Veṅkaṭeśa-Māhātmya: Varāha Prelude, Descent of Śeṣācala, Svāmipuṣkariṇī and the Network of Tīrthas
with Dāna-Lakṣaṇas
ये वायुतीर्थे विसृजन्ति देहजं मलं मूत्रं वमनं श्लेष्मकं च / ये ऽपानशुद्धिं लिङ्गशुद्धिं च कन्ये कुर्वन्ति ते ह्यसुरा राक्षसाश्च
ye vāyutīrthe visṛjanti dehajaṃ malaṃ mūtraṃ vamanaṃ śleṣmakaṃ ca / ye 'pānaśuddhiṃ liṅgaśuddhiṃ ca kanye kurvanti te hyasurā rākṣasāśca
Mereka yang di Vāyu-tīrtha yang suci melepaskan kekotoran tubuh—tahi, air kencing, muntah dan kahak—dan mereka yang melakukan pembersihan dubur serta pembersihan kemaluan di sana, wahai gadis, sesungguhnya harus dianggap sebagai asura dan rākṣasa.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra; vocative 'kanye' is preserved from the received text)
Concept: Śauca (purity) and maryādā (reverential boundaries) are essential at tīrthas; desecration is adharma and spiritually degrading.
Vedantic Theme: External purity as a support for sattva and inner discipline; disrespect toward sacred loci reflects tamas and leads away from dharmic life.
Application: Maintain strict cleanliness and decorum at sacred waters; use designated facilities away from the tīrtha; cultivate reverence for shared sacred/public spaces.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: tirtha
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.26.46-47 (snāna discipline); Garuda Purana 3.26.50 (dāna to worthy recipients as proper religious conduct)
This verse treats sacred places as spiritually charged; defiling them with bodily waste or intimate cleansing is framed as a grave breach of dharma, equated with demonic conduct.
In the Preta Kanda’s moral framework, impure actions at holy sites generate heavy pāpa (demerit), which later manifests as suffering in post-death states and Yama’s adjudication themes discussed throughout the text.
Maintain strict cleanliness and modesty at pilgrimage sites: use proper facilities away from the tīrtha area, avoid polluting water/grounds, and treat sacred spaces as zones of heightened ethical responsibility.