FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.23.52

आत्मा यदि स्यात् सुखदु:खहेतु: किमन्यतस्तत्र निजस्वभाव: । न ह्यात्मनोऽन्यद् यदि तन्मृषा स्यात् क्रुध्येत कस्मान्न सुखं न दु:खम् ॥ ५२ ॥
ātmā yadi syāt sukha-duḥkha-hetuḥ
[aatmaa yadi syaat sukha-duhkha-hetuh]
kim anyatas tatra nija-svabhāvaḥ
[kim anyatas tatra nija-svabhaavah]
na hy ātmano ’nyad yadi tan mṛṣā syāt
[na hy aatmano ’nyad yadi tan mrishaa syaat]
krudhyeta kasmān na sukhaṁ na duḥkham
[krudhyeta kasmaan na sukham na duhkham]
Word-for-word
ātmā — the soul himself yadi — if syāt — should be sukha-duḥkha — of happiness and distress hetuḥ — the cause kim — what anyataḥ — other tatra — in that theory nija — his own svabhāvaḥ — nature na — not hi — indeed ātmanaḥ — than the soul anyat — anything separate yadi — if tat — that mṛṣā — false syāt — would be krudhyeta — one can become angry kasmāt — at whom na — there is no sukham — happiness na — nor duḥkham — misery.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ātmā yadi syāt sukha-duḥkha-hetuḥ
ātmā
the soul himself
yadi
if
syāt
should be
sukha-duḥkha
of happiness and distress
hetuḥ
the cause
kim anyatas tatra nija-svabhāvaḥ
kim
what
anyataḥ
other
tatra
in that theory
nija
his own
svabhāvaḥ
nature
na hy ātmano ’nyad yadi tan mṛṣā syāt
na
not
hi
indeed
ātmanaḥ
than the soul
anyat
anything separate
yadi
if
krudhyeta kasmān na sukhaṁ na duḥkham
tat
that
mṛṣā
false
syāt
would be
krudhyeta
one can become angry
kasmāt
at whom
na
there is no
sukham
happiness
na
nor
duḥkham
misery.
If the soul himself were the cause of happiness and distress, then we could not blame others, since happiness and distress would be simply the nature of the soul. According to this theory, nothing except the soul actually exists, and if we were to perceive something besides the soul, that would be illusion. Therefore, since happiness and distress do not actually exist in this concept, why become angry at oneself or others?
Purport

Because a dead body does not feel pleasure or pain, our happiness and distress are due to our own consciousness, which is the nature of the soul. It is not, however, the original function of the soul to enjoy material happiness and suffer material distress. These are produced by ignorant material affection and enmity based on false ego. Our involvement in sense gratification drags our consciousness into the material body, where it is shocked by the inevitable bodily pains and problems.

On the spiritual platform there is neither material happiness nor distress because there the living consciousness is fully engaged, without personal desire, in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. This is the actual position of happiness, aloof from false bodily identification. Rather than uselessly becoming enraged with others for one’s own foolishness, one should take to self-realization and solve the problems of life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
If the jīva were the cause of happiness and distress, because it is conscious, then we could not blame others, since happiness and distress would be simply the nature of the jīva. Only jīva exists anyway, but if you say something else exists, it is illusion only. Since happiness and distress do not actually exist in this concept, why become angry at oneself or others? Nothing can make a brick or stone suffer. If the jīva is the cause of experiencing suffering, since it is conscious, then we could not blame others for suffering. The cause of happiness and suffering would be the consciousness, the nature of the jīva. There is no entity other than the conscious jīva. If one then thinks there is something else to cause affliction, then perceiving something else is actually imagined out of ignorance. In that case, why become anger, since happiness and suffering do not belong to the jīva any more than to a brick or stone (since there is no external cause for it)?
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
If the soul itself caused happiness and distress, nothing besides the soul would actually exist; that theory collapses on its own assumptions. The brāhmaṇa rules out 'soul as cause'.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I privately blame my own soul for outcomes that lie elsewhere?
  • What might releasing that produce?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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