yat tad agre visam iva
pariname ’mrtopamam। tat sukham sattvikam proktam atma-buddhi-prasada-jam॥ 18.37 ॥ |
Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.
visayendriya-samyogad
yat tad agre ’mrtopamam। pariname visam iva tat sukham rajasam smrtam॥ 18.38 ॥ |
Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.
yad agre chanubandhe cha
sukham mohanam atmanah। nidralasya-pramadottham tat tamasam udahrtam॥ 18.39 ॥ |
Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.
na tad asti prithivyam va
divi devesu va punah। sattvam prakriti-jair muktam yad ebhih syat tribhir gunaih॥ 18.40 ॥ |
Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature.
brahmana-kshatriya-visam
shudranam cha parantapa। karmani pravibhaktani svabhava-prabhavair gunaih॥ 18.41 ॥ |
Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras are distinguished by the qualities born of their own natures in accordance with the material modes.