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SHRIMAD BHAGVAD GITA-A JAIN PERSPECTIVE
growth, which makes the whole process genuine. Therefore the outward manifestation unaccompanied with emotional growth is a mere hypocrisy and amounts to cheating.
Lord Mahavira himself practiced very hard penances for long 12 years during which he had undertaken food only for he total number of 365days. He however did not approve of the hard penances practiced by two persons named Taamali Taapas and Puran Taapas, because the austerities performed by them were not accompanied by evolution from within. Mahavira looked at the penances as instruments to enable one to introspect on "Self", forgetting all that is non-Self., including body and its wants. As Pundit Sukhalalji puts it, "Bhagavan (Mahavira) was known as "Dirgha Tapasvi" not only because of his "Bahya Tapa" but also because he utilized his inner spirtual evolution"
Thus the concept of verses 5 and 6 as well as 17 to 19 is in complete conosnance with
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