Mbh 12.212.4a

"'Bhishma said, "A person of pure Soul, by extracting all his faults by their roots, succeeds in obtaining Emancipation. As an axe made of steel cuts a steel chain (and accomplishing the act becomes broken itself), after the same manner, a person of cleansed Soul, destroying all the faults that spring from Darkness and that are born with the Soul (when it is reborn), succeeds in dissolving his connection with the body (and attaining Emancipation).[735] The qualities having their origin in Passion, those that spring from Darkness, and those stainless ones characterised by purity (viz., those included under the quality of Goodness), constitute as it were the seed from which all embodied creatures have grown. Amongst these, the attribute of Goodness alone is the cause through which persons of cleansed souls succeed in attaining to Emancipation. A person of cleansed soul, therefore, should abandon all the qualities born of Passion and Darkness. Then again, when the quality of Goodness becomes freed from those of Passion and Darkness, it becomes more resplendent still. Some say that sacrifices and other acts performed with the aid of mantras, and which certainly contribute to the purification of the Soul, are evil or cruel acts. (This view is not correct). On the other hand, those acts are the chief means for dissociating the Soul from all worldly attachments, and for the observance of the religion of tranquillity. Through the influence of the qualities born of Passion, all unrighteous acts are performed, and all acts fraught with earthly purposes as also all such acts as spring from desire are accomplished. Through qualities born of Darkness, one does all acts fraught with cupidity and springing from wrath. In consequence of the attribute of Darkness, one embraces sleep and procrastination and becomes addicted to all acts of cruelty and carnal pleasure.