Penance is the means to achieve everything

तपोमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः

 

Penance importance description Chapter 12

 

सनत्कुमार उवाच |

Sanatkumar said (to sage Vyasa)

 

तपसा प्राप्यते स्वर्गस्तपसा प्राप्यते यशः |

तपसा प्राप्यते कामस्तपः सर्वार्थसाधनम् || 40 ||

 

By penance one gets heaven, by penance one gets fame, by penance one's desires are fulfilled. Penance is the means to achieve everything.

Ramayana has several instances mentioning the greatness of penance. Narada tells Himalaya that Parvati should practise penance and Lord Shiva can even change her future.

जौं तपु करै कुमारि तुम्हारी | भाविउ मेटि सकहिं त्रिपुरारी ||

 

Penance is said to be the basis for everything, the universe including creation, maintenance and destruction. The message in the first two of the following three lines also repeats in Ramayana.

 

तपबल रचई प्रपंचु विधाता | तपबल बिष्नु सकल जग त्राता ||

तपबल संभु करहिं संघारा | तपबल सेषु धरइ महिभारा ||

तप आधार सब सृष्टि भवानी | करहि जाई तपु अस जियँ जानी ||