VERSE 17

All religions and creeds stress the need for true knowledge and wisdom.

A man may bathe in the holy Ganga or the sea. He may observe every austerity; he may make gifts lavishly. Yet, all religions agree that none of these will get him liberation even in a hundred lives if he does not acquire true knowledge.

A person may do pilgrimage to holy places, bathe in the sea at Rameshwaram and go through a hundred vows and austerities. But if he has not attained Jnaana, he cannot get rid of the great Delusion. These holy baths and austerities will bear fruit only if the mind is pure and the heart is filled with devotion. Else, they are all in vain.

When it is said that one without knowledge cannot attain liberation it is not knowledge arising from book learning that is meant. It refers to the state of mind that is free from attachments. Book learning is one thing; true knowledge is quite another.

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