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164
Mahapuraanam
.Those who have heard all the scriptures and whose eyes are the scriptures, they, due to the excellence of the contemplation of the meaning of the scriptures, attained purity in the practice of austerities. ||148||
They talk to the goddess of speech, but remain silent with me. Thus, the practice of austerity caused them great sorrow, as if they were envious. ||149||
Enduring unbearable bodily pain, those wise ones, enduring both external and internal austerities, practiced them for a long time. ||150||
They endured the unbearable heat of the sun's rays in the summer, ascending to the peaks of mountains, and attained the state of sun-bathing. ||151||
They stood with both feet placed on the heated stones of the mountain peaks, with their arms hanging down, in the open space of the mountain. ||152||
The earth was covered with hot dust, the forest land was burnt by fire, the water bodies were dried up, and the directions were filled with smoke and darkness. ||153||
Thus, in the most intense summer, when the forests on the mountains were scorched, those steadfast ones stood there, enduring the intense heat, practicing sun-bathing. ||154||
When the sky was darkened by clouds, and the rain clouds arrived, the yogis used to spend their nights under the trees. ||155||
When the rain clouds poured down water in thick streams like pestles, those great sages spent those rainy nights without any disturbance. ||156||
Residing within the womb of meditation, covered with the cloak of fortitude, those mighty ones endured the days covered with clouds. ||157||
In the arrival of snow, they endured their bodies, which were tormented by the cold, and lay down in secluded places, maintaining silence. ||158||
They, who were not fire-worshippers, lived without fire, and they, who were naked, were like those who were clothed, adorned with the armor of fortitude, and endured the cold winds. ||159||
What was it? ||147||
After that, those who had heard the meaning of all the scriptures, and whose eyes were the scriptures, they, due to the excellence of the contemplation of the meaning of the scriptures, attained purity in the practice of austerities. ||148||
These people talk to the goddess Saraswati, but remain silent with me. Thus, the practice of austerity caused them great sorrow, as if they were envious. ||149||
Enduring unbearable bodily pain, those wise ones, enduring both external and internal austerities, practiced them for a long time. ||150||
In the summer season, they ascended to the peaks of mountains, enduring the unbearable heat of the sun's rays, and attained the state of sun-bathing. ||151||
They stood with both feet placed on the heated stones of the mountain peaks, with their arms hanging down, in the open space of the mountain. ||152||
In the summer season, when the earth was covered with hot dust, the forest land was burnt by fire, the water bodies were dried up, and the directions were filled with smoke and darkness, those steadfast ones stood there, enduring the intense heat, practicing sun-bathing. ||153-154||
In the rainy season, when the whole group of directions was darkened by the arrival of clouds, those yogis used to spend their nights under the trees. ||155||
When the rain clouds poured down water in thick streams like pestles, those great sages spent those rainy nights without any disturbance. ||156||
Residing within the womb of meditation, covered with the cloak of