FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.39

యదగ్రే చానుబన్ధే చ సుఖం మోహనమాత్మన: । నిద్రాలస్యప్రమాదోత్థం తత్తామసముదాహృతమ్ ॥ ౩౯ ॥
yad agre cānubandhe ca
[yad agre chaanubandhe cha]
sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ
[sukham mohanam aatmanah]
nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ
[nidraalasya-pramaadottham]
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
[tat taamasam udaahritam]
Word-for-word
yat — that which agre — in the beginning ca — also anubandhe — at the end ca — also sukham — happiness mohanam — illusory ātmanaḥ — of the self nidrā — sleep ālasya — laziness pramāda — and illusion uttham — produced of tat — that tāmasam — in the mode of ignorance udāhṛtam — is said to be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yad agre cānubandhe ca
yat
that which
agre
in the beginning
ca
also
anubandhe
at the end
ca
also
sukhaṁ mohanam ātmanaḥ
sukham
happiness
mohanam
illusory
ātmanaḥ
of the self
nidrālasya-pramādotthaṁ
nidrā
sleep
ālasya
laziness
pramāda
and illusion
uttham
produced of
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
tat
that
tāmasam
in the mode of ignorance
udāhṛtam
is said to be .
Important Words
  • anubandhe — at the end
    Locative. With agre at the other pole, the verse names both ends — uniformly deluded throughout. Unlike sāttvika or rājasa sukha (which differ start-to-end), tāmasa sukha is one continuous bewilderment.
  • mohanam — delusory
    Causes moha. The entire experience is one continuous bewilderment of the self. Not pleasure in the strict sense — only the *mistaking* of dullness for pleasure.
  • uttham — produced of, arising from
    Past participle of ud-sthā — to rise up. Here arising from nidrā, ālasya, and pramāda. Tāmasa happiness is not even built from sense-pleasure — it is built from dullness itself.
  • ātmanaḥ — of the self
    Genitive. Mohanam ātmanaḥ — delusory *of the self*. The deepest harm is the self-forgetting that this kind of happiness sustains.
  • tāmasam — in the mode of ignorance
    The classification. The final of the three. The Gītā's threefold analysis of sukha is now complete, and one can map every variety of human pleasure onto it.
And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.
Purport

One who takes pleasure in laziness and in sleep is certainly in the mode of darkness, ignorance, and one who has no idea how to act and how not to act is also in the mode of ignorance. For the person in the mode of ignorance, everything is illusion. There is no happiness either in the beginning or at the end. For the person in the mode of passion there might be some kind of ephemeral happiness in the beginning and at the end distress, but for the person in the mode of ignorance there is only distress both in the beginning and at the end.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
39. That happiness is said to be of tamo-guṇa, which arises from sleep, laziness and intoxication, and is an illusion for the self.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
39. That happiness is said to be of tama guṇa, which arises from sleep, laziness and inattention, and is an illusion for the self at the beginning and inits maturity.
Commentary

That happiness which from its inception (agre) and in its maturity, is an illusion for the self, covering the truth nature of things (mohanam ātmanaḥ), and which arises from sleep, laziness, and inattention, is happiness in the mode of ignorance. Ālasya means lethargy concerning use of the senses. Pramāda means lack of attention to what should be done and what should not be done.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Next verse is the conclusion of this section. We should keep in mind that this tree of material life is all‑pervading within the material world and no situation exists in this world other than being in this banyan tree of material existence. There are just different combinations of the three modes of material nature.

[7. All activities within the universe are controlled by the three modes of material nature. (40) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Happiness in ignorance

Blind to self realisation
Delusion from beginning to end
Arise from sleep, laziness, illusion
Illusion – No idea how to act and how not to act
Difference between passion and ignorance – In the mode of passion there might be some kind of ephemeral happiness in the beginning and at the end distress, but for one in ignorance there is only distress both in the beginning and at the end LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 18.39 & 18.40: Krishna next offers a one-verse restatement of the verses He has just spoken, and thus He summarizes the influence of the modes of nature.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.39 That joy is udahrtam, said to be; tamasam, born of tamas; yat, which; both agre, in the beginning; ca, and; anubandhe, in the seel, after the end (of enjoyment); is mohanam, delusive; atmanah, to oneself; and nidra-alasya-pramada-uttham, arises from sleep, laziness and inadvertence. Therefore, now is begun a verse in order to conclude this section [The section showing that all things in the whole of creation are under the influence of the three gunas.].
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.39 Pleasure of the Tamasika type causes delusion to the self at the beginning and the end of enjoyment. Here 'delusion' means the absence of knowledge about things as they are. Pleasure springing from sleep, sloth and error are the cause of it. Even at the time of experience, sleep etc., are the cause of delusion. It is clear how sleep causes delusion. 'Sloth' is indolence in sensory operations. When sensory activities are slow, dimness of knowledge results. 'Error' is heedlessness regarding what ought to be done. From this also occurs the dimness of knowledge. Thus, these two also cause delusion. Such pleasure is declared to be Tamasika. Therefore what is meant is this: subduing Rajas and Tamas, the Sattva alone should be allowed to develop by the aspirant for relase.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.36-39 Sukham etc. upto udahrtam. At its time : at the time of its practice (use). Like poison (1st) : Because it is extremely difficult to give up the attachment for sense-objects cultivated during hundreds of [previous] life-periods. That has been said in the revealed literature as : '[The path of sprituality] is the edge of a razor, painful and difficult to cross over etc.' The serenity of intellect (or mind) results from serenity in the Self, as there exists nothing else to be aspired for. The [Rajasic] happiness springs from the mutual contact between the sense-objects and senses, just as in the case of the eye due to its contact with colur. That happiness which is due to sleep, indolence and heedlessness, explained earlier, is of the Tamas (Strand).
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.39 That happiness which at first as well as in the seel deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence and heedlessness that is declared to be Tamasic.
Commentary

18.39 यत् which? अग्रे at first? च and? अनुबन्धे in the seel? च and? सुखम् pleasure? मोहनम् delusive? आत्मनः of the self? निद्रालस्यप्रमादोत्थम् arising from sleep? indolence and heedlessness? तत् that? तामसम् Tamasic? उदाहृतम् is declared.Commentary Anubandhe In the conseence after the termination. The pleasure that is begotten by evil habits like drinking liors and eating worthless things is delusive of the self. The man becomes oblivious of the path he ought to tread. Such pleasure is verily of the nature of darkness.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.39 That joy is said to be born of tams which, both in the beginning and in the seel, is delusive to oneself and arises from sleep, laziness and inadvertence.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.39 While the pleasure which from first to last merely drugs the senses, which springs from indolence, lethargy and folly - that pleasure flows from Ignorance.
Related values & verses
Related values
Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 14.8 BG 14.13 BG 6.16 SB 11.14.9 SB 11.25.4 SB 5.5.4 CC Antya 3.121 CC Madhya 17.156 CC Madhya 22.38 Īśa Upaniṣad 9 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Tamasic happiness — covering the soul from beginning to end — born of sleep, indolence, illusion.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize tamasic happiness as illusory throughout.
  • Don't trust comfort that fogs the mind.
  • Choose alertness over fog.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I choose foggy comfort?
  • What alertness would I prefer?
Analogy

The stupor of a man asleep in the noon-day sun who calls it rest. Tāmasa happiness is precisely this: an unproductive sleep with no nectar at either end, only the appearance of comfort for a soul that has stopped trying to wake up.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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