SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
yath thadhagrE visham iva pariNAmE’mruthOpamam |
thath sukham sAthvikam prOktham AthmabudhdhiprasAdhajam ||
word-by-word meaning
yath thath – that happiness
agrE – while commencing (the yOga)
visham iva – appearing to be sorrowful (due to lack of practice in AthmA related aspects, and having to undergo hardship due to that)
pariNAmE – at the end (of the yOga)
amruthOpamam – sweet like nectar (due to enjoying the true nature of AthmA)
Athma budhdhi prasAdhajam – due to leaving aside other matters and enjoying AthmA exclusively
thath sukham – that happiness
sAthvikam prOktham – is said to be caused by sathva guNam
Simple Translation
That happiness which is appearing to be sorrowful (due to lack of practice in AthmA related aspects, and having to undergo hardship due to that) while commencing (the yOga) and sweet like nectar (due to enjoying the true nature of AthmA) at the end (of the yOga) due to leaving aside other matters and enjoying AthmA exclusively, is said to be caused by sathva guNam.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘That is called Sātvika-Happiness, which at
first as venom is, but nectar in the end; —springing from ātma-knowing serenity.’
That Happiness, which by hard effort at the beginning of Yoga has to be achieved, and which by its singular nature has not yet been tasted; and therefore seems like venom, i.e., painful. But in the end, or when by the strength of practice, its singular nature is experienced, it is like nectar.
And this Happiness springs from ātma-knowing serenity.
The mind or the understanding which concerns itself with ātma is ātma-knowing mind.
Serenity means the calmness which comes to this mind when all other objects (save ātma) have been divorced from its contemplation. From this divorcement arises the experience of ātma, and this experience is the Happiness which is like nectar; and this is called Sātvika-Happiness.
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