .
Commentary
In the logical thought development in this chapter, hitherto we found the three factors that constitute the "impulse of all actions": (1) the knowledge, (2) the actor and (3) the action. Afterwards, the very motive forces in all activity --- which not only propel activity, but intelligently control and direct it --- the Buddhi and the Dhriti, have also been shown severally, in their different types.
Every "actor" acts in his field, guided by his "knowledge," ruled by his "understanding" (Buddhi), and maintained by his "fortitude" (Dhriti). The dissection and observation of "work" is now complete since we have understood the "anatomy and physiology" of work. The "Psychology" of work is now being discussed: why does man act? In fact, every living creature acts propelled by the same instinct, namely, the craving for happiness.
With the three constituents of action --- namely, "knowledge," "agency" and "action" --- helped by the right type of "understanding" (Buddhi) and "fortitude" (Dhriti), every living creature from the womb to the tomb continues acting in the world. To what purpose? Everyone acts for the same goal of gaining happiness, meaning, a better sense of fulfilment.
And though the goal be thus one and the same (viz., happiness), since different types of constituents go into the make-up of our actions, and since we are so different in the texture of our UNDERSTANDING and FORTITUDE, the path adopted by each one of us is distinctly different from those adopted by all others. In and through the variety of actions in the universe, all people --- the good, the passionate, and the dull --- seek their own sense of satisfaction.
Since each of the five component parts that make up an "action" is of the three different types, it follows that "happiness" that is gained by the different types must also be different in its texture, perfection and completeness. Here follows a description of the three types of "happiness."
THROUGH PRACTICE (Abhyaasat) --- Through a familiarity of this complete scheme-of-things within, an individual can, to a large extent, come to diagnose himself and understand the why and the wherefore of all his miseries. He can thus learn to readjust and re-evaluate his life and thereby come to end his sorrows totally, or at least, alleviate them to some extent.
WHAT IS SATTWIC (PURE) "HAPPINESS"?
That "happiness" which, in the beginning, is like poison and very painful, but which, when it works itself out, fulfils itself in a nectarine success, is the enduring "happiness" of the 'good' (Sattwic). In short, "happiness" that arises from constant effort is the "happiness" that can yield us a greater beauty and a larger sense of fulfilment. The flimsy "happiness" that is gained through sense-indulgence and sense-gratification is a joy that is fleeting, and after its onslaught there is a terrific under-current that comes to upset our equilibrium and drag us into the depths of despondency.
The joy arising out of inner self-control and the consequent sense of self-perfection is no cheap gratification. In the beginning its practice is certainly very painful and extremely arduous. But one who has discovered in oneself the necessary courage and heroism to walk the precipitous "path" of self-purification and inward balance, comes to enjoy the subtlest of happiness and the all-fulfilling sense of inward peace. This "happiness" (Sukham), arising out of self-control and self-discipline, is classified here by the Lord as Sattwic "happiness."
BORN OUT OF THE PURITY OF ONE'S OWN MIND (Atma Buddhi Prasaada-jam) --- By carefully living the life of the 'good' (Sattwic) and acting in disciplined self-control, as far as possible in the world, maintaining the Sattwic qualities in all their "component parts," one can develop the 'Prasaada' of one's inner nature. The term 'Prasaada' is very often misunderstood in ritualistic language.
The peace and tranquillity, the joy and expansion, that the mind and intellect come to experience as a result of their discipline and contemplation are the true "Prasaada." The joy arising out of spiritual practices, provided by the integration of the inner nature, is called 'Prasada' which is the Sattwic "happiness," Prasaada-jam. In short, the sense of fulfilment and the gladness of heart that well up in the bosom of a cultured man, as a result of his balanced and self-disciplined life of high ideals and divine values of life, are the enduring "happiness" of all Men-of-Perfection, of all true men of religion.
WHAT IS RAJASIC (PASSIONATE) "HAPPINESS"?
That happiness which arises in our bosom when the appropriate world-of-objects comes in contact with our sense-organs is indeed a thrill that is nectarine in the beginning, but unfortunately, it vanishes as quickly as it comes, dumping the enjoyer into a pit of exhaustion and indeed into a sense of ill-reputed dissipation.
Rajasic "happiness" arises only when the sense-organs are actually in contact with the sense-objects. Unfortunately, this contact cannot be permanently established; for the objects are always variable. And the subjective mind and intellect, the instruments that come in contact with the objects, are also variable and changing. The sense-organs cannot afford to embrace the sense-objects at all times with the same appetite, and even if they do so, the very object in the embrace of the sense-organs withers and putrefies, raising the stink of death. No man can FULLY enjoy even the passing glitter of joy that the sense-organs give him, for even at the moment of enjoyment the joy-possibility in it gets unfortunately tainted by an anxiety that it may leave him. Thus, to a true thinker, the temporary joys of sense-objects are not at all satisfactory, since they bury the enjoyer, ere long, in a tomb of sorrow.
This sort of "happiness" is classified as the Rajasic type of "happiness" and is generally pursued by men of passion.
WHAT IS TAMASIC (DULL) "HAPPINESS"?
The "happiness" of the 'dull' (Tamasic) is that which deludes the Higher in us, and vitiates the culture in us; and, when the pursuit of such "happiness" is continued for a length of time, it gives to the intellect a thick crust of wrong values and false ideals, and ruins the spiritual sensitivity of the personality.
This type of Tamasic "happiness" satisfies mere sense-cravings; for such Tamasic "happiness" arises, according to the Lord, from sleep (Nidraa), indolence (Aalasya) and heedlessness (Pramaada).
SLEEP (Nidraa) --- It is not the psychological condition of the everyday sleep that is meant here. Philosophically, the term "sleep" stands for "the non-apprehension of Reality," and the incapacity of the dull-witted to perceive any permanent, ever-existing goal of life. This encourages one to seek simple sense-gratifications at the flesh level.
INDOLENCE (Aalasya) --- It is the incapacity of the intellect to think out correctly the problems that face it and come to correct judgement. Such an inertia of the intellect makes it insensitive to the inspiring song of life, and a person having such an intellect is generally tossed here and there by the passing tides of his own instincts and impulses.
HEEDLESSNESS (Pramaada) --- As every challenge reaches us and demands our response to it, no doubt, the Higher in us truly guides our activities; but the lower, indolent mind seeks a compromise and tries to act, heedless of the voice of the Higher. When an individual has thus lived for some time carelessly ignoring the Voice of the Higher, he becomes more and more removed from his divine perfections. He sinks lower and lower into his animal nature.
When such an individual, who is heedless of the higher calls, indolent at his intellectual level and completely asleep to the existence and the play of Reality, seeks "happiness," he only seeks a "happiness" that deludes the soul, both at the beginning and at the end. Such "happiness" is here classified by Krishna as "dull" (Tamasic).
Sources: vedabase.com; The Holy Geeta
