Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 18 Moksha Sannyasa Yogah

Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - And now hear from Me, O best of the Bharatas, of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices after practice and in which one comes to the end of pain.

सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ |
अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दु:खान्तं च निगच्छति ||36||

And now hear from Me, O best of the Bharatas, of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices after practice and in which one comes to the end of pain.

Bharatarṣabha: Bull of the Bharatas.
Abhyāsād: Through practice.
Ramate: Takes delight.
Duḥkhāntaṃ: End of suffering.

Krishna transitions to analyzing happiness itself, revealing how even our experience of joy varies according to the gunas. This examination of happiness completes his comprehensive analysis of human experience, showing how the gunas influence not just actions but their results.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - That which is like poison at first but like nectar at the end, that pleasure is declared to be sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind.

यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् |
तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ||37||

That which is like poison at first but like nectar at the end, that pleasure is declared to be sattvic, born of the purity of one's own mind.

Agre: In the beginning.
Viṣamiva: Like poison.
Pariṇāme: In the end.
Amṛtopamam: Like nectar.

Sattvic happiness reverses conventional understanding—what initially seems difficult ultimately brings lasting joy. This counterintuitive wisdom explains why spiritual disciplines, though challenging, produce profound contentment, contrasting with the fleeting pleasures most people pursue.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - That pleasure which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which is at first like nectar but at the end like poison, that is declared to be rajasic.

विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् |
परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ||38||

That pleasure which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which is at first like nectar but at the end like poison, that is declared to be rajasic.

Viṣayendriya: Senses and objects.
Saṃyogāt: From contact.
Viṣamiva: Like poison.
Smṛtam: Is remembered.

Rajasic happiness presents the opposite pattern from sattvic joy—immediate gratification followed by suffering. This common human experience explains the addictive cycle of sensory pleasure, where increasing stimulation yields diminishing returns, creating an unsustainable pursuit of happiness.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - That pleasure which at first and in the sequel deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, that pleasure is declared to be tamasic.

यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मन: |
निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ||39||

That pleasure which at first and in the sequel deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence and heedlessness, that pleasure is declared to be tamasic.

Anubandhe: In consequence.
Mohanam: Deluding.
Nidrālasya: Sleep and laziness.
Pramādotthaṃ: Born of heedlessness.

Tamasic happiness represents the lowest form of contentment—the dull comfort of inertia that prevents growth. By defining heedlessness itself as a form of pleasure, Krishna explains humanity's resistance to awakening, showing how even spiritual torpor can be mistakenly cherished.

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न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुन: |
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभि: स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणै: ||40||

There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the gods, that is liberated from the three gunas born of prakriti.

Pṛthivyāṃ: On earth.
Divi: In heaven.
Deveṣu: Among the gods.
Prakṛtijaiḥ: Born of nature.

This verse establishes the universal influence of the gunas, extending beyond humans to all beings. By showing that nothing in creation escapes these qualities, Krishna reveals both the challenge and opportunity of human existence—we cannot avoid the gunas, but we can transcend their limitations.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - The duties of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, O scorcher of foes, are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.

ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप |
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: ||41||

The duties of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, O scorcher of foes, are distributed according to the qualities born of their own nature.

Parantapa: Scorcher of foes.
Pravibhaktāni: Distributed.
Svabhāvaprabhavaiḥ: Born of own nature.
Guṇaiḥ: By the qualities.

Krishna begins explaining how the gunas manifest in social organization through the varna system. Rather than rigid caste structures, he presents these as natural expressions of human qualities and abilities, connecting individual temperament with social function in an organic understanding of society.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and also uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, faith - these are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.

शमो दमस्तप: शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च |
ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ||42||

Serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and also uprightness, knowledge, wisdom, faith - these are the duties of Brahmanas, born of their own nature.

Śamo: Serenity.
Damaḥ: Self-control.
Śaucaṃ: Purity.
Ārjavam: Uprightness.

The qualities of Brahmanas reflect the sattvic temperament oriented toward wisdom and teaching. These characteristics aren't presented as privileges but as responsibilities requiring intensive self-discipline, showing that higher social position demands greater, not lesser, ethical requirements.

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