Shloka 19
Tīrtha-vidhi (Procedure for Holy Places) — Prayāgarāja-māhātmya
गंगादितीर्थेषु वसंति मत्स्या देवालये पक्षिगणाश्च संति । भावोज्झितास्ते न फलं लभंते तीर्थाच्च देवायतनाच्च मुख्यात् ॥ १९ ॥
gaṃgāditīrtheṣu vasaṃti matsyā devālaye pakṣigaṇāśca saṃti | bhāvojjhitāste na phalaṃ labhaṃte tīrthācca devāyatanācca mukhyāt || 19 ||
গঙ্গা প্রভৃতি তীর্থে মাছ বাস করে, আর দেবালয়ে পাখির দলও থাকে; কিন্তু যাদের অন্তরে ভক্তিভাব নেই, তারা শ্রেষ্ঠ তীর্থ বা প্রধান দেবমন্দির থেকেও আধ্যাত্মিক ফল পায় না।
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that proximity to sacred places (tīrtha) or temples (devālaya) is not sufficient; the real cause of spiritual merit is bhāva—inner faith, reverence, and conscious devotion.
It emphasizes bhakti as an inner orientation: without heartfelt devotion, external acts like staying at a tīrtha or visiting a temple do not yield the highest fruit; with bhāva, the same acts become spiritually transformative.
It highlights the practical principle behind ritual efficacy—saṅkalpa and intention (bhāva) as the operative factor in dharma-kriyā; technical performance alone, without the right inner disposition, does not produce the chief result.