Shloka 18
Tīrtha-vidhi (Procedure for Holy Places) — Prayāgarāja-māhātmya
यथोक्तफलदं तीर्थं भवेच्छुद्धात्मनां नृणाम् । कामं क्रोधं च लोभं च यो जित्वा तीर्थमाविशेत् । न तेन किञ्चिदप्राप्तं तीर्थाभिगमनाद्भवेत् । तीर्थानि च यथाक्तेन विधिना संचरंति ये । सर्वद्वंद्वसहा धीरास्ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः ॥ १८ ॥
yathoktaphaladaṃ tīrthaṃ bhavecchuddhātmanāṃ nṛṇām | kāmaṃ krodhaṃ ca lobhaṃ ca yo jitvā tīrthamāviśet | na tena kiñcidaprāptaṃ tīrthābhigamanādbhavet | tīrthāni ca yathāktena vidhinā saṃcaraṃti ye | sarvadvaṃdvasahā dhīrāste narāḥ svargagāminaḥ || 18 ||
El tīrtha concede los frutos dichos en las śāstras sólo a los hombres de alma purificada. Quien vence deseo, ira y codicia y luego entra en el tīrtha, por esa peregrinación nada le queda por alcanzar. Y quienes recorren los tīrthas según el rito prescrito, firmes y pacientes, soportando todos los pares de opuestos, tales hombres van al cielo (svarga).
Narada (teaching in the Uttara-Bhaga tīrtha-māhātmya context; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumāra lineage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that tīrthas give their full, promised results only when approached with inner purification—especially mastery over desire, anger, and greed—making pilgrimage a discipline of character, not mere travel.
By insisting on self-restraint and purity as prerequisites for sacred visitation, it aligns pilgrimage with sincere devotional intent: the devotee approaches holy places with a cleansed heart, steady in dualities, thereby becoming fit for higher spiritual fruits.
It emphasizes observance of the proper vidhi (prescribed procedure) for tīrtha-yātrā—i.e., disciplined ritual conduct and rule-based practice—rather than technical Vedāṅga details like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.