Page 86 - Hinduism

Ayodhyanāth in the centre, to Pandarināth and Dwarakānāth in the west, to Jagannāth in the east and to Venkatanāth, Kāncināth, Ranganāth and Ramanāth in the south. The pilgrim then enters into the inner shrine and ascends to eternity.
Tirthas are tanks or rivers, the waters of which are considered to be holy on account of their association with some holy place or saint. Physical cleanliness is next to spiritual purity and godliness. Every kṣetra has a tirtha attached to it, a bath in which is said to cleanse our sins. Our Śrinivāsa kṣetra has in it Svāmipuṣkarini. All should bathe in it and purify themselves before approaching the presence of God. The Ganga is holy because it is said to have descended from Heaven and issued out of the feet of Viṣṇu. It was brought down by the severe penance of King Bhagiratha to remove the sins of the ten thousand sons of Sagara and send them to Heaven. The Godāvari and the Kāveri are equally sacred. Pilgrimages to holy places are symbolic of the pilgrimage of the soul to God. The end and aim of our life is the pilgrimage of the soul to God, the home of all eternal values like truth, goodness and beauty. Pilgrimages to kṣetras enable the devotee to shed his prejudice due to the accidents of birth and station and long for His soul-sight. He attains vairāgya or the virtue of self-renouncement by minimising his wants and acquiring sāttvic endurance and patience. Contact with holy men
fosters the spirit of human kinship and the kinship of 86