दुःखमेवास्ति न सुखं तस्मात्तदुपलभ्यते ।
तृष्णार्तिपरभवं दुःखं दुःखार्तिपरभवं सुखम् ॥
सुखस्यानन्तरं दुःखं दुःखस्यानन्तरं सुखम् ।
न नित्यं लभते दुःखं न नित्यं लभते सुखम् ॥
duḥkham evāsti na sukhaṁ tasmāt tad upalabhyate |
tṛṣṇārti-prabhavaṁ duḥkhaṁ duḥkhārti-prabhavaṁ sukham ||
sukhasyānantaraṁ duḥkhaṁ duḥkhasyānantaraṁ sukham |
na nityaṁ labhate duḥkhaṁ na nityaṁ labhate sukham ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.26.22–23)
“Suffering alone exists, not happiness. Thus, that [i.e., suffering] is experienced. Suffering is that the cause of which is the distress of desire, and happiness is that the cause of which is the distress of suffering. After happiness there is suffering, and after suffering there is happiness. Suffering is never permanently attained, and happiness is never permanently attained.”