Shloka 2236
मनु-उपदेशः — भूत-उत्पत्ति, इन्द्रिय-निवृत्ति, तथा पर-स्वभाव-विवेकः
Manu’s Instruction on Elemental Origination, Sense-Withdrawal, and Discrimination of the Supreme Nature
न सुखेन न दुःखेन कदाचिदपि वर्तते । जीवात्माके आश्रित रहकर बुद्धि (सुख
na sukhena na duḥkhena kadācid api vartate |
Bhīṣma berkata: Diri batin (ātman) pada hakikatnya tidak pernah terikat oleh nikmat atau derita pada bila-bila masa. Namun apabila intelek (buddhi) bersemayam pada jiwa yang berjasad (jīvātman), ia tampak dalam tiga keadaan—kesenangan, dukacita, dan kekeliruan: kadang-kadang ia mengecap kegembiraan, kadang-kadang ia tenggelam dalam kesedihan, dan kadang-kadang, diselubungi kebingungan, ia menjadi tidak peka terhadap kedua-duanya, nikmat dan derita.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The self (ātman/jīvātman) is not intrinsically altered by pleasure or pain; it is the intellect (buddhi), influenced by delusion (moha), that cycles through experiences of joy, grief, or numb confusion. The ethical implication is to cultivate discernment and detachment, recognizing experiences as states of mind rather than the essence of the self.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and liberation-oriented wisdom. Here he explains a psychological and metaphysical point: the apparent fluctuations of happiness and sorrow belong to the mind/intellect, while the self remains fundamentally untouched.