Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18, Verse 38

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

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

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 pleasure arising from contact of the sense organs with the objects, which is like the nectar at first and which in effect is like poison, is declared to be Rajasic.

Commentary:

Sense pleasures are momentary. They are produced by the contact of sense organs with material objects. Moreover, the sense-pleasures, though they appear sweet and attractive on the surface, lead to pain, sorrow, and suffering in the end. So, Rajasic pleasure is like a cup of poison with a thin film of milk over it. It is dangerous and fatal to seek it. Man is deluded by the superficial glitter and glamour of sense attractions and rushes to his own destruction by running after them with foolish zeal and enthusiasm. Knowing it as such, who will pursue them? Who will love them? Who will hanker after them? The wise man takes the hint from the Lord’s command and abandons all unworthy ends and purpose in life.

All that glitters is not gold. The glitter of sense-pleasures is easily understood even by an uncritical mind in the daily course of human life. What is necessary is to pause for a moment and enquire into the nature of such pleasure and its consequence. Such enquiry repeatedly carried out will enable the seeker to know the true nature of the sense pleasures, and when it is known the mind ceases to run after them. Of course, by the force of past samskaras, man runs after such pleasures, and so a persistent and resolute effort is to be made to clear up the rubbish and make the mind clean and pure. Repeated efforts alone can turn the mind back from pursuing external objects. The path may be difficult, but not impossible. The Lord will sustain the effort of man and give him the necessary strength. Such is the Lord’s assurance to the sincere seeker. No defeat, no despair, no pessimism, no lethargy can overtake the man of steady and unswerving faith.

Question: What is the nature of Rajasic pleasure?

Answer: It appears sweet as nectar in the beginning and turns out to be poison in the end. : Such is the nature of Rajasic pleasure.

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 🔻 (78 Verses)

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