विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् | परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१८-३८||
viṣayendriyasaṃyogādyattadagre.amṛtopamam . pariṇāme viṣamiva tatsukhaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||18-38||
Chapter 18 · Verse 38
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
मोक्षसंन्यासयोग
In plain words
Sensual pleasure is mixed with pain fear and sin. A small grain of sensual pleasure is mixed with a mountain of pain. He who indulges in sensual pleasures will have to experience pain also side by side.
Translation
18.38 That pleasure which arises from the contact of senses with their objects, which is like elixir at first but like poison in the end, is said to be Rajasika.
Meaning
Sensual pleasure is mixed with pain fear and sin. A small grain of sensual pleasure is mixed with a mountain of pain. He who indulges in sensual pleasures will have to experience pain also side by side. He is afraid of losing the objects that give him pleasure. He is attached to them. Attachment is death. It brings him again and again to this world of death. Fear and attachment coexist with sensual pleasure. He has to exert a lot to get money. He can obtain the objects through money. During exertion he commits many sinful acts and he will have to suffer in hell. The next birth will be of a very low nature. He tells lies and cheats people to obtain money. The senses also lose their vigour through indulgence in sensual pleasure. He loses his strength vigour wealth and energy. His intellect becomes dull weak impure turbid and perverted. He loses his money and proper understanding. (Cf. V.22)
Word by word
विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगात् from the contact of the senseorgans with the objects यत् which तत् that अग्रे at first अमृतोपमम् like nectar परिणामे in the end विषम् poison इव like तत् that सुखम् pleasure राजसम् Rajasic स्मृतम् is declared.