yat tad agre viá¹£am iva
pariṇÄme 'má¹›topamam
tat sukhaá¹ sÄttvikaá¹ proktam
Ätma-buddhi-prasÄda-jam
yat - which; tat - that; agre - in the beginning; viá¹£am iva - like poison; pariṇÄme - at the end; amá¹›ta - nectar; upamam - compared to; tat - that; sukham - happiness; sÄttvikam - in the mode of goodness; proktam - is said; Ätma - in the self; buddhi - of intelligence; prasÄda-jam - born of the satisfaction.
In the pursuit of self-realization, one has to follow many rules and regulations to control the mind and the senses and to concentrate the mind on the self. All these procedures are very difï¬cult, bitter like poison, but if one is successful in following the regulations and comes to the transcendental position, he begins to drink real nectar, and he enjoys life.