Yad agre cha anubandhe cha sukham mohanam aatmanah | Nidraa-aalasya-pramaadottham tat taamasam udaahritam ||39||
Translation
That happiness which is deluding from beginning to end, arising from sleep, laziness, and negligence — that happiness is declared to be in the mode of ignorance.
Word-by-Word Meaning
यत्
which
अग्रे
in the beginning
च
and
अनुबन्धे
in the end
च
also
सुखम्
happiness
मोहनम्
deluding
आत्मनः
of the self
निद्रा
sleep
आलस्य
laziness
प्रमाद
and negligence
उत्थम्
arising from
तत्
that
तामसम्
in the mode of ignorance
उदाहृतम्
is said to be
Commentary
Commentary
Tamasic happiness is the cruelest form of self-deception. Unlike rajasic happiness, which at least offers a genuine, if temporary, pleasure at the start, tamasic happiness is mohanam — deluding — from beginning (agre) to end (anubandhe). It never delivers real joy at any stage. It only delivers the illusion of comfort through avoidance.
Its sources are nidraa (excessive sleep), aalasya (laziness), and pramaada (negligence, carelessness). The person who finds their greatest satisfaction in sleeping in, avoiding responsibility, and drifting through life without purpose is living in tamasic happiness. It feels comfortable, but it is actually a form of slow self-destruction.
A person happy in laziness is certainly tamasic. There is no question about it. A person who takes no interest in how to act or what kind of work to do, who is always dull and drowsy — that is tamasic happiness. For a person in the mode of ignorance, everything is illusion. They find no happiness at the beginning or at the end. For the rajasic person, there is happiness at the beginning and pain at the end. But for the tamasic person, there is only illusion from start to finish.
The cure for tamasic happiness is activity — even rajasic activity is an improvement, for at least it engages the person with life. From there, through purification and practice, one can gradually rise to sattvic happiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Bhagavad Gita 18.39 mean?
- That happiness which is deluding from beginning to end, arising from sleep, laziness, and negligence — that happiness is declared to be in the mode of ignorance.
- What is the Sanskrit text of Bhagavad Gita 18.39?
- The original Sanskrit verse is: Yad agre cha anubandhe cha sukham mohanam aatmanah | Nidraa-aalasya-pramaadottham tat taamasam udaahritam ||39||
- What are the key themes of this verse?
- This verse explores: happiness, three modes, ignorance, tamas, sleep, delusion.