Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 36

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ ।
अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ॥

Transliteration

sukhaṃ tvidānīṃ trividhaṃ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha .
abhyāsādramate yatra duḥkhāntaṃ ca nigacchati ॥

Meaning

And now hear from me, O best of the Bharatas, of the three kinds of happiness: that in which one comes to delight through practice, and in which one reaches the end of sorrow.

Word meanings

सुखम् – happiness
तु – and
इदानीम् – now
त्रिविधम् – threefold
शृणु – hear
मे – from me
भरतर्षभ – O best (bull) of the Bharatas
अभ्यासात् – through practice
रमते – delights
यत्र – in which
दुःखान्तम् – the end of sorrow
च – and
निगच्छति – attains

Anvaya (word order)

भरतर्षभ, इदानीं तु त्रिविधं सुखं मे शृणु — यत्र अभ्यासात् रमते, दुःखान्तं च निगच्छति ।

Explanation

Krishna now turns to the sixth subject — happiness — and its three kinds. The sequence is natural. What is the ultimate purpose of knowledge, action, doer, intellect and fortitude? Everything a person does is finally for the sake of happiness. To understand the nature of happiness is therefore to understand the direction of life. If we make the wrong happiness our goal, all our efforts will go astray.

The second half of the verse introduces sattvic happiness: abhyasad ramate yatra — the happiness in which one comes to delight through practice. This is a profound hint. True happiness does not come instantly; it grows gradually through sustained practice. Just as the joy of music or any art demands hard practice at first but later yields deep delight, so spiritual happiness blossoms through practice.

Duhkhantam cha nigacchati — and in which one reaches the end of sorrow. This happiness is not mere temporary relief; it ends sorrow at its root. Sensory pleasure makes us forget sorrow for a while, but the sorrow returns; sattvic happiness removes the very cause of sorrow — ignorance and attachment.

Both Shankara and Ramanuja read the second half of this verse together with the next as the description of sattvic happiness. The address 'best of the Bharatas' honours Arjuna as one worthy of grasping this subtle subject.

Context

The preceding verses (18.33–35) described the three kinds of fortitude. This verse introduces the threefold analysis of happiness and gives the first mark of sattvic happiness. The next verse (18.37) completes the description of sattvic happiness.

Life lesson

Real happiness does not arrive instantly; it is cultivated through patience and practice. Seek the happiness that does not merely make you forget sorrow but removes its root. Regularity in practices such as meditation, study and service gradually reveals a deep joy.

Key terms

Threefold happiness: Sattvic, rajasic and tamasic happiness
Abhyasa: Sustained practice
Duhkhanta: The complete end of sorrow
Bharatarshabha: Best of the Bharatas — Arjuna