sukhaṁ tv idānīṁ tri-vidhaṁ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha abhyāsād ramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ ca nigacchati
"Now hear from Me, O bull among the Bharatas, about the threefold happiness. That happiness in which one rejoices through practice and reaches the end of sorrow..."
What This Means:
Krishna introduces three types of happiness. True happiness comes through practice and leads to the complete end of suffering.
Going Deeper:
This verse sets up the happiness discussion and begins describing sattvic happiness. 'Abhyasa' (practice, repeated effort) indicates that the highest happiness isn't instantly available but develops through spiritual discipline. 'Duhkhanta' (end of sorrow) is the ultimate test - does this happiness lead to permanent peace or continued suffering?
How To Apply This:
Evaluate your pleasures: Does this happiness require practice to appreciate? Does it lead toward less suffering or more? This distinguishes true from false happiness.
Key Sanskrit Terms: