All the blessed regions that belong to the gods can be obtained through penance. Penance is the root of great happiness. Those who practice severe penance and give up their bodies can attain the status of gods.
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The Mahabharata, in Kisari Mohan Ganguli's monumental translation, is the world's longest epic poem and one of humanity's greatest spiritual and literary achievements, containing within it the Bhagavad Gita, the Vishnu Sahasranama, and a vast treasury of philosophical and moral teaching. The epic tells the story of the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and Kauravas, but its deeper purpose is to illuminate every dimension of dharma — duty, righteousness, and the human condition in relation to the divine. This is an inexhaustible wellspring of wisdom and narrative that has sustained Indian civilization for millennia.
- Author
- Vyasa
- Tradition
- Hindu
- Source text
- Mahabharata
- Chapter
- Mahabharata, p.3496
- Verse / page
- 3496
- Topics
- AttainmentHappinessRenunciationBlessingsDisciplineGodSpiritual PracticeGreatness
Same theme, different voices
One attains Perfect Knowledge when one sees God in man.
We can attain peace of mind only by following what Gurbani teaches.
He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him, and will hear their cries, and will save them.
God told Prophet David, 'The servant dearest to Me is one who doesn't seek Me out of fear or hope for reward, but to fulfill their duty to My divinity.'
Guru Nanak Dev says that these practices are useless, as they only help cleanse the mind, and unless His grace is upon you, you cannot reach Him.