28 Importance of Pilgrimage in Puranas

ABOUT TIRHAS AND TYPES OF TIRTHAS

Pilgrimage is called Tirtha Yatra in Sanskrit. To understand what is Tirtha Yatra we need to understand what is Tirtha and What is Yatra separately.

A Tirtha in Sanskrit is used in the following meanings :

शास्त्राध्वरक्षेत्रोपायोपाध्यायमन्त्रत्रषु।

i)   Knowledge stream, ii) Yajna, iii) Holy Place, iv) An Idea which can help one from crossing over a trouble, v) Guru and vi) Practioner of Mantra Sastra are all called Tirthas. In the present context the word Tirhta should be taken in the sense of HOLY PLACE. In the classical texts like Kumara Sambhava it was said यदध्यान्त्ितमर्हन्त्ि: तन्त्ि तीर्थंप्रचक्षते।Whichever is ascended by holy people is a Tirtha. Here it is said in the sense of a holy place. As mentioned here a place can become holy when it is visited by holy people.

As far as the definition is concerned the word Tirtha is That which helps one from the stream of Sins is a Tirtha. तीर्थहम्-तरन्त्त पापाददकंयस्मात्। पुण्यस्र्थानादद।

Types of Tirtha Yatra in India as found in Puranas?

Seven Moksha Nagarams, Seven Holy mountains, Seven Holy rivers, Holy Places where people did penance, Holy Places where the temples of various Gods like Siva, Sakti, Vishnu, Ganesha, Skanda and others are found all such holy places come under Tirtha Yatra according to Puranas.

5 Types of Temple Pratisthas

Svayambhu Kshetra , Deva Pratishtha, Arsha Pratistha, Saiddha Pratistha and Manusha Pratistha are the five types of consecration of the idols in the temples accordingly the holiness of the temples is graded.

TIRTHAS IN PURANAS

Agni, Kurma, Garuda, Devi Bhagavata, Narada, Padma, Brahma, Bhagavata, Matsya, Varaha, Vamana, Vayu, Shiva, And Skanda – 11 Puranas praise the greatness of Sri Venkatachala. Skanda and Shiva Puranas give detailed description of Badari, Kedar, Kasi, All Siva and Vishnu Kshetras in the country, 12 Jyotirlingas, 18 Sakti Pithas etc

SEVEN MOKSHA NAGARAS

Among all the most sacred places of India the following seven places are considered to be the most preferred places by all Indian pilgrims. They have utmost devotion for these places. They consider these places Divine. These seven are:

अयोध्या मधुरामाया काशी काञ्ची ह्यवन्त्रतका। पुरीद्वारावती चैविप्तैतेमोक्षदायका॥

Ayodhya – The City of Rama’s Birth, Madhura – Krishna’s Birth Place, Maya – The holy place Haridwar, Kasi – The abode of Kasi Visvanatha, Kanci – The Abode of Kamakshi Ammal in Tamil nadu, Avantika – Ujjain and Dwaravati Puri – The City of Dwaraka which was built by Lord Sri Krishna.

Here Separating Puri from Dwaravati some people say that PURI the Jagannatha Kshetra also is to be considered as a Moksha Nagara, though the sloka confines to the word SAPTA or Seven.

12 JYOTIRLINGAMS

Next to the Seven holy places the sacred places people prefer to visit are the 12 Jyotirlingams. A Jyitirlinga is a Self-Manifested Form of Lord Shiva in the form of bright light and latter assumed the stone form. They are 12 in numer and are the holiest of all Siva temples. They are:

िौराष्ट्रेिोमनार्थंच श्रीशैलेमन्त्ललकार्ुहनम्।उज्जन्त्यरयांमर्ाकालंओंकारममलेश्वरम्॥ प्रज्वालयांवैद्यनार्थंच डादकरयांभीमशंकरम्।िेतुबरधेचरामेशं,नागेशंदारुकावने॥ वाराणस्यांतुन्त्वश्वेशंत्र्यम्बकंगौतमी तटे।न्त्र्मालयेतुकॆ दारंघृष्णेशंचन्त्शवालये॥ एतान्त्न ज्योन्त्तर्लंगान्त्निायंप्रात: स्मरेन्नर:। िप्त र्रम कृ तंपापंस्मरणेनन्त्वनश्यन्त्त॥

1. Somanatha in Saurashtra, 2. Mallikarjuna in Srisaila, 3. Mahakala in Ujjain, 4.  Amaleswara in Omkara, 5. Vaidyanatha in Prajvalika (Parali), 6. Bhima Sankara in Dhakini, 7. Ramesha in Setubandha, 8. Nagesha in Daruka Vana, 9. Vishvanatha in Varanasi,10. Tryambaka on the Banks of Gautami river, 11. Kedara in Himalaya and Grishnesha in Sivalaya. Even the mere utterance of these 12 places is considered a source of Salvation according to the Puranas. Further it says that one who recites these slokas referring to the names of the 12 Jyotirlingams will relieve him from all the sins accumulated through the last seven births. That is the greatness of these seven Jyotirlingams.

18 SHAKTI PITHAMS

Sakti Peethams are the holy places which every Indian devotee of Goddess Mother Adi Parashakti wants to visit to acquire unending Holy Merit (Punya) and to be relieved of all the long accumulated sins. A popular story is related to the emergence of these Shakti Pithams in the Skanda purana and other puranas.

As found there, once Lord Brahma performed a yajna to please Shakti and Shiva. Goddess Shakti was pleased with the Yajna of Brahma and emerged having got separated from Shiva and helped Brahma in the process of creation of the universe. Brahma decided to give Shakti back to Shiva. Therefore, his son Daksha performed several yajnas to obtain Shakti as his daughter in the form of Sati. It was then decided that Sati was brought into this world with an intention of getting married to Shiva.

In the meanwhile the fifth head of Brahma was cut off by Shiva due to the arrogant behavior of Brant in front of Shiva. Daksha started hating Lord Shiva and decided not to let Lord Shiva and Sati get married. However, Sati got attracted to Shiva and finally one day Shiva and Sati got married. This marriage only increased Daksha’s hatred towards Lord Shiva.

Daksha performed a YAJNA with a desire to take revenge on Lord Shiva near Hardwar of modern times on the banks of river Ganga. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna except Lord Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati from attending the yagna. She expressed her desire to attend the yagna to Shiva, who tried his best to dissuade her from going. Shiva eventually relented and Sati went to the yagna. Sati, being an uninvited guest, was not given any respect at theyagna. Furthermore, Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati was unable to bear her father’s insults toward her husband, so she immolated herself.

Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva in Virabhadra avatar destroyed Daksha’s yagna, cut off Daksha’s head, and later replaced it with that of a male goat as he restored him to life.Virabhadra didn’t stop fighting he kept raging with anger. Gods prayed lord Vishnu. He came there and started fighting him. Still immersed in grief, Shiva picked up the remains of Sati’s body, and performed the Tandava, the celestial dance of destruction, across all creation. The other Gods requested Vishnu to intervene to stop this destruction, towards which Vishnu used the Sudarshana Chakra, which cut through the Sati’s corpse which is on the shoulders of Shiva. The various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and formed sites which have been called Shakti Peethas ever since. People say that the number of such parts fallen to ground are 108. According to some people they are 51 or 52. 18 of them all are the most considerable ones to all. They are:

लङ्कायाम्शांकरीदेवीकामाक्षीकान्त्ञ्चकापुरे।प्रद्युम्नेशृङ्खलादेवीचामुण्दाक्रौञ्चपट्टणे॥अलम्पुरेर्ोगुलाम्बश्रीशैलेभ्रमरान्त्म्बका। कोलर्ापुरमर्लक्ष्मीमाहुयहमेकवीररका॥ उज्जन्त्यरयाम्मर्ाकाळी पीरिकायाम्पुरुहुन्त्तका।ओड्ढ्यायाम्न्त्गररर्ादेवीमान्त्णक्या दक्षवारटके ॥ र्ररक्षेत्रेकामरूपी प्रयागेमाधवेश्वरी। ज्वालायाम्वैष्णवीदेवीगयायामाङ्गलयगौररके॥ वारणास्याम्न्त्वशालाक्षी काश्मीरेतुिरस्वती । अष्ठादशैवपीिान्त्न योन्त्ननामप दुलहभान्त्नच॥ िायंकालंपिेन्त्न्नत्यम्िवहरोगन्त्नवारणम्।िवहपापर्रम्ददव्यम्िवहिम्पत्करम्शुभम्॥

The Eighteen Sakti Pithas are: 1. Sankari in Lanka, 2. Kamakshi in Kanchi, 3. Srinkhala Devi in Pradyumna, 4. Chamunda in Mysore, 5. Jogulamba in Alampur, 6. Bhramarambika in Srisaila, 7. Mahalakshmi in Kolhapur, 8. Ekavira in Mahuri, 9. Mahakali in Ujjain, 10. Puruhuti in Pithika, 11. Girija Devi in Odyana, 12. Manikya in Dakshavatika, 13. Kamarupi in Harikshetra, 14. Madhavesvari in Prayaga, 15. Vaishnavi Devi in Jvala, 16. Mangalya Gauri, 17. Visalakshi in Varanasi and 18. Sarasvati in Kashmir.

VISHNU and Vishnu Kshetras

Vishnu is the most widely worshiped God among all the Gods of Hinduism. Vishnu is the Chief God of attraction in Vaishnavism. Among all the 18 Maha Puranas Vishnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha Puranas deal with the Glory and Greatness of Vishnu. These six puranas are called Sattvik Puranas.

The Purana texts include many versions of cosmologies, mythologies, encyclopedic about various aspects of the origin, glory and Divinity of Vishnu and there are chapters that describe the regional Vishnu-temples related tourist guides called mahatmyams.

In the Vayu Purana, He is praised as the Hiranyagarbha, or the golden egg from which were simultaneously born all feminine and masculine beings of the universe. The Vishnu Purana presents Vishnu as the central element of its cosmology, unlike some other Puranas where Shiva or Brahma or goddess Shakti are. The reverence and the worship of Vishnu is described in 22 chapters of the first part of Vishnu Purana, along with the profuse use of the synonymous names of Vishnu such as Hari, Janardana, Madhava, Achyuta, Hrishikesha and others.

The Vishnu Purana discusses the Hindu concept of supreme reality called Brahman in the context of the Upanishads, a discussion that the theistic Vedanta scholar Ramanuja interprets to be about the equivalence of the Brahman with Vishnu, a foundational theology in the Sri Vaishnavism tradition. Vishnu is equated with Brahman in Bhagavata Purana, it reads as “learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.”

The Bhagavata Purana has been the most popular and widely read Purana texts relating to Vishnu avatar Krishna, it has been translated and available in almost all Indian languages. Like other Puranas, it discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology, genealogy, geography, mythology, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture. As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as the Vishnu avatar first makes peace with the demons,understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and good – a cyclic theme that appears in many legends. The Bhagavata Purana is a revered text in Vaishnavism.

These Purana texts, emphasize Vishnu as supreme and on whom other gods depend. Vishnu, for example, is the source of creator deity Brahma in the Vaishnavism-focussed Purana texts. Vishnu’s iconography typically shows Brahma being born in a lotus emerging from his navel, who then is described as creating all the forms in the universe, but not the primordial universe itself.

In some Vaishnava Puranas, Vishnu takes the form of Rudra or commands Rudra to destroy the world, thereafter the entire universe dissolves and along with time, everything is reabsorbed back into Vishnu. The universe is then recreated from Vishnu all over again, starting a new Kalpa Other texts offer alternate cosmogenic theories, such as one where the universe and time are absorbed into Shiva.

Because of such greatness of Vishnu he is much worshipped in India particularly in the South India. The number of Vishnu are more in number than of any other deities in the South India particularly in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. The Nine Narasimha ksetras, Sri Kurma kshetra in Srikakulam of Andhra, Sri Satyanarayana Swami temple in Annavaram are all popular in the country. Beyond all these the most celebrated ones are: Sri Venkatachala Kshetra at Tirumala Tirupati, Badari Kshetra in Himalayas, Haridvar on banks of Ganga, Brindavanam near Madhura,

Sri Jagannatha Kshetram in Puri are the most popular ones. AND OTHER GODS IN PILGRIMAGE Ganesha Kestras

Among all the gods the one worshipped in the forefront is Ganapati. He is adorable to all the worlds. Phenomenally he is considered to be the most beloved son of the Parvati and Parameshwara the Divine Parents of the Universe. But in the spiritual plane he is the very form of the formless and attribute-less Parabrahman. The entire Vedic and Pauranic literature praises Ganapati so. The above sloka also is interpreted from this point of view.

“In the word Ganesha the syllable ‘GA’ represents Knowledge Ultimate. The other syllable ‘Na’ stands for Moksha or Salvation. So Ganapati or Ganesha who is the very Parabrahma, is the Lord of Knowledge of Ultimate and Salvation. I offer my salutations with devotion to Ganesha.”

According to another account from Brahmanda Purana the Nirguna Parabrahma was born as Sri Mahaganapathi from the tender and amorous glances of Sri Lalitha Para Bhattarika at her Spouse Sri Mahaikameswara in the episode of slaying the dreadful demon Bhandasura. Hence in the famous Lalitasahasranama Stotra in one of the epithets it was said “kamaeswara mukhaalokakalpitasriganeswara” which means that magnanimous was Goddess Lalitamba by whose mere glance at Kameswara Shri Ganeswara was born. This can be considered as the first emergence of Sri Ganesa with attributes. Later there are several episodes in different Pauranic texts explaining different instances of Sri Ganesha’s birth in different forms with different aspects.

In the Indian system of worshipping the gods five deities are given prominent place by all sages and great souls like Sanakra Bhagavatpada. There is no wonder to see Ganapati among them while the other four are: Aditya (The Sun), Devi (Mother Goddess), Kesava (Vishnu) and Rudra (Siva). These five Deities are recommended in all texts on Dharma Sastras to be worshipped on all auspicious occasions for the fulfillment of all the desires in human minds.

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These five Gods are said to be the governing deities of the five Gross elements. Of these five Deities:

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Vishnu is the God of the sky. Devi Mahesvari is the Goddess of Fire. The Sun is the prime deity of Vayu (The Air). Iswara is the God of the Earth and Ganapati is the chief God of Water.

The other common names of Ganapati are: Vighnadhipati, Vignesvara, Vighnanayaka etc. Particularly Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swami showers his favors on all his devotees by blessing them with Intellect, Power, Valor, Knowledge, Lordship, Strength, Health, Splendor, Racial growth through Sons and Grand Sons, Learning, Fearlessness, Yoga, Welfare, Longevity and all other such virtues. Though there are several other names of this kind in thousands a list of sixteen names is prescribed in our ancient smarta texts to be recited at the time of beginning: 1. The Process of Learning, 2. Marriage Proposals, 3. Occupying a new house, 4. Journey, 5. War and all other activities for utmost fulfillment. The stotra consisting of those 16 names is as follows:

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Those who recite these sixteen names will be victorious. All their obstacles will be removed. All the inauspicious things in their lives will be dispelled. There won’t be anything left unfulfilled after reciting these names with great devotion.

There are several temples of Vinayaka such as : Pillair Patti Ganapati in Tamilnadu, Kanipakam Vinayaka in Andhra Pradesh, Dundhi Ganapati in Kashi and many other famous temples of Ganesha are visited and Vinayaka is worshipped with great devotion by all.

Kumara kshetra

Kumara Swami is the second son of Siva and Parvati. He also called with different names like Subrahmanya, Kartikeya, Skanda, Shanmukha, Shakti dhara etc. In tamil He is Armugam, Vadivela, Murugan etc. The worship of Kumara swami is much popular in Tamil Nadu. There are six popular temples of Kumara which are with great devotion visited by the devotees. They are:

Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai,Thirupparankunram and Thiruchendur.

Saura kshetra

The Sun God is well worshiped after Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and Ganesha. Some of the popular temples of the Sun are:

Sun Temple at Surya Pahar of Assam, Surya Naar Temple at Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu, Suryanarayana Swami temple at Arasavelli, Andhra Pradesh, Konark Temple in Odisha and the Sun Temple at Modedha in Gujarat are some of the popular temples .

Besides all the said Punya kshetras there are innumerable temples and holy places all over the country which are the most sacred centers of worship to all the devotees.

7 MOUNTAINS AND 7 RIVERS

Similarly the seven mountains and seven rivers are also well worshipped by Hindus because the hill tops of these mountains and the river banks of these 7 rivers are the abodes of innumerable Gods and much adorable to the devotees.

THE SEVEN HOLY MOUNTAINS

मर्ेररोमलय: िह्यो देवतात्मान्त्र्मालय:। ध्येयोरैवतकोन्त्वरध्यो न्त्गररश्चारावन्त्लस्तर्था ॥

Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Himalaya, Raivataka, Vindya and Aravali are the seven holiest mountains of India.

THE SEVEN HOLY RIVERS

गंगेच यमुनेकृ ष्णेगॊदावरर िरस्वन्त्त। नमहदेन्त्िरधुकावेररर्लेऽन्त्स्मऩ्िन्त्न्नधधंकु रु॥

Ganga, Yamuna, Krishna, Godavari, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri are the seven holiest rivers in the Bharata Varsha.

DUTIES TO BE PERFORMED IN A TIRHTA

What should be done in Tirthas? Is a general question to all. The scriptures and Puranas recommend the following five duties for all.

1.   Snanam 2. Tarpanam 3. Tirthadeva Darsanam, Archanam, 4. Danam 5. Nivasa (Dwelling for sometime). Further the result of taking holy bath or dip in the holy rivers is well praised in the puranas. Here is a citation from Agni Purana:

तीर्थहतोयस्यस्नानेपुण्यत्वंयर्था, —

“नदीदेवन्त्नखातेषुतडागेषुिरःिुच । स्नानंिमाचरेन्त्न्नत्यंगर्त्हप्रस्रवणेषुच॥

न्त्नपानादुद्धृतंपुण्यंततः प्रस्रवणाददकम्।ततोऽन्त्प िारिंपुण्यंततो नादेयमुच्यते॥

तीर्थहतोयंततः पुण्यंगङ्गातोयंततोऽन्त्धकम्॥” – इत्याद्येवन्त्ननपुराणेस्नानन्त्वन्त्धनाहम४ अध्यायः ॥

One can every day every day take bath in Rivers, Lakes developed by Gods, Big Tanks, ponds and hill streams. Taking bath in water falls is holy. Taking bath in streams is more pious. Bathing in lakes is holier than in streams. The River waters are the holiest of these. The water of a Tirtha is holier than the holiest rivers. The waters of Ganga are the holiest of all.

“न्त्र्रण्यंगांमर्ीं ग्रामान्र्स्त्यश्वान्नृपन्त्तवहरान्। प्रादात्स्वन्नञ्च न्त्वप्रेभ्यःप्रर्ातीर्थेि तीर्थहन्त्वत्॥”

In the form of Charity one can offer Gold, Earth, Villages, Elephants, Horses,

Good Food and such things to Vedic Scholars in a holy Place. Those who perform this kind of charitable acts are called the Knowers of Tirthas.

“न्त्त्रवेणीिङ्गमेतीर्थेतत्त्वमस्याददलक्षणे। स्नायार्त्त्त्वार्थहभावेनतीर्थहनामाि उच्यते॥”

In the confluence of the three Rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarsvati one should take bath with great devotion considering it as the example of “Tat-Tvam-Asi” (YOU become THAT). Because of such bath with great devotion one will get Moksha. It is the best of all Tirthas.

PURPOSE OF VISITING TIRTHAS

The Puranic texts recommend Pilgrimage for the following purposes:

1. For acquiring Religious Merits
2. To be relieved of Sins
3. To get rid of many diseases by taking bath in the waters that flow through many herbal regions
4. To show our respect to great men of the Indian tradition
5. To help the poor in various regions
6. For providing holy worlds to our ancestors
7. Acquiring Knowledge of the purpose of life

Hence all Indians most respectfully and with great devotion visit these holy places.

Bibliography

• Skanda Purana, Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Padma Purana, Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Vayu Purana, Gita Press, Gorakhpur
• Ashtadasha Puran Darshan, Nag Publishers, New delhi
• Sanskritasahityetihasa, Acarya Ramachandra Misra, Chowkhamba, Varanasi, 2003.