Shloka 22
Jāmbavatī’s Vaiṣṇava-Ācāra: Grace, Sense-Consecration, and Pilgrimage to Śrīnivāsa on Veṅkaṭādri
शालग्रामं ये विहायैव यात्रां कुर्वन्ति तेषां किं फलं प्राहुरार्याः / यदा तीर्थानां दर्शनं स्यात्तदैव शालग्रामं पुरतः स्थापयित्वा
śālagrāmaṃ ye vihāyaiva yātrāṃ kurvanti teṣāṃ kiṃ phalaṃ prāhurāryāḥ / yadā tīrthānāṃ darśanaṃ syāttadaiva śālagrāmaṃ purataḥ sthāpayitvā
Mereka yang berziarah sambil meninggalkan Śālagrāma—apakah buahnya, kata para mulia? Apabila tīrtha dipandang, pada saat itu juga—setelah meletakkan Śālagrāma di hadapan terlebih dahulu, barulah meneruskan pemujaan.
Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu as part of the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue
Concept: Tīrtha-yātrā gains true fruit when centered on Viṣṇu (Śālagrāma); external travel without the Lord’s focus is spiritually hollow.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-prādhānya: sacredness is consummated by God-centered remembrance; the ‘means’ (tīrtha) is subordinate to the ‘end’ (bhagavad-bhakti).
Application: Carry/keep a Viṣṇu symbol (Śālagrāma or authorized icon) with cleanliness and reverence; begin darśana with offering, japa, and arghya before engaging in sightseeing.
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: pilgrimage site and mobile shrine
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections praising Śālagrāma-sevā and Viṣṇu-pūjā as highly meritorious (general internal thematic link)
FAQs
This verse treats Śālagrāma as a primary Viṣṇu-symbol whose presence should lead the pilgrim’s ritual focus; pilgrimage is implied to be most fruitful when centered on Viṣṇu worship through Śālagrāma.
It questions the “phala” (merit) of a yātrā done while abandoning Śālagrāma, implying diminished or incomplete benefit, and advises placing Śālagrāma in front at the moment of tīrtha-darśana.
If one follows a Viṣṇu-centered practice, keep the pilgrimage devotional (not merely touristic): approach tīrthas with prior worship/installation of the deity-symbol (or a respectful equivalent), and make darśana an act of reverence.