If you follow a strict diet for a few months, flaunting six packs

In the words of Akkineni Nagarjuna, “If you follow a strict diet for a few months, flaunting six-pack abs is no big deal,” there breathes a wisdom born not from pride, but from discipline. These are not the words of one who boasts of strength, but of one who understands the law of effort and reward, the timeless truth that mastery is born from consistency. Beneath the surface of this simple statement lies an ancient principle: that what seems extraordinary to others is made ordinary through devotion. For the one who lives in alignment with purpose, greatness ceases to be a miracle—it becomes a natural consequence of discipline, patience, and focus.

To “follow a strict diet” is not merely to abstain from indulgence; it is to walk the sacred path of self-control. The ancients knew this well. The warriors of Sparta ate sparingly, trained relentlessly, and lived by a code where the flesh served the will, not the other way around. Their strength was not magic—it was born from habit, sharpened by repetition, and guarded by self-denial. So too does Nagarjuna’s wisdom remind us that the so-called impossible is achieved through a steady and deliberate path. The gleam of “six-pack abs” is not the triumph—it is merely the evidence of the unseen struggle that preceded it.

In this truth lies the humility of true achievement. The philosopher Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Nagarjuna speaks in that same spirit. The strict diet, the months of persistence, the daily battles with appetite and comfort—these are the fires through which strength is forged. To the disciplined, success is predictable; to the undisciplined, it appears miraculous. Yet the wise see no mystery in the fruit that grows from constant labor. The body, like the soul, responds faithfully to the laws of cause and effect. Dedication brings transformation, just as surely as the sun rises after night.

Consider the tale of Heracles, the hero who faced twelve labors to attain immortality. He did not conquer his challenges by chance or gift, but through endurance, through relentless effort in the face of exhaustion and doubt. Each trial honed his body, his spirit, and his will. So too does Nagarjuna’s quote speak to that heroic principle in all of us: that power is the reward of persistence. The six-pack abs are not the glory—they are the symbol of having overcome one’s own weakness, one’s own inertia. They are not ornaments of vanity, but emblems of discipline made visible.

And yet, there is gentleness in his message as well. When Nagarjuna says it is “no big deal,” he humbles the achievement, reminding us that greatness should not intoxicate the heart. The true warrior does not boast of his weapon, for he knows that the battle was fought long before the world saw the result. In that humility lies wisdom: the understanding that mastery is not the destination but the journey itself. The path of self-control and commitment continues beyond any single victory—it becomes a lifelong practice.

This teaching extends far beyond the body. The “strict diet” may symbolize any discipline—of the mind, of speech, or of purpose. Just as one who eats wisely transforms their physique, so too does one who thinks wisely transform their destiny. The student who studies each day, the artist who practices in solitude, the leader who governs himself before governing others—all are following their own strict diets of focus and restraint. The reward, though different in form, is the same: mastery over the self. And mastery over self is the highest power of all.

Let this lesson be passed down as a timeless truth: greatness is not gifted—it is cultivated. The extraordinary becomes ordinary when effort is sustained, and the miraculous becomes natural when the will is unwavering. To those who dream of transformation, Nagarjuna’s words offer both challenge and comfort: you need not chase greatness in despair; you need only to be steadfast in your practice. The rest will follow as surely as dawn follows night.

Thus, remember the wisdom of Akkineni Nagarjuna: that discipline makes the difficult effortless, and constancy makes the impossible inevitable. Begin your own “strict diet,” whatever form it takes—be it of body, mind, or spirit. Commit to the path without complaint, and one day you too will look back upon your triumphs and say, with quiet power and humble grace, “It was no big deal.” For in that moment, you will have learned what the ancients always knew: that true strength lies not in what you achieve, but in who you become through the journey.