18.37 yat tad agre viṣam iva (Original)

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 18

<< Chapter 18 Verse 36

Simple

yat tad agre viṣam iva
pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam
tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam
ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam

‘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.

>> Chapter 18 Verse 38

archived in http://githa.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org