Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 566

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-18 Mokṣa Sannyāsa Yogaḥ

yat tad agre viṣam iva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam | tat sukhaṃ sātvikaṃ proktam ātma buddhi prasādajam || 37 || 37. That joy which is like poison at first but eventually becomes like ambrosia, arising from the serene state of the mind focusing on the Atman — such joy is said to be Sattvic. Commentary At the commencement of the spiritual practice (Yoga), because of the great effort required [to practice] and because the disengaging of the Self from Material nature does not occur naturally, one experiences great suffering. But in the end, after perseverance in the practice, when the essential nature of the Self, as truly detached from Prakrti, is realised then there is ecstatic joy. This joy is achieved through the cultivation of mental tranquillity produced by meditation upon the Self.