Shloka 5
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
ऐश्वर्याल्लोभमोहाद् वा गच्छेद् यानेन यो नरः / निष्फलं तस्य तत् तीर्थं तसमाद्यानं विवर्जयेत्
aiśvaryāllobhamohād vā gacched yānena yo naraḥ / niṣphalaṃ tasya tat tīrthaṃ tasamādyānaṃ vivarjayet
Wenn ein Mann zu einem tīrtha mit einem Fahrzeug reist, getrieben von Zurschaustellung des Reichtums, von Gier oder Verblendung, wird diese Wallfahrt für ihn fruchtlos; darum soll man solches Reisen im Wagen meiden, wenn es aus Eitelkeit und Anhaftung entspringt.
Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic teaching as received from the sages, presenting tīrtha-yātrā dharma)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
By declaring a pilgrimage “fruitless” when driven by greed or delusion, the verse implies that spiritual fruit depends on inner purification and right intention—qualities that turn the mind toward the Self rather than toward egoic display.
It highlights yama-like ethical restraint—renouncing vanity, greed, and delusion—as a prerequisite for any sādhana. The Kurma Purana’s broader yogic ethic treats outer acts (like tīrtha-yātrā) as effective only when aligned with vairāgya and self-discipline.
This verse is primarily ethical (tīrtha-dharma) rather than sectarian; its emphasis on inner purity matches the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where devotion and discipline—whether framed in Shaiva or Vaishnava idiom—are validated by the same standard of motive and renunciation.