The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph. Self-realization demands very great struggle.

The saying links two ideas: struggle is proportional to the value of the victory, and the highest victory is Self‑realization—awakening to one’s true nature beyond ego and fluctuation. “Struggle” here is not merely external hardship but the inner contest with desire, fear, distraction, and habitual patterns that keep consciousness outward-turned. By calling the triumph “glorious,” Sivananda suggests that effort refines character and purifies motivation; the path itself becomes transformative. The second sentence sharpens the point: spiritual awakening is not a casual achievement but demands “very great” perseverance, implying daily discipline and patience with gradual progress rather than expecting sudden, effortless illumination.