Talk:Teerthayātrā (Pilgrimage)

By Vishal Agarwal

The word ‘teertha’ denotes a purifier.

Types of Teertha-s There are three types of teerthas resorting to which one can purify oneself:

1. Itinerant or mobile Teerthas: The wandering Sants and Sadhus are treated as mobile teerthas in the Hindu tradition. By associating with them, listening and adhering to their teachings, and by imitating their practices, one gets purified.
2. Mental Teerthas: The following verses containing the speech of Rishi Agastya to his wife Lopamudra occur in the Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa:

   "O unblemished lady, hear me relate to you the mental teerthas, having duly bathed in which a person attains the highest abode. Truth is a teertha, forgiveness is a teertha, controlling the sense organs is a teertha, having compassion towards all creatures is a teertha, straightforwardness towards all is a teertha. Celibacy is a teertha supreme, speaking lovingly is a teertha as well. Knowledge is a teertha, fortitude is a teertha, noble deeds are also said to be teertha. The best of all teerthas is the purity of mind. Lady, what I have described above to you is a definition of the mental teertha." Kāshikhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa

3. Stationary Teerthas: Hindu Dharma is the oldest spiritual tradition in this world, and Hindus have been blessed with an extra-ordinary large number of Saints and Sages. Thirdly, Hindus worship the Supreme Being in many different manifestations and forms.

Therefore, there are hundreds of places, temples, mountains, rivers etc., that are associated with Hindu deities, saints and sages, and these sites have become important centers of pilgrimage for Hindus. The Teertha can be a:

1. Temple
2. River, glacier, confluence or mouth of rivers.
3. Spring
4. Natural flame
5. Pond/Lake
6. Ocean
7. Mountain, volcano
8. Cave
9. Forest, grove or a tree connected to a Devatā, saint, sage, a historical event etc.