Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Next we will discuss sukha in three modes

And then we will go out and talk how vedic program of Karma Yoga and Bhagavad arpit Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga through Gyana Yoga helps one to transcendent from the arena of the modes to beyond the modes, so let us look at the happiness in the three modes.

 and then we will discuss how our Varnashram system enables a person to rise to Karma Yoga, to Gyana Yoga to Bhakti Yoga.

18.19-39: analysis of action as per three modes

20-22: knowledge –first step in action

23-25: Karma –nature of action

26 -28: karta–nature of the doer / actor

30-32: buddhi –the understanding for action

33-35: dhrti–determination for action

36-39: sukha-fruit of action, that is, happiness

Now we are looking at the sukha so the connection is ultimately whatever action we do we are aiming for the phala, the fruit of action, which is happiness, happiness itself can be in different modes. So let us look at the happiness in different modes

Bg 18.36

sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ
śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha
abhyāsād ramate yatra
duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati

Synonyms: 

sukham — happiness; tu — but; idānīm — now; tri–vidham — of three kinds; śṛṇu — hear; me — from Me; bharata–ṛṣabha — O best amongst the Bhāratas; abhyāsāt — by practice; ramate — one enjoys; yatra — where; duḥkha — of distress; antam — the end; ca — also; nigacchati — gains.

Translation: 

O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness by which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress.

sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ, 

tri-vidhaṁ sukha, three kinds of sukha

śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha, O bharatarṣabha, O son of Bharat there are these three kinds of happiness please hear

abhyāsād ramate yatra, by practice sometimes one engages in such happiness

duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati, sometimes one comes out of miseries, 

duḥkhānta, dhuka + anta, the end of miseries, 

sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ
śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha

Hear O Arjuna about the three kinds of happiness, and He gives a generic overview of three kinds of happiness by telling that sometimes abhyāsād ramate yatra, that sometimes the living entities enjoy this kind of happiness and sometimes duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati, that living entities comes out of all miseries and attains end of all sorrow duḥkhānta, 

  • in 5.22 He talked about how material pleasure has a beginning and end, 
  • in 7th chapter He talked about how fruits of demigod worship is also temporary, 

antavat phalam tesam, tad bhavtya alpa medhasam, antavat, temporary or ending that which has an end . 

So Krishna has talked about many things which are temporary but here He is talking about termination, complete ending, termination of miseries, how will this misery be terminated by practice,duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati.

 Srila Vishvanath Charavarti Thakur gives an alternative explanation of this, he connects the second part of this verse, c & d 

abhyāsād ramate yatra
duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati

so he connects this with the next verse 37 which talks about happiness in the mode of goodness, 

so he says that happiness in the mode of goodness has to be cultivated, and abhyāsād ramate yatra, that actually this happiness doesn’t come automatically, it has to be cultivated, practice it, abhyāsād ramate yatra, by abhyas by practice one has to be delighted in this, and then duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati, so it is not that any and every happiness can bring the misery to an end, there may be some temporary relief, sometime when people think about too many problem then they drink about a bottle of liquor, they think that the bottom of liquor bottle they will find the solution of their problem, but that is aggravation of problems,  

duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati

if one truly wants duḥkhānta, the only way to do that by going beyond the realm of matter because as long as one is in realm of matter one will encounter to the temporary things and that will cause suffering, and to go beyond the realm of matter one has to practice, so one cultivates happiness in goodness and after that one goes to transcendence, in some way happiness in goodness and happiness in transcendence are similar and in some way these are different, 

Let us look at next verse to understand happiness in mode of goodness there we will understand more abhyāsād ramate yatra.

End of transcription.