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 ||
O tīrtha que concede os frutos descritos nas śāstras só os dá aos homens de mente purificada. Quem vence desejo, ira e cobiça e então entra no tīrtha—por tal peregrinação nada lhe fica por alcançar. E os que percorrem os tīrthas segundo o método prescrito, firmes e pacientes, suportando todos os pares de opostos—tais homens seguem para o céu (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.