Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Let us look at happiness in mode passion now.

Bg 18.38

viṣayendriya-saṁyogād
yat tad agre ’mṛtopamam
pariṇāme viṣam iva
tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam

Synonyms: 

viṣaya — of the objects of the senses; indriya — and the senses; saṁyogāt — from the combination; yat — which; tat — that; agre — in the beginning; amṛta–upamam — just like nectar; pariṇāme — at the end; viṣam iva — like poison; tat — that; sukham — happiness; rājasam — in the mode of passion; smṛtam — is considered.

Translation: 

That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.

viṣayendriya-saṁyogād, so when there is contact between senses and sense object and by this samyogad, this contact what happens yat tad agre ’mṛtopamam, there is amrita, nectar in the beginning, and the Parinam is Visha, poison, 

tat sukhaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam, this is happiness in the mode of passion,

Krishna has already talked in 14th chapter Rajas tu phalam dukam, the result of rajoguna is phalam dukham, 

So Krishna has made it very clear the contact of senses with sense object.

Most gross sense enjoyments binds us to the bodily conception, we cannot switch on and off bodily conception, either we are in bodily conception or we are not in bodily conception. Then the trouble in terms of birth, old age, decease and death and three types of miseries comes up.

If this type of pleasure has to be considered it has to be considered within the pursuit of dharma and practice of Dharma gives us the realization and it enables us slowly to experience higher happiness, and then the appeal of lower pleasure subsides and eventually one become freed from the allurement of those pleasures.

End of transcription.