Bhagavad Gita 18.37

yat tad agre viṣam iva

pariṇāme ’mṛtopamam

tat sukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ proktam

ātma-buddhi-prasāda-jam

 

That which first tastes like poison bitter,

But is later relished as sublime nectar—

That pleasure is of the nature of goodness,

It grants the self divine awareness.

 

My dear Lord, one of the greatest paradoxes of life centers on the nature of pleasure: what appears joyful turns painful, and what appears painful turns joyful. Lead my vision beyond the austere appearance to the sublime substance of life’s deepest delights.

O omniscient Lord, let me remember that attaining anything worthwhile requires me to say no to my default conditionings. Otherwise, they gravitate toward the path of least resistance—a path that leads not merely to the least rewards, but often to the worst rewards. I end up not only getting far less than my potential, but also getting the opposite of what I desire and treasure.

O merciful Lord, help me see that what is fulfilling eventually is often initially exhausting, stretching me almost to the breaking point in my capacity to fight against my lower conditionings. And yet, that very effort of extending myself cleanses me, silencing my mental chatter and exiling my inner clutter.

O benevolent Lord, may I thus realize and relish the unleashing and harnessing of my potential—my talents, material and spiritual—in the mood of loving service to you. Once my hands, head, and heart are all aligned with your purpose for me, the joy that results is enriching, enlivening, and enduring. May I always cherish that nectar of loving immersion in you. And may it remain, through all of life’s temptations and tribulations, my supreme aspiration.

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18.37 That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.