TRANSLATION
O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress. 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.
PURPORT
A conditioned soul tries to enjoy material happiness again and again. Thus he chews the chewed, but, sometimes, in the course of such enjoyment, he becomes relieved from material entanglement by association with a great soul. In other words, a conditioned soul is always engaged in some type of sense gratification, but when he understands by good association that it is only a repetition of the same thing, and he is awakened to his real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is sometimes relieved from such repetitive so-called happiness.
In the pursuit of self-realization, one has to follow many rules and regulations to control the mind and the senses and to concentrate the mind on the Self. All these procedures are very difficult, bitter like poison, but if one is successful in following the regulations and comes to the transcendental position, he begins to drink real nectar, and he enjoys life.
Bg 18.38
TEXT 38
TEXT
viṣayendriya-saṁyogād
yat tad agre 'mṛtopamam
pariṇāme viṣam iva
tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam
SYNONYMS
viṣaya
-objects of sense;
indriya
-senses;
saṁyogāt
-combination;
yat
-that;
tat
-which;
agre
-in the beginning;
amṛta-upamam
-just like nectar;
pariṇāme
-at the end;
viṣam iva
-like poison;
tat
-that;
sukham-
happiness;
rājasam
-in the mode of passion;
smṛtam
-is considered.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
A young man and a young woman meet, and the senses drive the young man to see her, to touch her and to have sexual intercourse. In the beginning this may be very pleasing to the senses, but at the end, or after some time, it becomes just like poison. They are separated or there is divorce, there is lamentation, there is sorrow, etc. Such happiness is always in the mode of passion. Happiness derived from a combination of the senses and the sense objects is always a cause of distress and should be avoided by all means.
Bg 18.39
TEXT 39
TEXT
yad agre cānubandhe ca
sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ
nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
SYNONYMS
yat-
that which;
agre
-in the beginning;
ca
-also;
anubandhe-
by binding;
ca-
also;
sukham-
happiness;
mohanam-
illusion;
ātmanaḥ-
of the self;
nidrā-
sleeping;
ālasya-
laziness;
pramāda-
illusion;
uttham-
produced of;
tat-
that;
tāmasam-
in the mode of ignorance;
udāhṛtam-
is
said to be.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
One who takes pleasure in laziness and in sleep is certainly in the mode of darkness, and one who has no idea how to act and how not to act is also in the mode of ignorance. For the person in the mode of ignorance, everything is illusion. There is no happiness either in the beginning or the end. For the person in the mode of passion there might be some kind of ephemeral happiness in the beginning and at the end distress, but for the person in the mode of ignorance there is only distress both in the beginning and at the end.
Bg 18.40
TEXT 40
TEXT
na tad asti pṛthivyāṁ vā
divi deveṣu vā punaḥ
sattvaṁ prakṛti-jair muktaṁ
yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ
SYNONYMS
na-
not;
tat-
that;
asti-
there is;
pṛthivyām-
within the universe;
vā
-or;
divi-
in the higher planetary system;
deveṣu-
amongst the demigods;
vā
-or;
punaḥ-
again;
sattvam-
existence;
prakṛti-jaiḥ-
under the influence of material nature;
muktam-
liberated;
yat-
that;
ebhiḥ-
by this;
syāt-
so becomes;
tribhiḥ-
by three;
guṇaiḥ-
modes of material nature.
TRANSLATION
There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from the three modes of material nature.
PURPORT
The Lord here summarizes the total influence of the three modes of material nature all over the universe.
Bg 18.41
TEXT 41
TEXT
brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśāṁ
śūdrāṇāṁ ca parantapa
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni
svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇa
-the
brāhmaṇas
;
kṣatriya
-the
kṣatriyas
;
viśām
-the v
aiśyas
;
śūdrāṇām
-the
śūdras
;
ca
-and;
parantapa
-O subduer of the enemies;
karmāṇi
-activities;
pravibhaktāni
-are divided;
svabhāva
-own nature;
prabhavaiḥ
-born of;
guṇaiḥ
-by the modes of material nature.
TRANSLATION
Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are distinguished by their qualities of work, O chastiser of the enemy, in accordance with the modes of nature.
Bg 18.42
TEXT 42
TEXT
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
SYNONYMS
śamaḥ-
peacefulness;
damaḥ-
self-control;
tapaḥ-
austerity;
śaucam-
purity;
kṣāntiḥ-
tolerance;
ārjavam
-honesty;
eva-
certainly;
ca-
and;
jñānam-
wisdom;
vijñānam-
knowledge;
āstikyam-
religiousness;
brahma
-of a
brāhmaṇa; karma-
duty;
svabhāva-jam-
born of his own nature.
TRANSLATION
Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.
Bg 18.43
TEXT 43
TEXT
śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ
yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam
dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca
kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam
SYNONYMS
śauryam-
heroism;
tejaḥ
-power;
dhṛtiḥ-
determination;
dākṣyam-
resourcefulness;
yuddhe-
in battle;
ca-
and;
api-
also;
apalāyanam-
not fleeing;
dānam-
generosity;
īśvara-
leadership;
bhāvaḥ-
nature;
ca-
and
kṣātram-kṣatriya; karma-
duty;
svabhāva-jam-
born of his own nature.
TRANSLATION
Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership are the qualities of work for the kṣatriyas.
Bg 18.44
TEXT 44
TEXT
kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ
vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam
paricaryātmakaṁ karma
śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam
SYNONYMS
kṛṣi-
ploughing;
go
-cows;
rakṣya-
protection;
vāṇijyam-
trade;
vaiśya-vaiśya; karma-
duty;
svabhāva-jam-
born of his own nature;
paricaryā-
service;
ātmakam-
nature;
karma-
duty;
śūdrasya-
of the
śūdra; api-
also;
svabhāva-jam-
born of his own nature.
TRANSLATION
Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others.
Bg 18.45
TEXT 45
TEXT
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ
yathā vindati tac chṛṇu
SYNONYMS
sve
-own;
sve
-own;
karmaṇi
-in work;
abhirataḥ
-following;
saṁsiddhim
-perfection;
labhate
-achieves;
naraḥ
-a man;
svakarma
-by his own duty;
nirataḥ
-engaged;
siddhim
-perfection;
yathā-
as;
vindati
-attains,
tat-
that;
śṛṇu
-listen.
TRANSLATION
By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.
Bg 18.46
TEXT 46
TEXT
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya
siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ
SYNONYMS
yataḥ-
from whom;
pravṛttiḥ-
emanation;
bhūtānām-
of all living entities;
yena-
by whom;
sarvam-
all;
idam-
this;
tatam-
is pervaded;
svakarmaṇā-
in his own duties;
tam-
Him;
abhyarcya-
by worshiping;
siddhim
-perfection;
vindati-
achieves;
mānavaḥ-
a man.
TRANSLATION
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection.
PURPORT
As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all living beings are fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. As such, the Supreme Lord is the beginning of all living entities. This is confirmed in the
Vedānta-sūtra-janmādy asya yataḥ.
The Supreme Lord is therefore the beginning of life of every living entity. And the Supreme Lord, by His two energies, His external energy and internal energy, is all-pervading. Therefore one should worship the Supreme Lord with His energies. Generally the Vaiṣṇava devotees worship the Supreme Lord with His internal energy. His external energy is a perverted reflection of the internal energy. The external energy is a background, but the Supreme Lord by the expansion of His plenary portion as Paramātmā is situated everywhere. He is the Supersoul of all demigods, all human beings, all animals, everywhere. One should therefore know that as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord it is his duty to render service unto the Supreme. Everyone should be engaged in devotional service to the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is recommended in this verse.
Everyone should think that he is engaged in a particular type of occupation by Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. And, by the result of the work in which one is engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes fully aware of everything. That is the perfection of life. The Lord says in
Bhagavad-gītā, teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā.
The Supreme Lord Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee. That is the highest perfection of life. In whatever occupation one may be engaged, if he serves the Supreme Lord, he will achieve the highest perfection.
Bg 18.47
TEXT 47
TEXT
śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ
para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
svabhāva-niyataṁ karma
kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam
SYNONYMS
sreyān-
better;
sva-dharmaḥ-
one's own occupation;
viguṇaḥ-
imperfectly performed;
para-dharmāt-
another's occupation;
svanuṣṭhitāt-
perfectly done;
svabhāva-niyatam-
prescribed duties according to one's nature;
karma-
work;
kurvan-
performing;
na-
never;
āpnoti-
achieve;
kilbiṣam-
sinful reactions.
TRANSLATION
It is better to engage in one's own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another's occupation and perform it perfectly. Prescribed duties, according to one's nature, are never affected by sinful reactions.
PURPORT
One's occupational duty is prescribed in
Bhagavad-gītā.
As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of a
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya
and
śūdra
are prescribed according to the particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another's duty.
A
man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done by
śūdras
should not artificially claim himself to be a
brāhmaṇa,
although he may be born into a
brāhmaṇa
family. In this way one should work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of a
brāhmaṇa
is certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of a
brāhmaṇa.
For a
kṣatriya,
or administrator, there are so many abominable things; a
kṣatriya
has to be violent to kill his enemies, and sometimes a
kṣatriya
has to tell lies for the sake of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but a
kṣatriya
is not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try to perform the duties of a
brāhmaṇa.