Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 31
Gṛhastha-Dharma: How a Householder Attains Liberation by Offering All to Vāsudeva
सरांसि पुष्करादीनि क्षेत्राण्यर्हाश्रितान्युत । कुरुक्षेत्रं गयशिर: प्रयाग: पुलहाश्रम: ॥ ३० ॥ नैमिषं फाल्गुनं सेतु: प्रभासोऽथ कुशस्थली । वाराणसी मधुपुरी पम्पा बिन्दुसरस्तथा ॥ ३१ ॥ नारायणाश्रमो नन्दा सीतारामाश्रमादय: । सर्वे कुलाचला राजन्महेन्द्रमलयादय: ॥ ३२ ॥ एते पुण्यतमा देशा हरेरर्चाश्रिताश्च ये । एतान्देशान्निषेवेत श्रेयस्कामो ह्यभीक्ष्णश: । धर्मो ह्यत्रेहित: पुंसां सहस्राधिफलोदय: ॥ ३३ ॥
sarāṁsi puṣkarādīni kṣetrāṇy arhāśritāny uta kurukṣetraṁ gaya-śiraḥ prayāgaḥ pulahāśramaḥ
Danau-danau suci seperti Puṣkara serta tempat-tempat ziarah tempat para resi dan orang suci bernaung—Kurukṣetra, Gayā, Prayāga, Pulahāśrama; Naimiṣāraṇya, tepi Sungai Phālgu, Setubandha, Prabhāsa, Kuśasthalī (Dvārakā), Vārāṇasī, Madhupurī (Mathurā), Pampā, Bindu-sarovara, Nārāyaṇāśrama (Badarī), tepian Sungai Nandā, tempat-tempat perlindungan Śrī Rāma dan Ibu Sītā seperti Citrakūṭa, serta pegunungan Mahendra dan Malaya—semuanya adalah negeri yang amat suci. Demikian pula, di mana pun ada pemujaan arca Tuhan Hari (Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa), hendaknya seorang bhakta yang mendambakan kemajuan rohani sering berziarah dan berseva; dharma yang dilakukan di sana berbuah seribu kali lipat.
In these verses and in verse twenty-nine, stress is given to one point: harer arcāśritāś ca ye or harer arcā. In other words, any place where the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped by devotees is most significant. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving the population of the entire world a chance to take advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the ISKCON centers, where one may perform Deity worship and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and in this way obtain results with effectiveness increased a thousand times. This constitutes the best welfare activity for human society. This was Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission as it was predicted by Him in the Caitanya-bhāgavata ( Antya 4.126):
FAQs
The verse names Naimiṣāraṇya, Phālguṇa, Setu (Rāmeśvaram), Prabhāsa, Kuśasthalī (Dvārakā), Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), Mathurā, Pampā, and Bindusaras.
In the context of teaching ideal household dharma, Śukadeva explains that visiting sacred places connected with the Lord supports purification and devotion, helping one progress toward the highest good.
By honoring sacred geography—through pilgrimage when possible, or by hearing and remembering the Lord’s pastimes connected to these places—one can cultivate bhakti and inner purification even amidst modern life.