📿 Shloka Collection

Yad Agre Cha Anubandhe Cha

Gita 18.39 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18 — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मनः ।
निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥
Yad agre chanubandhe cha sukham mohanam atmanah
Nidralasyapramadottham tat tamasam udahritam
अग्रे च अनुबन्धे च
in the beginning and in the aftermath
मोहनम् आत्मनः
that which deludes the self
निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थम्
arising from sleep, laziness, and carelessness
तामसम्
tamasic
उदाहृतम्
is declared, is called

Tamasic happiness deludes the self both at the beginning and at the end. There is no redemptive arc here — no bitter start leading to sweetness, and no sweet start at all. It is born from excessive sleep, laziness, and carelessness, and it keeps the person trapped in dullness throughout.

Spending the entire day in bed, avoiding responsibilities, drifting through life without direction — there is a kind of 'comfort' in this. But it is not happiness; it is numbness. The person mistakes the absence of effort for the presence of peace.

Among the three types of happiness, tamasic is the most harmful. At least rajasic happiness offers a moment of genuine pleasure at the start. Tamasic happiness offers only the illusion of comfort — a fog that never lifts.

The three types of happiness are now complete. Sattvic happiness is difficult at first but liberating in the end. Rajasic happiness is sweet at first but turns sour. Tamasic happiness is delusion from start to finish.

The next shloka (18.40) will close the entire guna analysis with a sweeping declaration about the universality of the three gunas.

Chapter 18 · 39 / 78
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