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VIVEKACUDAMAŅI
visayāṇāmānukulye sukhi, duḥkhi viparyaye
sukham duḥkham ca taddharmaḥ sadanandasya natmanaḥ
When sense-objects are favourable, one considers oneself as happy, and as unhappy if they are otherwise. Happiness and grief are qualities of the antaḥkarana and not of the atman which is ever blissful.
The feeling 'I am happy' arises when sabda (sound) and other objects are favourable in accordance with one's desire. If they are otherwise, i.e., if they are against a person's desires one feels grief. They belong to the antaḥkarana; for they depend on its desires.
etc.
They are not the qualities of the atman. For, it is always of the nature of bliss. Vide śrutis like anando brahma (Taitt.), vijñānamānandam brahma, raso vai saḥ (Taitt.), yadeṣa ākāśaḥ (Taitt.),
This (that these feelings belong to the antaḥkarana) also seems reasonable; for the same sound which gave pleasure at one time, causes pain at another. This is well known. The object is the same on both occasions. So the cause of the difference is to be traced to difference in the mental state. The same sound which causes pain to one person gives pleasure to another at the same time. The mind thought of this sound as favourable to it previously. Now, however, it thinks otherwise. Therefore, pleasure and pain are its
qualities.
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Now, the ever-blissful nature of the atman declared by the śruti is proved by reasoning.
आत्मार्थत्वेन हि प्रेयान् विषयो न स्वतः प्रियः ।
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ātmārthatvena hi preyan viṣayo na svataḥ priyaḥ svata eva hi sarveṣām ātmā priyatamo yataḥ
The objects of the world are dear only for the sake of the ātman; they are not dear by themselves. For, the atman is dear to every one by itself.
hi: for the reason that
Sense-object is not dear by itself, but only because it gives pleasure to or removes pain from the mind.
