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, and 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, and 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 Dharm is the oldest spiritual tradition in this world, and Hindus have been blessed with an extraordinarily 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.