In India you will see, so many people are going to Haridwar, Vṛndāvana, and take their bath and shave their head, and then come back: "I went to tīrtha, holy place." That is not tīrtha. Tīrtha means to meet a high-grade saintly person. Tīrtha. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. They make tīrtha holy place. Anywhere a saintly person is there, that is tīrtha. That is holy place. Not that I have to go Haridwar, five thousand miles from here. Wherever there is experienced holy persons, that is tīrtha. But they do not know. They go five hundred, five thousand miles away. Sometimes from your country they go to find out a guru in India. (laughs) And the guru who is canvassing here, he is useless. He is useless. So these things. Anyone who is of such conception of life, they have been described as asses and cows, means an animal.
SB 01.13.10 bhavad-vidha bhagavatas... cited
Expressions researched:
"Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart"
|"bhavad-vidha bhagavatas"
|"devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified"
|"svantah-sthena gadabhrta"
|"tirtha-bhutah svayam vibho"
|"tirthi-kurvanti tirthani"
|"you turn all places into places of pilgrimage"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.
The Personality of Godhead is omnipresent by His diverse potencies everywhere, just as the power of electricity is distributed everywhere within space. Similarly, the Lord's omnipresence is perceived and manifested by His unalloyed devotees like Vidura, just as electricity is manifested in an electric bulb. A pure devotee like Vidura always feels the presence of the Lord everywhere. He sees everything in the potency of the Lord and the Lord in everything. The holy places all over the earth are meant for purifying the polluted consciousness of the human being by an atmosphere surcharged with the presence of the Lord's unalloyed devotees. If anyone visits a holy place, he must search out the pure devotees residing in such holy places, take lessons from them, try to apply such instructions in practical life and thus gradually prepare oneself for the ultimate salvation, going back to Godhead. To go to some holy place of pilgrimage does not mean only to take a bath in the Ganges or Yamunā or to visit the temples situated in those places. One should also find representatives of Vidura who have no desire in life save and except to serve the Personality of Godhead. The Personality of Godhead is always with such pure devotees because of their unalloyed service, which is without any tinge of fruitive action or utopian speculation. They are in the actual service of the Lord, specifically by the process of hearing and chanting. The pure devotees hear from the authorities and chant, sing and write of the glories of the Lord. Mahāmuni Vyāsadeva heard from Nārada, and then he chanted in writing; Śukadeva Gosvāmī studied from his father, and he described it to Parīkṣit; that is the way of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So by their actions the pure devotees of the Lord can render any place into a place of pilgrimage, and the holy places are worth the name only on their account. Such pure devotees are able to rectify the polluted atmosphere of any place, and what to speak of a holy place rendered unholy by the questionable actions of interested persons who try to adopt a professional life at the cost of the reputation of a holy place.
SB Canto 4
Anyone who is fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Govinda is called tīrtha-pāda; he does not need to travel on various pilgrimages, for he can enjoy all the benefits of such travel simply by engaging in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a pure devotee, who has implicit faith in the lotus feet of the Lord, can create sacred places in any part of the world where he decides to remain. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni (SB 1.13.10). The places are sanctified due to the presence of pure devotees; any place automatically becomes a place of pilgrimage if either the Lord or His pure devotee remains or resides there. In other words, such a pure devotee, who is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord, can remain anywhere in the universe, and that part of the universe immediately becomes a sacred place where he can peacefully render service to the Lord as the Lord desires.
The Vaiṣṇavas know that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person and that the Brahman effulgence is based on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.27): brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham. The conclusion is that tīrtha-pādīya refers to Vaiṣṇavas. In the Bhāgavatam (1.13.10) there is also another reference: tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Wherever he goes, a Vaiṣṇava immediately makes that place a tīrtha, a place of pilgrimage. The Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs travel all over the world to make every place a place of pilgrimage by the touch of their lotus feet. It is mentioned here that any house which does not receive a Vaiṣṇava in the manner already explained in the previous verse is to be considered the residential quarters of venomous serpents.
Many sinful men bathe in the holy waters of the places of pilgrimage. They take their baths in the waters of the Ganges and Yamunā at places such as Prayāga, Vṛndāvana and Mathurā. In this way the sinful men are purified, but their sinful actions and reactions remain at the holy places of pilgrimage. When a devotee comes to take his bath at those places of pilgrimage, the sinful reactions left by the sinful men are neutralized by the devotee. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadā-bhṛtā (SB 1.13.10). Because the devotee always carries the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, wherever he goes becomes a place of pilgrimage, a holy place for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore the duty of everyone to associate with a pure devotee and thus attain freedom from material contamination. Everyone should take advantage of the wandering devotees, whose only business is to deliver conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā.
SB Canto 9
Mother Ganges is available to everyone for bathing. Therefore, not only will sinful persons bathe in the Ganges water, but in Hardwar and other holy places where the Ganges flows, saintly persons and devotees will also bathe in the waters of the Ganges. Devotees and saintly persons advanced in the renounced order can deliver even the Ganges. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā (SB 1.13.10). Because saintly devotees always keep the Lord within the core of their hearts, they can perfectly cleanse the holy places of all sinful reactions. Therefore, people in general must always respectfully honor saintly persons. It is ordered that as soon as one sees a Vaiṣṇava, or even a sannyāsī, one should immediately offer respects to such a holy man. If one forgets to show respect in this way, one must observe a fast for that day. This is a Vedic injunction. One must be extremely careful to refrain from committing offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee or saintly person.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
"Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage."
This verse was spoken by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 1.13.10). Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was receiving his saintly uncle Vidura, who had been visiting sacred places of pilgrimage. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira told Vidura that pure devotees like him are personified holy places because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always with them in their hearts. By their association, sinful persons are freed from sinful reactions, and therefore wherever a pure devotee goes is a sacred place of pilgrimage. The importance of holy places is due to the presence there of such pure devotees.
CC Madhya-lila
On the plea of visiting all those holy places, the Lord converted many thousands of residents and thus delivered them. Simply by touching the holy places, He made them into great places of pilgrimage.
It is said, tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. A tīrtha, or holy place, is a place where great saintly personalities visit or reside. Although the holy places were already places of pilgrimage, they were all purified by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's visit. Many people go to these holy places and leave their sinful activities there, thus becoming free from contamination. When these contaminations pile up, they are counteracted by the visit of great personalities like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His strict followers.
“"Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage."
This verse, spoken by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam(SB 1.13.10), is also quoted in the Ādi-līlā (1.63).
“"Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage."
This verse was spoken by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Vidura in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 1.13.10). Vidura was returning home after visiting sacred places of pilgrimage, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was receiving his saintly uncle. In essence, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was saying, "My dear Lord Vidura, you yourself are a holy place because you are an advanced devotee. People like you always carry Lord Viṣṇu in their hearts. You can revitalize all holy places after they have been polluted by the pilgrimages of sinners."
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Supreme Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage."
Prabhupāda:
- bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
- tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
- tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
- svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
- (SB 1.13.10)
So tīrthī, tīrtha. Tīrtha means holy place of pilgrimage. In every religion there is the system that the followers, they go to the holy place of pilgrimage. Just like in India, there are many holy places: Gayā, Prayāga, Mathurā, Vṛndāvana, Haridvar, Rāmeśvaram, Jagannātha Purī, Navadvīpa. Many. Some of them are very prominent, and still there are many nonprominent. Similarly, the Muhammadans they go to Mecca, Medina. The Christians they go Jordan. What is that?
Therefore every one of you should become pure devotee, first-class devotee. First-class devotee is that... In this age it has been made very easy. Simply keep yourself cleansed, not to indulge in the four principles, prohibition, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be all first-class devotees. And wherever you will go, you will be able to purify there. Wherever you go. Wherever you speak, wherever you'll sit. So keep this spiritual strength intact. Tīrtha-bhūtāḥ. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni sva antaḥ-sthena. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting means keeping Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This is not... It is not expensive at all. You haven't got to make a very exalted throne for Kṛṣṇa. You can imagine that "In my heart I have placed now a very diamond throne, and Kṛṣṇa is sitting." That is accepted.
So you create such situation within your heart. "Now Kṛṣṇa has seated. Let me wash His feet with the Ganges water, Yamunā water. Now I change His dress to a first-class costly garments. Then I decorate with ornaments. Then I give Him for eating." You can simply think of this. This is meditation. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is so nice thing. Anywhere you can sit down and think that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in your heart and you are receiving in so nice way. They are not false. They are also fact. It is so easy.
So here is the... If you simply carry Kṛṣṇa within your heart always in a very devotional service, exalted devotional service, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and think of Kṛṣṇa, wherever you will go, you will purify the whole place. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge and do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family.
The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal, but people will like to go to Hardwar, taking so much hardship, to take bath there, because that becomes tīrtha. In every religion they have got tīrtha. The Muslims, they have got mosque. What is that? Mecca, Medina. The Christians, they have got, where? Jerusalem. Similarly, the Hindus. Then they must travel very long. That will be tīrtha. But actually tīrtha means tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where there is saintly person, that is tīrtha. Not to go ten thousand miles and simply take a dip in the water and come back.
Otherwise, if he thinks simply by going to Vṛndāvana and taking a dip in Yamunā or shaving the head and purchasing some utensils for sons and daughter, their tīrtha... They have been described as sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. When you go some holy place, because in the holy place there are many persons who are very learned, who can give you very good instruction about spiritual life, so you must seek such person and associate with him. That is tīrtha. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Because it is said in the śāstra that ordinary men with sinful habits, they come to tīrtha, holy place, and actually they become purified. Actually they become purified. That is the glory of tīrtha-sthāna, dhāma. But when such sinful garbage is accumulated, who will clear? It will be cleared by the saintly person, by their puṇya work. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrtha... Again they make it tīrtha.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
That is Vṛndāvana tīrtha. Kurvanti tīrthāni. A devotee, a pure devotee, can make any hell a tīrtha, a holy place. That is devotee. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. That was Bhagīratha. Gaṅgā was hesitating, mother Gaṅgā, that "I shall go to the material world. People will take, all sinful men will take bathing, and I'll be overloaded with sin. Then how I shall get out of this sinful, accumulation of sins?" So Bhagīratha said, "My mother, don't hesitate. When a holy man will take bath in your water, then all the sins he will assimilate." Then she agreed. "Yes. That's..." So if we become holy man, actually, then immune.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jayatīrtha: (indistinct)
Bali Mardana: (break) ...sanctify the whole world by your footsteps. You are criss-crossing the world.
Prabhupāda: That is stated in the śāstra. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. Because a pure devotee carries Kṛṣṇa within his heart, therefore wherever he goes he makes a holy place. It is said in the śāstra. So not me, but every one of you, if you are pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then wherever you'll go, that is a holy place. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ... To become sannyāsī means that, that he'll be pure devotee, and wherever he will go, he will purify. That is sannyāsa means. Mahad-vicalaṁ nṛnāṁ gṛhināṁ dīna-cetasām. Mahātmās, they'll travel so that the householders, who are cripple-minded and full of sinful activities, they'll go there and make them purified.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guru dāsa: (entering?) Yes. This is very nice place, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Nice place. Better than anywhere?
Guru dāsa: Wherever you are is a tīrtha. When you are there, it is better than any place. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where you are is...
Prabhupāda: Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā. One who keeps Kṛṣṇa always within the heart, wherever he goes, that is tīrtha. Everywhere Kṛṣṇa is there, but one who remembers, he is the yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). It is very simple. People will not be... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām. The human life is a boon... One can do this very easily. Māyā is so strong. Very easy thing. Even a child can do. Dehāntara vasthite siddhi.(?) Maintaining this body. All right. What is their business? How to maintain the... Huh? What is their aim in life? How to live comfortably. That's all. They do not know anything. So what is the Rādhā-Dāmodara arrangement?
| Page Title: | SB 01.13.10 bhavad-vidha bhagavatas... cited |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, JayaNitaiGaura |
| Created: | 24 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=5, CC=4, OB=0, Lec=8, Con=2, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 19 |