Pleasures that end in sorrow

ye hi saṃsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva teādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

Pleasures born of contact are wombs of sorrow. They begin and they end, son of Kunti. The wise do not delight in them.

What it means

Krishna is honest about pleasure. Pleasures born from contact with things are real, but they begin and they end. And when they end, they leave longing, even sorrow, behind. That's why the wise don't build their happiness on them. They enjoy, but they don't depend.

The story

Arjuna knows royal feasts, victory celebrations, the thrill of the hunt. All wonderful, all fleeting. Krishna is guiding him to a joy that doesn't fade, so that losing pleasures won't devastate him.

In your life

Picture the last night of a perfect holiday, already sad it's ending. Enjoy pleasures fully, but don't lean your whole weight on them. Notice one pleasure today, enjoy it, and let it go.