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विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम्।परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्।।18.38।।

viṣhayendriya-sanyogād yat tad agre ’mṛitopamam pariṇāme viṣham iva tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 38
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with the objects, which is initially like nectar but eventually like poison, is said to be Rajasic.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: that happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, like nectar at first but like poison in the end, is declared to be of passion, describing the opposite timing pattern, immediately pleasurable but eventually costly or hollow.

In life: some of your regular pleasures follow this exact opposite pattern, immediately satisfying in the moment but leaving you feeling worse or emptier afterward, a pattern worth noticing and naming directly rather than only feeling vaguely dissatisfied without understanding why.

Teaching: identify a regular pleasure in your life that follows this specific pattern, immediately satisfying but leaving you worse off afterward, and consider deliberately reducing your reliance on it in favor of pleasures following the opposite, more sustainable timing.

viṣhayawith the sense objects
indriyathe senses
sanyogātfrom the contact
yatwhich
tatthat
agreat first
amṛita-upamamlike nectar
pariṇāmeat the end
viṣham ivalike poison
tatthat
sukhamhappiness
rājasamin the mode of passion
smṛitamis said to be

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.38 विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगात् from the contact of the senseorgans with the objects? यत् which? तत् that? अग्रे at first? अमृतोपमम् like nectar? परिणामे in the end? विषम् poison? इव like? तत् that? सुखम् pleasure? राजसम् Rajasic? स्मृतम् is declared.Commentary Sensual pleasure is mixed with pain? fear and sin. A small grain of sensual pleasure is mixed with a mountain of pain. He who indulges in sensual pleasures will have to experience pain also? side by side. He is afraid of losing the objects that give him pleasure. He is attached to them. Attachment is death. It brings him again and again to this world of death. Fear and attachment coexist with sensual pleasure. He has to exert a lot to get money. He can obtain the objects through money. During exertion he commits many sinful acts and he will have to suffer in hell. The next birth will be of a very low nature. He tells lies and cheats people to obtain money. The senses also lose their vigour through indulgence in sensual pleasure. He loses his strength? vigour? wealth and energy. His intellect becomes dull? weak? impure? turbid and perverted. He loses his money and proper understanding. (Cf.V.22)