Shloka 39
Veṅkaṭeśa-Māhātmya: Varāha Prelude, Descent of Śeṣācala, Svāmipuṣkariṇī and the Network of Tīrthas
with Dāna-Lakṣaṇas
स्नानं कुर्वन्ति ये तत्र तेषां मुक्तिः करे स्थिता / तिस्रः कोट्योर्धकोटिश्च तीर्थानि भुवनत्रये / तानि सर्वाणि तत्रैव संति तीर्थे हरेः सदा
snānaṃ kurvanti ye tatra teṣāṃ muktiḥ kare sthitā / tisraḥ koṭyordhakoṭiśca tīrthāni bhuvanatraye / tāni sarvāṇi tatraiva saṃti tīrthe hareḥ sadā
Wer dort badet, dem ist die Befreiung (mukti), als läge sie in seiner Handfläche. In den drei Welten gibt es dreieinhalb Krore heiliger Pilgerstätten; sie alle sind ewig dort gegenwärtig, in jenem heiligen tīrtha Haris (Viṣṇus).
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Tīrtha-snāna at Hari’s sacred ford, when joined with faith, is portrayed as an immediate aid to liberation; the kṣetra functions as a condensed field of grace.
Vedantic Theme: Mokṣa as ultimately by Bhagavat-prasāda; sacred places are upāyas insofar as they awaken bhakti and surrender.
Application: Undertake tīrtha-snāna with sankalpa, purity, and remembrance of Hari; treat the act as inner cleansing (letting go of pāpa and ego) rather than mere tourism.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tīrtha (bathing ford)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.26.40 (identifies the tīrtha as Śrīnivāsa and as the mandira)
FAQs
This verse states that bathing at Hari’s tīrtha grants such powerful spiritual purification that liberation is described as being “in one’s hand,” emphasizing tirtha-snana as a direct aid toward moksha.
It frames moksha as accessible through devotion-centered sacred practice: bathing at a Vishnu-associated tīrtha is portrayed as connecting the seeker to the combined sanctity of all pilgrimage places across the three worlds.
Approach pilgrimage and ritual bathing with ethical living and Vishnu-bhakti: treat the act as inner purification (self-discipline, truthfulness, compassion) rather than mere travel, and dedicate the merit to spiritual growth.