Shloka 31
Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed
सन्निकर्षोऽत्र मर्त्यानामनादरणकारणम् । गाङ्गं हित्वा यथान्याम्भस्तत्रत्यो याति शुद्धये ॥ ३१ ॥
sannikarṣo ’tra martyānām anādaraṇa-kāraṇam gāṅgaṁ hitvā yathānyāmbhas tatratyo yāti śuddhaye
In this world, excessive familiarity becomes a cause of disrespect. Thus even one dwelling on the banks of the Gaṅgā may go to other waters seeking purification.
FAQs
This verse teaches that constant proximity can make people take sacred things for granted, causing them to lose reverence—even for the Gaṅgā—so they seek purification elsewhere.
He uses the universally revered example of the Gaṅgā to illustrate a general human tendency: familiar sacredness can be undervalued, even though its spiritual potency remains.
Do not take daily spiritual gifts—temple access, nāma-japa, sādhus, scripture, or a sacred environment—for granted; renew reverence through conscious practice, gratitude, and attentive worship.