Chapter 18 Shloka 36

सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ।

अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति।।३६।।

O Arjuna! Now hear from Me

about the three types of happiness

in which one can dwell through practice

and whereby one can attain the end of suffering.

Chapter 18 Shloka 36

सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ।

अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति।।३६।।

The Lord now expands on the three differentiations of happiness.

O Arjuna! Now hear from Me about the three types of happiness in which one can dwell through practice and whereby one can attain the end of suffering.

Little one, the Lord has just explained to us the varied differentiations of the doer and of actions in accordance with the differentiation of attributes. He now analyses the different types of happiness resulting from the fruits of actions. The Lord says that an individual can dwell in joy through practice.

Abhyas (अभ्यास) – Practice

1. Practice occurs through the repetition of a certain action.

2. Practice results in firmness in a certain mode of action.

3. Practice renders perfection in a mental thought pattern.

4. Repetition of an action makes that action easier to perform. Such repetition of action is practice or abhyas.

5. Little one, it is necessary to practice virtuous qualities in life.

6  So also, negative attributes flourish through repetition.

7. A thought process or method of concentration also grows through practice.

8. A certain manner of speech is attained through constant practice.

Practice brings steadfastness in life. Then all that a man does in life is done:

a) for the sake of desire fulfilment;

b) under a sort of compulsion.

This practice is both at the mental and the gross levels. All that transpires as a consequence of such practice has sorrow or happiness inherent in it.

My little one,

1. An individual becomes attached to sense objects because they give him pleasure.

2. He engages in several acts in order to attain happiness.

3. His constant remembrance of the Lord is also in order to elicit happiness.

4. They who renounce the world, renounce it with the aim of attaining happiness.

5. Those who embrace the world, do so in order to attain pleasure.

6. Those who sin, do so in order to gain happiness.

7. Those who study incessantly, do so in order to derive subsequent happiness.

8. Those who serve the world, do so to attain happiness.

9. Those who disseminate knowledge, do so to attain happiness.

An individual engages himself in whatever activity gives him happiness. Yet, who are the ones who attain happiness? An individual’s efforts to obtain happiness are according to his intellect. The repetition of his efforts is his abhyas or practice.

Sukh (सुख) – Happiness

1. Mental satiation is happiness.

2. Happiness is inherent in mental congeniality.

3. When there is an absence of the feeling of something lacking, happiness exists.

4. When the mind is positive, there is happiness.

5. When there is no difference between the mind and the intellect, happiness will occur.

6. When the mind is absorbed in another, joy is inevitable.

7. When the mind is able to forget itself, happiness is attained.

8. When the mind is no longer dependent upon itself, happiness occurs.

Happiness is to be found in the congeniality of the mind. No external factors or situations have anything to do with one’s internal happiness. So long as an individual feels dependent on external factors for his happiness, such joy cannot be constant.

They are now speaking of that joy:

a) that can be converted to eternal bliss;

b) that can lead to eternal bliss;

c) abiding in which, an aspirant engages in spiritual practice.

Know one fact clearly. It is only the joyous individual who can pursue the path of spiritual practice or sadhana. The sorrowful can never attain the Supreme.

If the individual can clearly perceive what he wishes to achieve through spiritual practice:

a) he will become instantly and joyously ready to do whatever is necessary for the attainment of his goal;

b) he will be ready to make any sacrifices for the attainment of that goal;

c) he will also happily associate with all if it leads to the attainment of his goal;

d) he will bow humbly at the feet of all;

e) he becomes completely immersed in his goal and cannot even perceive the many adversities in his path – thus he is eternally happy;

f) such a sadhak is never unhappy at perceiving his own lacunae;

g) such a sadhak is never happy at perceiving another’s lacunae.

Such an aspirant knows:

1. He knows nothing.

2. He is not free from blame.

3. He has many shortcomings.

4. He is not devoid of aberrations.

5. He is not the embodiment of forgiveness.

6. He is lacking in compassion.

7. He lacks endurance and forbearance.

8. He does not possess a magnanimous heart.

9. He is not pure and free of blemish.

10. He still possesses an impure intellect that is subservient to the body, therefore he cannot relinquish his selfishness.

11. His individualistic ego still persists.

12. He still possesses several demonic qualities.

13. He is not yet devoid of mental anxiety.

14. He is not yet rid of ignorance; he still has much to learn etc.

Thus, such a one is never hurt by other people’s cruel words. Hearing criticism of his own shortcomings:

a) he does not weep;

b) he does not feel belittled;

c) he is not affected;

d) he does not succumb to mental disharmony.

1. He does not fall prey to mental anxiety.

2. He does not fall prey to intellectual derangement.

3. He does not fall into a dilemma.

4. His intellect is not led astray.

When that spiritual aspirant begins his spiritual practice, he already knows that:

1. He is wrong and the Lord is right.

2. He is not like the Lord.

3. He is not established in the Truth.

4. He is not embellished with divine qualities.

5. He is not unaffected by attributes – he is not a gunatit.

6. He is not a sthit pragya or one imbued with the stable intellect of equanimity.

If he truly believes the above, then:

a) he will never feel insulted, he will never be provoked, no matter what the other says;

b) he will never feel degraded, nor suffer if another defames him.

He will in fact consider it a privilege that:

a) someone has at least told him the Truth!

b) someone has at last shown him his true face;

c) someone has revealed to him his own delusion;

d) somebody was kind enough to reveal his lacunae to him;

e) somebody has at last exposed the impurities of his mind-stuff.

How can such a one ever be unhappy? He will instantly become joyous. His heart will be flooded with gratitude. He will feel eternally indebted to his spiritual mentor and his heart will fill with love.

This is the very reason the aspirant’s eyes never fill with tears of sorrow or remorse. His eyes well up with tears of love and gratitude. Every seemingly adverse situation becomes a congenial circumstance for such a one.

Little aspirant of the Atma, it is only the one who is eternally happy who can pursue such a spiritual practice. One who is afraid of adversity cannot experience the Essence of the Supreme. One who flees from adversity cannot attain perfection in spiritual practice.

The sadhak or spiritual aspirant of the highest order, always distances himself from congenial situations, because he knows that he can attain a true perspective of his inner state when adversity strikes. It is in opposition that sattvic, virtuous qualities are nurtured. Little one, adversity is the scientific tutor of the spiritual aspirant and also his practical preceptor.