According to the Mahabharata, there are 14 reasons for sadn…

Yudhisthira's inquisitive conversation with Bhishma, which takes place here, spans the Mahabharata's Shanti and Anushasana parvas.

Yudhishthira asks Bhishma in this discussion, "What causes a person to be sad? Why do people experience pain?"

Bhishma's response is lengthy, spanning roughly 18 shlokas. He enlists for a variety of reasons, both intrinsic and external.

Reason 1 – Regardless of worldly comforts, being in a foreign location, away from home and loved ones, causes gnawing loneliness. They become longing and yearning as a result of this.
(There is a great phrase in Welsh that describes this feeling for home — hiraeth.)

Reason 2 – It could be due to personal shortcomings, but when a person is abandoned by their friends and loved ones, their home feels like a foreign land, which makes them unhappy.

Reason 3 - Even when a person has done something good and decent, if their friends treat them badly, it might cause agony.

Reason 4 – When wealthy and powerful people, who may or may not be as good human beings as you are, treat you with disrespect and apathy, it can lead to pain.

Reason 5 - Despite being a smart, honorable, & capable individual, many people don't receive the fair benefits they deserve. However, when the undeserving receive it, it causes anger. (The expectation theory of motivation, which is similar in nature, is used in HR Mgmt.)

6th Reason –

It is stressful to be without adequate means of living (lack of unique expertise).

However, if a person is too proud to ask for aid out of a false sense of self-respect, he or she will suffer.

Reason 7 – It causes tremendous sorrow when those who benefit from your generosity and goodness of heart regard it as a flaw, when they take it for granted and, as a result, diminish you in your own eyes.

8th Reason –

It can be painful for a knowledgeable and deserving person to be belittled and ridiculed by people who lack knowledge and kindness.

9th Reason –

When an opponent acts as if he or she is a friend, develops trust, and then breaks that trust, the result is bitterness and misery.

Reason 10 – Even if a person has a good understanding of the material world and a gift for describing complicated events, if they are disregarded and belittled by the educated and respected, they will suffer.

Reason 11 – When a person is without money and intelligence but still seeks greater things and fails due to personal flaws, it causes sadness and pain.

Reason 12 – Family problems such as a lack of harmony within the family, family criticism of your decisions, betrayals, and malice by sons and sons-in-law can cause a lot of sorrow.

Reason 13 – Having money set away for retirement stolen and having to rely on untrustworthy individuals for survival makes a person uneasy, apprehensive, and embarrassed.

Reason 14 – A close relative has become distant and furious as a result of their own actions/misunderstandings, and you have been unable to appease them and make amends, resulting in misery.

In this exchange, Yudhishthira, the one who poses the question, has gone through a lot of pain from ignominy to victory. Bhishma, who has lived a life full of tough choices and who, even in his final moments, is in excruciating pain, responds.

Perhaps it is because of the intricacy of these characters and their gravitas that they can explore such a wide range of issues in such a timeless manner.