Chapter 18, Verse 38
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् | परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१८-३८||
viṣayendriyasaṃyogādyattadagre.amṛtopamam . pariṇāme viṣamiva tatsukhaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||18-38||
Meaning
18.38 That happiness which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, which is at first like nectar, and in the end like poison that is declared to be Rajasic.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Rajasic happiness is the mirror image of sattvic joy. Arising from the contact of the senses with their objects, it is like nectar at first — sweet, exciting, instantly gratifying — but turns to poison in the end, leaving behind craving, exhaustion, or regret.
This is the joy of indulgence, and Krishna's insight is timeless. The rush of sensory pleasure feels wonderful in the moment, which is exactly why it deceives. Its sweetness is real but fleeting, and what follows is the bitterness of dependence and depletion. Discerning the long arc of an experience, not just its first taste, is the very heart of wisdom about happiness.
💡 Key Takeaway
Sensory pleasures taste like nectar at first but turn to poison, leaving craving and regret behind.
Related Verses
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् | स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ||१८-८||
duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśabhayāttyajet . sa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet ||18-8||
18.8 He who abandons action on account of the fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by doing such Rajasic renunciation.
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् | वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ||१८-२१||
pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṃ nānābhāvānpṛthagvidhān . vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu tajjñānaṃ viddhi rājasam ||18-21||
18.21 But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds as different from one another know thou that knowledge to be Rajasic.
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण वा पुनः | क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ||१८-२४||
yattu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṃkāreṇa vā punaḥ . kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tadrājasamudāhṛtam ||18-24||
18.24 But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfilment of desires or gain with egoism or with much effort that is declared to be Rajasic (passionate).