Book II, ch. 3 (trans. Constance Garnett)
• The Elder Zossima, speaking to a devout widow afraid of death
• The Elder Zossima, speaking to a devout widow afraid of death
“
If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by love. If I, a sinner even as you are, am tender with you and have pity on you, how much more will God have pity upon you. Love is such a priceless treasure that you can redeem the whole world by it, and cleanse not only your own sins but the sins of others.
— Fyodor Dostoyevsky
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by love. If I, a sinner even as you are, am tender with you and have pity on you, how much more will God have pity upon you. Love is such a priceless treasure that you can redeem the whole world by it, and cleanse not only your own sins but the sins of others." in the context of "Book II, ch. 3 (trans. Constance Garnett)
• The Elder Zossima, speaking to a devout widow afraid of death" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Fyodor Dostoyevsky" (General, The Brothers Karamazov (1879–1880): Original Russian text wikisource:ru:Братья Карамазовы (Достоевский),
English translation wikisource:The Brothers Karamazov translated by Constance Garnett.)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский (11 November 1821 - 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as multiple of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.
About Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevsky Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский (11 November 1821 - 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore the human condition in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as multiple of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces.
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