Happiness

kasyaikāntaṁ sukham upanataṁ duḥkham ekāntato vā

kasyaikāntaṁ sukham upanataṁ duḥkham ekāntato vā |
nīcair gacchati upari ca daśā cakranemi-krameṇa ||
(Kālidāsa’s Megha-dūta: 106)

“Who has experienced constant happiness or constant suffering? [No one.] One’s condition goes up and down like the movement of the rim of a wheel.”

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yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṁ, nālpe sukham asti

yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṁ, nālpe sukham asti |
bhūmaiva sukhaṁ, bhūmā tv eva vijijñāsitavya iti bhūmānaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||

(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 7.23.1)

[Sanat Kumāra]: “That which is infinite is happiness. There is no happiness in the finite [i.e., the minute, alt., the trifling]. Only the infinite is happiness. Indeed the infinite should be desired to be known in detail.”
[Nārada:] “O venerable one, I desire to know the infinite in detail.”

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divasenaiva tat kuryāt yena rātrau sukhaṁ vaset

divasenaiva tat kuryāt yena rātrau sukhaṁ vaset |
yāvaj jīvaṁ ca tat kuryāt yena pretya sukhaṁ vaset ||
(Vidura-nītī: 136, 137)

“Do that during the day whereby you can pass the night in happiness, and do that throughout life whereby you can live in happiness hereafter.”

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prajñām evāgamayati yaḥ prājñebhyaḥ sa paṇḍitaḥ

prajñām evāgamayati yaḥ prājñebhyaḥ sa paṇḍitaḥ |
prājño hy avāpya dharmārthau śaknoti sukham edhitum ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.35.57)

“One who procures wisdom from the wise is a paṇḍita, and a wise person, by attaining dharma and artha, is able to increase his happiness.”

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janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-vedanābhir upadrutam

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-vedanābhir upadrutam |
saṁsāram imam utpannam asāraṁ tyajataḥ sukham ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 94)

“Happiness comes from giving up this insubstantial world of saṁsāra which is overrun by birth, death, old age, disease, and sorrow.”

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kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobho harṣo māno madas tathā

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobho harṣo māno madas tathā |
ṣaḍ-vargam utsṛjed enaṁ tasmiṁs tyakte sukhī nṛpaḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 102)

“Give up the six enemies: lust, anger, greed, pleasure, egotism, and pride. O King, one who rejects them is happy in this world.”

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nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām 

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān |
taṁ pīṭhagaṁ ye’nubhajanti dhīrās
teṣāṁ sukhaṁ śāśvataṁ netareṣām ||
(Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad: 1.20; cited in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha 106)

“The Eternal among eternals, the Conscious Being among conscious beings, although one, fulfills the desires of the multitudes. The joy [i.e., siddhi, attainment] of the resolute who worship him situated at the [yoga-] pītha is ever-lasting; that of others is not.”

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yadā vai sukhaṁ labhate’tha karoti

yadā vai sukhaṁ labhate’tha karoti, nāsukhaṁ labdhvā karoti, sukham eva labdhvā karoti |
sukhaṁ tv eva vijijñāsitavyam iti sukhaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 7.22.1)

[Sanat Kumāra:] “Certainly when one attains happiness, then one acts. Upon attaining unhappiness, one does not act. Only upon attaining happiness does one act. Indeed happiness is to be desired to be known in depth.”
[Nārada:] “O venerable one, I desire to know happiness in depth.”

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