Spiritual Practice

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you give away, and whatever austerity you practice, do it all as an offering to me.

Yes, spiritual discipline is necessary.

In this path, no effort is ever wasted and there is no adverse result. Even a little of this spiritual practice saves one from great fear.

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.

Making one's own body the lower fire-stick and Om the upper fire-stick, through the constant practice of the friction of meditation, one sees the hidden divine.

This Self is attained through truth, through austerity, through right knowledge and celibacy practised continuously. It is luminous and pure within the body—and it is seen by the striving ascetics whose faults have been worn away.

Endowed with a purified intellect, governing the self with steady resolve, abandoning the objects of sense beginning with sound, casting away passion and aversion —

Now hear from Me the threefold nature of happiness, O best of the Bharatas — that in which one delights through practice, and through which one reaches the end of suffering.

Acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity must not be abandoned — they ought indeed to be performed; sacrifice, giving, and austerity are the purifiers of the wise.

If you are even incapable of practice, then let actions done for my sake be your foremost aim; even performing actions for my sake, you shall attain perfection.

If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me through the practice of constant repetition, O Dhananjaya.

He came to know: 'Food is Brahman.' For indeed, all these beings spring forth from food alone; sustained by food they live; and into food they return and dissolve at the end. Having grasped this, he approached his father Varuṇa again and said: 'Revered one, teach me further about Brahman.' Varuṇa replied: 'Seek Brahman through austerity; austerity itself is Brahman.' Bhṛgu set himself again to contemplative heat, and having practised austerity...

Its foundation is austerity, self-restraint, and right action; the Vedas are all its limbs; truth is its dwelling place.

Those who, calm and knowledgeable, dwell in the forest with faith and austerity, living as mendicants—they depart through the gateway of the sun, free from impurity, to the realm where the imperishable and immortal Purusha abides.

The Self is not gained by the weak; nor through negligence, nor through austerity devoid of its marks. But for the wise who strive through these proper means—into that one this Self enters the abode of Brahman.

Therefore, with 'Om' ever on their lips, those who speak of Brahman always begin their rites of sacrifice, giving, and austerity as prescribed by sacred ordinance.

With a mind disciplined by the yoga of constant practice, not straying elsewhere, meditating upon the Supreme — one reaches the divine, transcendent Person, O Partha.

He came to know: 'Discerning consciousness is Brahman.' For from discerning consciousness all these beings arise; born of consciousness they sustain themselves in life; and into consciousness they return and are absorbed at the end. Grasping this insight, he returned once more to his father Varuṇa and pleaded: 'Revered one, instruct me further about Brahman.' Varuṇa said: 'Seek Brahman through austerity; austerity is Brahman.' Bhṛgu resumed his austerity. And having practised it...

He came to know: 'Mind is Brahman.' For truly all beings spring from mind alone; born of mind they live; and into mind they flow back at the last. Understanding this, he went once more to his father Varuṇa and asked: 'Revered one, teach me further about Brahman.' Varuṇa replied: 'Seek Brahman through austerity; austerity is Brahman.' Bhṛgu then turned again to contemplative heat, and having sustained his austerity...

He came to know: 'Life-breath is Brahman.' For all beings issue forth from life-breath alone; sustained by life-breath they live; and into life-breath they dissolve at the last. Having understood this, he returned once more to his father Varuṇa and said: 'Revered one, teach me more about Brahman.' Varuṇa said: 'Seek Brahman through austerity; austerity is Brahman.' Bhṛgu applied himself to contemplative heat, and having practised austerity...