Gita 18.37
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् । तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं प्रोक्तमात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम् ॥३७॥
yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme'mṛtopamam | tat sukhaṃ sāttvikaṃ proktam ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam ||37||
In essence: Sattvic happiness is like medicine—bitter at first, nectar at last. It is born from the clarity of Self-knowledge, requiring effort initially but yielding immortal bliss in the end.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why would something good feel like poison at first?"
Guru: "Because we are addicted to what harms us and resistant to what heals us. The alcoholic finds sobriety poisonous; the scattered mind finds meditation unbearable; the proud ego finds humility like death. The 'poison' is the medicine working against our accumulated disease. If spiritual practice felt immediately pleasant, we would have embraced it long ago. Its initial difficulty reflects how far we have strayed from our natural state."
Sadhak: "How do I know if initial difficulty will lead to nectar rather than just more suffering?"
Guru: "Several tests: First, is this practice endorsed by authentic wisdom traditions and qualified teachers? Genuine practices have been tested over millennia. Second, as you persist, do you notice growing peace, clarity, or freedom, even if the practice itself remains challenging? The medicine works even before the full cure. Third, does the difficulty arise from going against ego and conditioning, or from something genuinely harmful? Self-honest examination usually reveals the answer."
Sadhak: "What exactly is 'ātma-buddhi-prasāda'—the serenity of Self-knowledge?"
Guru: "When the intellect clearly knows 'I am not this body-mind but the eternal witness,' and rests in that knowing, there is prasāda—grace, clarity, serenity. This is not intellectual understanding only but established wisdom that remains through all experiences. From this clarity, happiness spontaneously arises—not happiness about something but happiness itself, uncaused and therefore unending."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Embrace the 'poison': when meditation is difficult, when practice feels unrewarding, remember this verse. The difficulty is not a sign of failure but of medicine working. Tell yourself: 'This is viṣam iva agre—I trust the amṛta that comes.'
Notice when you choose instant pleasure over difficult virtue. Recognize you are choosing rajasic over sattvic happiness. You need not judge yourself harshly, but see clearly: the easy choice now leads to difficulty later; the difficult choice now leads to peace later.
Reflect on any glimpses of ātma-buddhi-prasāda—moments of deep peace, clarity, or causeless contentment. These are tastes of sattvic happiness confirming you are on the path. Even brief glimpses can sustain effort through the 'poison' phase.