The entire content of this mail is from Shri V N Gopala Desikan's Srimad Bhagavad Gita, published by Vishishtadvaita Research Centre, Chennai and The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda published by Ramakrishna Mission
The grades in the firmness of mind are being described now:
The Three Gunas Give Impetus to Karma - 18-40
The Three Gunas Give Impetus to Karma - 18-40
1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 18 - Moksha Sanyasa Yoga - Sloka 38
Vishaya indriya samyogat yat tat agre amruta upamam I
Pariname visham iva tat sukham rajasam smritam II sloka 38
विषय इन्द्रिय संयोगात् यत् तत् अग्रे अमृत उपानं I
परिणामे विषं इव तत् सुखं राजसं स्मृतं II श्लोक 38
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses and their objects and which like nectar at first but like poison at the end - it is held to be rajasika.
The happiness that is derived from the contact of the senses with their objects, gets converted into poison and eats into the personality of the enjoyer. Consequently the strength and stamina of the man wanes away. He is not able to discharge his duties efficiently. The body loses its comliness. Senility sets in all too early. Instead of growth, there takes place a deterioration of the intellectual capacity of the man. Spiritual sagacity in him fades away. Dharma unconsciously gives place to adharma. The man's career gets corrpupted. Like water poured into a leaky pot, his happiness slips away as quickly as it is sought. Hellishness haunts him instead.
Myhtology has it that the devas and asuras churned the ocean of life, allegorically presented as the ocean of milk. The blessings and amenities such as education, wealth, means of transport, ornaments, wholesome food and the gifts from nature - all these were obtained in plenty. These boons are all clothed in theologacl language as Saraswati, Airavatam, Kaustubha, Kamadhenu etc. The participants in this great project enjoyed in full measure the happy results of their ardent endeavours. But every enjoyment has its retribution. It comes as action and reaction. None can resist it. Death is the recompense for life. The love of life reacts as the dread of the earth. The former is liked as nectar and the latter hated as poison. As the ultimate result of embracing life, its counterpart death made its appearance as a dreadful poison before the devas and asuras. Not being prepared for this consequence they ran in despair to regions above and below but there was no escape.Life that seemed inviting not so long ago took a turn and turned bitterly painful. The principle is that self control and renunciation are the means to immortality. Renouncing the rajasika happiness, the sadhaka should go to the sattvika happiness. He should finally transcend it too and experience the bliss beyond.
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