That which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, like nectar (amṛta) in the beginning, But like poison in the end, that happiness (sukha) is remembered as of passion (rājasa).
The joy that is passionate at first seems like ambrosia when senses encounter sense objects, but in the end it is like poison.
(38) [That pleasure] which at first seems like ambrosia, arising when the senses meet the objects of sense, but in time transmutes itself into what seems to be poison,—that pleasure, so it is said, is in Passion's way.
18.38 That joy is referred to as born of rajas which, arising from the contact of the organs and (their) objects, is like nectar in the beginning, but like poison at the end.
18.38 That pleasure which arises from the contact of senses with their objects, which is like elixir at first but like poison in the end, is said to be Rajasika.
18.38 That happiness which arises from the contact of the sense-organs with the objects, which is at first like nectar, and in the end like poison -- that is declared to be Rajasic.