Bhagavad Gita BG 18.37
Chapter 18, Verse 37 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् । तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तं आत्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ॥
yat tad agre visham iva parinAme 'mrtopamam tat sukham sattvikam proktam atma-buddhi-prasada-jam
Meaning
That happiness which is like poison at first and like nectar at the end — born from the clarity of one's Self-knowledge (atma-buddhi-prasada) — is declared sattvic.
Understanding
The three kinds of happiness, and the sattvic one: agre visham iva (like poison at first — the disciplines of sattvic life are difficult, initially unpleasant). Pariname amrtopamam (at the end like nectar/amrita — the sustained practice produces the deepest, most stable joy). Atma-buddhi-prasada-jam (born from the clarity of the buddhi settled in the Atman — the prasada/grace/clarity of the Self). Sattvic happiness is slow-onset and permanent. The contrast: rajasic happiness is nectar at first, poison at the end (sense-pleasures that become dependencies).
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अग्रे | agre | at first, at the beginning |
| विषम् | visham | poison, bitter |
| परिणामे | parinAme | at the end, in the result/maturation |
| अमृतोपमम् | amrtopamam | like nectar, similar to amrita |
| प्रसादजम् | prasada-jam | born from prasada (clarity, grace, settled peace) |
| यत् | yat tat | that which |
| विषम् | viṣam iva | like poison |
| परिणामे | pariṇāme | in the end |
| अमृत-उपमम् | amṛta-upamam | like nectar |
| तत् | tat | that |
| सुखम् | sukham | happiness |
| सात्त्विकम् | sāttvikam | in goodness |
| प्रोक्तम् | proktam | is said |
| आत्म-बुद्धि-प्रसाद-जम् | ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam | born of the clarity of self-intelligence |
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