Shloka 17
The Description of the Glory of Dvādaśī
न गंगा न गया भूप न काशी न च पुष्करम् । न चापि कैरवं क्षेत्रं न रेवा न च देविका ॥ १७ ॥
na gaṃgā na gayā bhūpa na kāśī na ca puṣkaram | na cāpi kairavaṃ kṣetraṃ na revā na ca devikā || 17 ||
அரசே! கங்கை அல்ல, கயா அல்ல, காசி அல்ல, புஷ்கரம் அல்ல; கைரவக் க்ஷேத்திரம் அல்ல, ரேவா அல்ல, தேவிகாவும் அல்ல—இவை மட்டும் உயர்ந்த இலக்கிற்கு தீர்மானமான சாதனம் அல்ல.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It lists renowned tīrthas to stress that sacred places alone are not the final guarantee of liberation; the Purāṇic intent is to point beyond geography to the inner cause—right devotion, conduct, and remembrance of the Divine.
By relativizing even the greatest pilgrimage sites, it implies that bhakti (steady devotion and surrender) is superior to mere physical travel; tīrtha becomes fruitful when joined with sincere worship, nāma-smaraṇa, and dharmic living.
The verse primarily concerns tīrtha-dharma rather than a specific Vedāṅga; practically, it cautions that ritual acts (including tīrtha-yātrā and śrāddha contexts like Gayā) must be grounded in right intention and disciplined practice to yield higher spiritual results.