Shloka 8
Parīkṣit’s Vow on the Gaṅgā and the Advent of Śukadeva Gosvāmī
तत्रोपजग्मुर्भुवनं पुनाना महानुभावा मुनय: सशिष्या: । प्रायेण तीर्थाभिगमापदेशै: स्वयं हि तीर्थानि पुनन्ति सन्त: ॥ ८ ॥
tatropajagmur bhuvanaṁ punānā mahānubhāvā munayaḥ sa-śiṣyāḥ prāyeṇa tīrthābhigamāpadeśaiḥ svayaṁ hi tīrthāni punanti santaḥ
ครั้งนั้นเหล่าฤๅษีผู้ยิ่งใหญ่พร้อมศิษย์มาถึงที่นั่นโดยอ้างการจาริกไปยังทีรถะ; เพราะสาธุชนย่อมชำระทีรถะให้บริสุทธิ์ด้วยเพียงการปรากฏกาย
When Mahārāja Parīkṣit sat down on the bank of the Ganges, the news spread in all directions of the universe, and the great-minded sages, who could follow the importance of the occasion, all arrived there on the plea of pilgrimage. Actually they came to meet Mahārāja Parīkṣit and not to take a bath of pilgrimage because all of them were competent enough to sanctify the places of pilgrimage. Common men go to pilgrimage sites to get themselves purified of all sins. Thus the places of pilgrimage become overburdened with the sins of others. But when such sages visit overburdened places of pilgrimage, they sanctify the places by their presence. Therefore the sages who came to meet Mahārāja Parīkṣit were not very much interested in getting themselves purified like common men, but on the plea of taking a bath in that place they came to meet Mahārāja Parīkṣit because they could foresee that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam would be spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. All of them wanted to take advantage of the great occasion.
FAQs
This verse says that saintly persons (santaḥ) are the real purifiers—tīrthas become sanctified by their presence, even if the saints appear to be visiting on pilgrimage.
In the narrative, Parīkṣit had renounced his kingdom and sat fasting on the bank of the Gaṅgā to prepare for death; great sages came with disciples to bless the situation and participate in the sacred assembly.
Seek genuine sādhus and devotee association more than merely collecting holy-site visits; serving and hearing from saintly devotees brings deeper purification than external pilgrimage alone.