Chapter 18 Shloka 37

यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्।

तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्।।३७।।

That which appears as poison in the beginning

and subsequently becomes like nectar;

that happiness which is a sanctified fruit

of the pure intellect, is sattvic happiness.

Chapter 18 Shloka 37

यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्।

तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्।।३७।।

Analysing the essence of the attribute of sattva the Lord says:

That which appears as poison in the beginning and subsequently becomes like nectar; that happiness which is a sanctified fruit of the pure intellect, is sattvic happiness.

Little one, the Lord now says, “That joy, which is like poison in the beginning but whose results are like nectar, that is sattvic joy.”

What is Sattvic happiness?

1. Sattvic happiness results from enduring adversity.

2. Sattvic happiness is a consequence of tapas or endurance.

3. Sattvic happiness results from self control.

4. Sattvic happiness is a consequence of gross and mental discipline and the outcome of charity.

5. Sattvic happiness comes from the tolerance of pain or sorrow.

6. Sattvic happiness comes as a consequence of giving joy to others.

1. Foolish and ignorant people who fear adversity cannot attain this sattvic happiness.

2. Sattvic happiness is not for cowards.

3. Sattvic happiness cannot be experienced by greedy or avaricious beings.

4. One who pursues his likes cannot attain this joy.

5. One who flees from the Truth fears such joy.

6. One who does not wish to live in facts, regards this path as poison.

This is natural, since such a one:

a) does not wish to partake of the poison of impurity inherent within himself;

b) fears a realistic and truthful revelation of himself;

c) does not wish to know himself.

d) fears his own lacunae;

e) feels that the truth about his lacunae will be revealed to other people who hitherto considered him to be good and virtuous;

f) feels ‘I have been able to conceal myself henceforth with great cleverness. Now nobody should be able to discern the truth about me’;

g) fears the loss of his prestige;

h) fears the loss of his reputation;

i)  fears he might come to some harm or incur some loss.

Such a one considers this infliction to be akin to poison. Actually, such a one lives only in falsehood. The one who can joyfully quaff this poison of falsehood becomes akin to Lord Shiva. Then each word that leaves his lips will be like the pristine and purifying flow of the Ganga.

Listen my little loved one:

1. Despite the poisonous serpents that entwine his neck, such a one remains ever joyous as does Shiva Himself.

2. He knows that these serpents can bite him, yet he does not reject them.

3. He drinks the poison that they emit.

4. His silent acceptance of those serpents is evident in his swallowing of their poison.

5. His indifference towards those serpents amounts to his drinking their poison.

At the beginning, such adversity feels like poison but it is this very adversity that nurtures the aspirant’s virtuous attributes.

Nectar

1. Eternal bliss is attained by one who partakes of the residue of yagya.

2. Eternal satiation is achieved only when one quaffs the poison of adversity in life.

3. Non-attachment is attained by one who continually does his duty in life.

4. An individual transcends duality and aberrations when he is no longer influenced by any external situation, albeit such practice may be painful at first.

5. A stable intellect and absence of the influence of attributes is possible after such practice. In fact, such a state is the consequence of such practice.

6. The qualities of the Supreme also emerge as a consequence of such practice.

7. Knowledge of the Supreme, which is the knowledge of one who has experienced the efficacy of such knowledge in life, is also attained through this practice.

Selfless love, selfless service, selfless duty, selfless worship and selfless knowledge – initially all these may seem as bitter as poison and may yield the fruit of anguish. Several difficulties might be experienced in the practice of these selfless attitudes.

1. If you are humble, others will bully you.

2. If you serve others, they will burden you with even more tasks.

3. If you love, people will merely seek their selfish satiation.

4. If you obediently perform your duties, others will not even look at you – they will just dismiss you as a servant.

5. If you speak the truth, your friends and associates will flee from you.

6. If you do anything for anyone, your intentions are doubted.

7. If you perform a deed which others cannot emulate, they will flood you with accusations.

But my little one, the true spiritual aspirant quaffs the poison of all such adversities.

1. Thus does he become the noblest of men.

2. Thus is he able to transcend the body.

3. Thus does he become an Atmavaan or a self realised soul.

4. Thus is he coloured in the hues of Brahm Himself.

The sadhak or spiritual aspirant is able to achieve all this on the strength of his pure intellect that aligns itself with the Atma.

One who possesses an intellect which is subservient to the body-self:

a) believes that only his body-self is all important;

b) seeks only the establishment of that body-self;

c) is constantly engaged in the fulfilment of his desires and greed;

d) cannot renounce attachment, moha, meum etc.

The unalloyed joy that takes one towards eternal bliss is the gift of the pure intellect which is aligned with the Atma.

1. He who knows himself to be the Atma;

2. He who believes himself to be consciousness itself;

3. He who does not seek anything from the world and fixes his vision only on the Lord;

4. One who does not even look at any worldly gifts and remains immersed in love;

–  the sanctified outcome of such supreme love is supreme bliss;

–  the sanctified remnant of that attachment to the Supreme is supreme bliss;

–  detachment towards the body is the sanctified consequence of such attachment with the Supreme.

Little one, he who believes himself to be the body and who is ever attached to the body, possesses the intellect that is subservient to the body.

The pure intellect belongs to one who believes himself to be the Atma and who endeavours constantly to abide in the Spirit – in his real Self.