Tirtha Yatra, Pilgrimage to Holy Places — Part I

Excerpts from “The History of DharmaShastra” — by Sri P.V.Kane

Sri Rabindranath Tagore, in his work “Sadhana,” writes — ‘India chose her places of pilgrimage, wherever there was in nature some special grandeur at the beauty, as that her mind could come out of its world of narrow necessities and realize its place in the Infinite’.

Sanathana Dharma has put a great emphasis on the sanctity of certain places and has recommended her followers to pursue pilgrimage to such holy places. Pilgrimage:

1. Fosters the principle of the essential unity of our culture and the oneness of this great nation
2. Help to crisscross the caste division/exclusion and tend to level up all people by bringing them together. Pilgrimage is a leveler, like Father Time
3. The traditions associated with the holy place, disciplines adopted by the pilgrims, association with holy-philosophical personalities, the environment at the Tirtha makes it easy for the traveler to elevate themselves to the required spiritual level
4. Brings in a mood of reverence to all the beings/non-beings in the creation
5. Motivates the individual to take a breather from the worldly/selfish pursuits and put the pilgrim in the path of higher & more enduring moral and spiritual values

There are multiple references about “Tirtha” in our scriptures; Here are a few

1. Rigveda — The word Tirtha appears in many hymns with different meanings — road/path/a way/ access to river/a holy place

a. May the divine waters protect me

b. Purifying waters

c. Lord Indra is said to have secured 99 rivers for God and Men

d. Three great rivers — Sarasvati, Sarayu, and Sindhu

e. Sapta Sindhu

f. Three verses dedicated to River Sarasvati depicts her as a deity

g. Valleys of mountains and confluence of rivers are sacred

h. A large forest is invoked as a deity

1. Taittiriya Samhita — The sacrificer is to bathe at a Tirtha (Ref: Holy river), The rudras are said to prowl about Tirthas
2. Atharva Veda — Waters is described as holy and purifying and are invoked to confer happiness
3. Skanda Purana — Spot of the earth resorted to by ancient good people for the collection of merit is called Tirtha
4. Vishnudharmottara says the following are common to all: Forbearance, Truthfulness, Restraint of the mind, cleanliness, Charity, Control of the Senses, Ahimsa, Obedience to elders, Visiting holy places….
5. Padma Purana — Where no name of a tirtha on rivers is known, it should be called Vishnutirtha
6. Srimad Bhagavata Purana — 27 holy mountains are mentioned
7. Brahmanda Purana — 30 mountains are mentioned
8. Kumarasambhava — Himalayas as devatatma
9. Vamana Purana — Seven forests in Kurukshetra that are holy

It should be mentioned that Tirthas do not occupy a prominent position in Smritis like Manu, Yagnavalkya

Akin to more holiness assigned to a certain part of the body (Right hand, ear, Shika, etc), certain places on Prithvi gains their holiness on account of

1. Beautiful natural characteristics of that place
2. The striking richness of waterfront
3. Presence/association of holy sages
4. The emergence of Godly aspect