Shloka 25

Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Catalog of Sacred Places and the Supreme Inner Tīrtha

Devanagari script

इदं तीर्थमिदं नेति ये नरा भेददर्शिनः / तेषां विधीयते तीर्थगमनं तत्फलं च यत्

Transliteration

idaṃ tīrthamidaṃ neti ye narā bhedadarśinaḥ / teṣāṃ vidhīyate tīrthagamanaṃ tatphalaṃ ca yat

Translation

భేదదృష్టితో “ఇది తీర్థం, ఇది కాదు” అని చెప్పు మనుష్యుల కొరకు తీర్థయాత్ర విధించబడింది; దానివల్ల చెప్పబడిన ఫలమూ వారికి కలుగును.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• तीर्थम्: tirtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Quoted object/उक्त-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• इति: thus; saying
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-परिसमाप्ति/उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भेददर्शिनः: seeing differences; discriminating
• भेददर्शिनः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेद-दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक; भेद + दर्शिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भेदं पश्यन्ति इति); विशेषण (नराः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• विधीयते: is prescribed; is enjoined
• विधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• तीर्थगमनम्: going to tirthas; pilgrimage
• तीर्थगमनम्: Karta (Subject of passive/कर्मणि-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-गमन (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + गमन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य गमनम्)

• तत्फलम्: its fruit; the result of that
• तत्फलम्: Karta (Co-subject/विधेय-सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-फल (प्रातिपदिक; तत् (सर्वनाम) + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य फलम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever; which
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (correlative/relative)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

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.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Geographic Context

Type: general tīrtha discourse (not site-specific)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.81.21-22 (external tīrtha praise); Garuda Purana 1.81.23-24 (inner tīrtha superiority)

FAQs

What is the importance of tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) in the Garuda Purana?

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.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

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.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

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.