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I am the Soul
and engraved their names on the rocks before returning to their capitals. Bharat also climbed up the mountain, with an intention of engraving his name. But to his dismay he could not find space enough to engrave even a single letter. After some thought a solution occurred to him. He effaced the name of the previous Emperor and engraved his own in its place. As he stood admiring his own handiwork, he felt greatly flattered. The thought, that his name engraved there in golden letters, would last forever and remind the world after him of his greatness, pleased him very much. Thus very pleased with himself he began his climb down the mountain.
At the very next step another thought, a good one, came to him. He realised how vain and mean he had been. His conscience awoke with a start and censured him - 'Oh Bharat! You have been insensible. Today you are proud of your name engraved here, but just as you effaced the name of the previous emperor, will not the one who follows you efface yours? How long will your name remain? Did you wage all these wars and indulge in bloodshed just for the sake of this impermanent name?' His conscience pulled him up. Tears rolled down from his eyes as he left the place. Tears that washed away the attachment to the material world and nurtured the feeling of detachment. He then lived a life of total detachment. Although he was tied to the material world he aspired for liberation. Brothers! Look how the ability lying dormant in the being came awake, and led him to liberation in the same birth in which he had waged so many wars, only because his inner self had awakened.
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We have ourselves shut off the path of liberation owing to our attachments and now we are all marching up the wrong one. Why! Some people even go to the extent of thinking that since there is no liberation in this life why pursue religion at all. They say, 'We will pursue religion at the time when and place where liberation is possible.' But Brothers! Do not think so. Make your effort, effort made never goes waste. If not in this life, perhaps
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