The sacred activities like rituals and sacrifices that are laid down
in the Vedas (scriptures) cannot confer liberation (moksha)
from bondage. They help only to cleanse the consciousness. It is said
that they raise people to heaven, but heaven is also only a bond. It
does not promise eternal freedom. The freedom that makes one
aware of the truth, of one’s own truth, can be gained only through
listening to the Guru (sravana), ruminating over what has
been listened to (manana), and meditating on its validity and
significance (nidi-dhyasana). Only those who have detached
their minds from desire can benefit from the Guru. Others cannot
profit from the guidance.
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Sutra Vahini, Ch. 1, "Six Primary Virtues".