That “happiness” which, in the beginning, is like poison and very painful, but which, when it works itself out, fulfils itself in a nectarine success, is the enduring “happiness” of the ‘good’ (Sattwic). In short, “happiness” that arises from constant effort is the “happiness” that can yield us a greater beauty and a larger sense of fulfilment. The flimsy “happiness” that is gained through sense-indulgence and sense-gratification is a joy that is fleeting, and after its onslaught there is a terrific under-current that comes to upset our equilibrium and drag us into the depths of despondency.

The joy arising out of inner self-control and the consequent sense of self-perfection is no cheap gratification. In the beginning its practice is certainly very painful and extremely arduous. But one who has discovered in oneself the necessary courage and heroism to walk the precipitous “path” of self-purification and inward balance, comes to enjoy the subtlest of happiness and the all-fulfilling sense of inward peace. This “happiness” (Sukham), arising out of self-control and self-discipline, is classified here by the Lord as Sattwic “happiness.”

BORN OUT OF THE PURITY OF ONE’S OWN MIND (Atma Buddhi Prasaada-jam) — By carefully living the life of the ‘good’ (Sattwic) and acting in disciplined self-control, as far as possible in the world, maintaining the Sattwic qualities in all their “component parts,” one can develop the ‘Prasaada’ of one’s inner nature. The term ‘Prasaada’ is very often misunderstood in ritualistic language.

The peace and tranquillity, the joy and expansion, that the mind and intellect come to experience as a result of their discipline and contemplation are the true “Prasaada.” The joy arising out of spiritual practices, provided by the integration of the inner nature, is called ‘Prasada’ which is the Sattwic “happiness,” Prasaada-jam. In short, the sense of fulfilment and the gladness of heart that well up in the bosom of a cultured man, as a result of his balanced and self-disciplined life of high ideals and divine values of life, are the enduring “happiness” of all Men-of-Perfection, of all true men of religion.

WHAT IS RAJASIC (PASSIONATE) “HAPPINESS”?

Yat, that joy which is; iva, like; visam, poison, a source of pain; agre, in the beginning-when it first comes in the early stages of (acquisition) of knowledge, detachment, meditation and absorption, since they involve great struggle; but amrtopamam, comparable to nectar; pariname, in the end, when it arises from the maturity of knowledge, detachment, etc.; and which atma-buddhi-prasadajam, arises from the purity (prasada), trasparence like water, of one’s intellect (atma-buddhi); tat, that; sukham, joy; is proktam, spoken of, by the learned ones ;as sattvikam, born of sattva. Or, the phrase atma-buddhi-prasadajam may mean ‘arising from the high degree of clearness of that atma-buddhi (knowledge of or connected with the Self)’; therefore it is born of sattva.