Chapter 18, Verse 38 (Bhagavad Gita 18.38)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम्।परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्
Transliteration
viṣhayendriya-sanyogād yat tad agre ’mṛitopamam pariṇāme viṣham iva tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam
Word Meanings
viṣhaya—with the sense objects; indriya—the senses; sanyogāt—from the contact; yat—which; tat—that; agre—at first; amṛita-upamam—like nectar; pariṇāme—at the end; viṣham iva—like poison; tat—that; sukham—happiness; rājasam—in the mode of passion; smṛitam—is said to be
Translation
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which is like nectar at first but like poison in the end, is declared to be Rajasic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Lord Krishna cautions Arjuna against the deceptive allure of worldly pleasures that stem from sensory indulgence. Yogeshwar Krishna explains that while these gratifications appear sweet and intoxicating in the beginning, they invariably lead to exhaustion, dependency, and spiritual decay. By seeking happiness in external objects, the soul forgets its eternal nature, causing a painful severance from its divine origin. Bhagwan Shri Krishna urges the seeker to transcend these transient, Rajasic joys, as they bind the soul to the cycle of karma and material suffering. True liberation begins when one turns their focus from the fleeting nectar of the senses toward the eternal, soul-nourishing bliss found only in the Supreme Lord.