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 |
毗湿摩说：内在之我依其本性，任何时候都不为乐与苦所制约。然而当理智（buddhi）依止于具身之我（jīvātman）时，便显现为三种状态——乐、忧与迷：有时品尝欢喜，有时沉没于悲恸；又有时被迷妄遮蔽，对乐与苦两者皆无所觉。
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.