The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 12.183.10

12.183.10

bharadvāja uvāca |
yadetadbhavatābhihitaṃ sukhānāṃ paramāḥ striya iti tanna gṛhṇīmaḥ |
na hyeṣāmṛṣīṇāṃ mahati sthitānāmaprāpya eṣa guṇaviśeṣo na cainamabhilaṣanti |
śrūyate ca bhagavāṃstrilokakṛdbrahmā prabhurekākī tiṣṭhati |
brahmacārī na kāmasukheṣvātmānamavadadhāti |
api ca bhagavānviśveśvara umāpatiḥ kāmamabhivartamānamanaṅgatvena śamamanayat |
tasmādbrūmo na mahātmabhirayaṃ pratigṛhīto na tveṣa tāvadviśiṣṭo guṇa iti naitadbhagavataḥ pratyemi |
bhagavatā tūktaṃ sukhānāṃ paramāḥ striya iti |
lokapravādo'pi ca bhavati dvividhaḥ phalodayaḥ sukṛtātsukhamavāpyate duṣkṛtādduḥkhamiti |
atrocyatām || 10 ||

"Bharadwaja said, 'You have said that happiness is the highest object, I do not comprehend this. This attribute of the soul that (you say) is so desirable is not sought by the Rishis who are regarded to be engaged in something promising a higher reward. It is heard that the Creator of the three worlds, viz., the puissant Brahman, lives alone, observant of the vow of Brahmacharya. He never devotes himself to the happiness obtainable from the gratification of desire. Also, the divine Master of the universe, the lord of Uma, reduced Kama (the deity of desire) to extinction. For this reason, we say that happiness is not acceptable to high-souled people. Nor does it appear to be a high attribute of the Soul. I cannot put faith in what thy divine self has said, viz., that there is nothing higher than happiness. That there are two kinds of consequences in respect of our acts, viz., the springing of happiness from good acts and of sorrow from sinful, acts, is only a saying that is current in the world.'