Shloka 25
Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Catalog of Sacred Places and the Supreme Inner Tīrtha
इदं तीर्थमिदं नेति ये नरा भेददर्शिनः / तेषां विधीयते तीर्थगमनं तत्फलं च यत्
idaṃ tīrthamidaṃ neti ye narā bhedadarśinaḥ / teṣāṃ vidhīyate tīrthagamanaṃ tatphalaṃ ca yat
Bagi orang yang memandang perbedaan lalu berkata, “Ini tīrtha dan ini bukan,” bagi mereka ditetapkan ziarah ke tīrtha, beserta buah yang disebutkan darinya.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)
Concept: Teachings are tailored to adhikāra: those attached to distinctions are guided by external observances and promised fruits.
Vedantic Theme: Adhikāri-bheda and upāya-kauśalya: graded instruction moving from karma/ritual supports toward inner realization.
Application: Meet practitioners where they are: if one needs external structure, follow prescribed pilgrimages/vratas while gradually cultivating non-sectarian inner purity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Type: general tīrtha discourse (not site-specific)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.81.21-22 (external tīrtha praise); Garuda Purana 1.81.23-24 (inner tīrtha superiority)
FAQs
This verse frames pilgrimage as a prescribed discipline especially for those who judge places as “holy” versus “not holy,” emphasizing that such seekers are guided through tīrtha-gamana and the merit (phala) associated with it.
Indirectly, it points to purification through dharmic practice: engaging in sanctioned rites like pilgrimage is presented as a means to refine one’s outlook and accrue merit, which supports spiritual progress.
Avoid rigid sectarian comparisons of “this is sacred, that is not”; instead, approach holy places with humility and use pilgrimage as a tool for self-discipline, ethical living, and devotion rather than mere judgment.