Bhagavad Gita BG 18.38
Chapter 18, Verse 38 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद् यत्तदग्रे ऽमृतोपमम् । परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥
vishayendriya-samyogad yat tad agre 'mrTopamam parinAme visham iva tat sukham rajasam smrtam
Meaning
The happiness that arises from the contact of senses with their objects — like nectar at first, but like poison at the end — is remembered as rajasic.
Understanding
Rajasic happiness: vishayendriya-samyoga (the contact/union of senses with sense-objects). Agre amrtopamam (at first like nectar — the initial pleasure of sense-contact is sweet, compelling, and powerful). ParinAme visham iva (but at the end like poison — habituation, dependency, withdrawal, craving for more, anxiety about losing). The rajasic pleasure arc: initial pleasure → habituation → craving for more → fear of losing → grief at loss → compulsion → bondage. The 'nectar at first' is not a deception; it is real pleasure. But the parinAma (eventual result) is poison because the very seeking of this happiness creates the bondage that produces suffering.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगात् | vishayendriya-samyogad | from the union/contact of senses with sense-objects |
| अग्रे | agre | at first, at the beginning |
| अमृतोपमम् | amrtopamam | like nectar/amrita |
| परिणामे | parinAme | at the end, in the final result/maturation |
| स्मृतम् | smrtam | is remembered as, is said to be, is known as |
| विषय-इन्द्रिय-संयोगात् | viṣaya-indriya-saṃyogāt | from the union of senses and objects |
| यत् | yat tat | that which |
| अमृत-उपमम् | amṛta-upamam | like nectar |
| परिणामे | pariṇāme | in the end |
| विषम् | viṣam iva | like poison |
| तत् | tat | that |
| सुखम् | sukham | happiness |
| राजसम् | rājasam | in passion |
| स्मृतम् | smṛtam | is considered |