सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ | अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ||१८-३६||
sukhaṃ tvidānīṃ trividhaṃ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha .
abhyāsādramate yatra duḥkhāntaṃ ca nigacchati ||18-36||
And now hear from Me, O Arjuna, of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices by practice and surely comes to the end of pain.
In simple words
Krishna turns to happiness: "Now hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness, Arjuna — the happiness that grows through practice until it completely ends suffering."
Word-by-word meanings
सुखम्pleasureतुindeedइदानीम्nowत्रिविधम्threefoldश्रृणुhearमेof Meभरतर्षभO lord of the Bharatasअभ्यासात्from practiceरमतेrejoicesयत्रin whichदुःखान्तम्the end of painचandनिगच्छति(he) attains to
18.36 सुखम् pleasure? तु indeed? इदानीम् now? त्रिविधम् threefold? श्रृणु hear? मे of Me? भरतर्षभ O lord of the Bharatas? अभ्यासात् from practice? रमते rejoices? यत्र in which? दुःखान्तम् the end of pain? च and? निगच्छति (he) attains to.Commentary A little of this pleasure experienced by the Self must result in the cessation of pain. This pleasure is threefold in its nature and I will describe its aspects in turn? O Arjuna. (Cf.VI.20?30).
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
In the development of ideas presented in this chapter, the Lord first describes the three elements of action: knowledge, the doer, and the deed itself. Thereafter, He provides an extensive analysis of two elements that inspire, regulate, and guide action—intellect and steadfastness. Blessed Krishna has revealed the threefold distinctions of all these, each in their separate forms.
Every doer acts within their field of action, guided by their knowledge, governed by their intellect, and holding fast to their goal through steadfastness. In this manner, the physical and vital structure of action is fully analyzed and examined. Now the subject of inquiry becomes the psychology of action. Why does a human being act? By observing the tendencies of all creatures, it becomes clear that every being engages in action solely for the attainment of happiness. From the womb to the grave, all the efforts of creatures are directed toward the continuous pursuit of joy.
Thus, although all share one common goal—happiness—yet because there are differences in knowledge, the doer, the deed, intellect, and steadfastness, the paths to happiness adopted by different people are also varied. Those of sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic nature pursue their own happiness through diverse actions.
Because the components of action differ, the happiness derived from these various types of actions must necessarily differ as well. In this section, three types of happiness are classified.
Through practice, by understanding the classification described in this chapter, a sincere seeker gains the capacity for self-examination. In this way, by understanding the cause of one's sufferings, one can renounce them and reorganize one's life anew. Through such practice, it becomes possible to bring about the complete cessation of one's sorrows.
What is sattvic happiness? The Lord declares: