Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 38

विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् । परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम्

viṣayendriyasaṃyogādyattadagre'mṛtopamam | pariṇāme viṣamiva tatsukhaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam

Translation

That pleasure which arises from the contact of the sense-organ with the object, at first like nectar, in the end like poison, that is declared to be Rājasic.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

viṣayendriyasaṃyogāt

with the objects, of the senses, from union

yat

which

tat

that

agre

in the beginning

amṛtopamam

like nectar

pariṇāme

in the end

viṣam

poison

iva

like

tat

that

sukham

pleasure

rājasam

rājasic

smṛtam

remembered

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

In the end like poison: after indulgence, the sensual pleasure proves to be like poison, because it leads to deterioration in strength, vigour, colour, wisdom, intellect, wealth and energy; and because it leads to adharma and, as an effect thereof, to hell (naraka).