Chapter 18 Verse 36
Mokṣha Sanyās Yog
सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ।अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति।।18.36।।
sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ śhṛiṇu me bharatarṣhabha abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ cha nigachchhati yat tad agre viṣham iva pariṇāme ‘mṛitopamam tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam
Word Meanings
| sukham | happiness |
| tu | but |
| idānīm | now |
| tri-vidham | of three kinds |
| śhṛiṇu | hear |
| me | from me |
| bharata-ṛiṣhabha | Arjun, the best of the Bharatas |
| abhyāsāt | by practice |
| ramate | rejoices |
| yatra | in which |
| duḥkha-antam | end of all suffering |
| cha | and |
| nigachchhati | reaches yat |
| tat | that |
| agre | at first |
| viṣham iva | like poison |
| pariṇāme | in the end |
| amṛita-upamam | like nectar |
| tat | that |
| sukham | happiness |
| sāttvikam | in the mode of goodness |
| proktam | is said to be |
| ātma-buddhi | situated in self-knowledge |
| prasāda-jam | generated by the pure intellect |
Translation
And now, O Arjuna, hear from Me of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices through practice and surely comes to the end of pain.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse tells us there are three kinds of happiness. Some joys are shallow and tied to desire, while others are deeper and come from steady practice and inner clarity.
True, lasting happiness grows from regular spiritual practice and self-knowledge. When joy is based on wisdom and a calm mind, it tends to remove suffering rather than add to it.
The point is practical: how we train the mind and where we seek pleasure decides whether our happiness frees us or binds us.
Life Application
- Notice what follows your pleasures: do they leave you peaceful or restless? Choose the ones that bring lasting calm.
- Keep a simple daily practice (quiet breathing, reflection, honest work) to build inner joy that reduces suffering.
- Make small ethical choices (truth, kindness, restraint) that steadily shift pleasures toward lasting well-being.
Reflection Question
Which pleasure in my life brings more peace and less pain in the long run?