18-39

यत् अग्रे चानुबंधे च सुखम् मोहनम् आत्मनः ।
निद्रा आलस्य प्रमादोत्थम् तत् तामसम् उदाहृतम् ॥ ३९ ॥

yat agre cAnubaMdhe ca sukham mohanam AtmanaH |
nidrA Alasya pramAdottham tat tAmasam udAhRtam || 39 ||

यत् सुखम् [yat sukham] Then there’s happiness that आत्मनः [AtmanaH] makes one मोहनम् [mohanam] confounded अग्रे [agre] at the start च [ca] and अनुबन्धे [anubandhe] when it yields the outcome च [ca] too. उत्थम् [uttham] It brings forth निद्रा [nidrA] drowsiness, आलस्य [Alasya] laziness प्रमाद [pramAda] and negligence. तत् [tat] Such happiness उदाहृतम् [udAhRtam] is said to be तामसम् [tAmasam] in tamas .

Happiness that’s in tamas infatuates and ends up confounding us. It does this while experiencing the action, and also at the time of yielding outcomes.

Here, the word ‘confounded’ is used to refer to a state where things are not perceived as they are. This type of happiness is generated by drowsiness, laziness and negligence. They confound us even as we experience the action.

Drowsiness brings down our ability to recognize things around us - this is easily evident in our lives.

Laziness is the lethargy seen in our limbs when it comes to doing something.

Lethargy in awareness will happen in a body with lethargic limbs.

Negligence is the lack of attention while doing our work. It fosters lethargy in awareness as well. In this way, lethargy and negligence confound us, along with drowsiness.

The happiness coming from this intoxication is said to be in tamas .

Hence, a person who desires Moksha must overcome rajas and tamas , placing himself in sattva alone.