Tirth Is A Unifier, Replaces Fear With Love

There is a popular saying, 'sare tirth baar baar, gangasagar ek baar,' meaning Gangasagar tirth, a pilgrimage near Kolkata, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, a similar once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came during the recently concluded Mahakumbh at Prayag. There has been a fierce debate in the public domain, including social media platforms, about the importance of Kumbh. It is important to understand that Kumbh, in particular, and tirth, in general, are beyond the common rhetoric of faith, religion and spiritualism.
Rabindranath Tagore has called Bharat a 'Mahamanav Samudra', a human ocean. This is a land where people from many cultures, religious beliefs, ethnicities, origins, and social status have coexisted since time immemorial. As rivers flowing into the ocean merge with it, relinquishing individual identities, so do people from diverse backgrounds and origins merge into each other to become Bhartiya.
Rig Ved says, 'kavayah stayshrutah', or wise people can see the Truth hidden behind veil of ignorance. But how a common person perceives this bhartiyata rising over all observed diversities? How can she get a glimpse of the unity in diversity? These are genuine questions, and the answer found by the Bharatiya mind is unique. It is the institution of tirth.
The original meaning of the word 'tirth' is a passage or way, especially particular spots along the course of a stream or river. These were fords or spots where the shallow area of a river or stream could be crossed without a bridge.
In ancient times, tirths were special centres of 'bhu-sannivesh', human settlement. When human communities reached uninhabited banks of rivers or dense forests and settlements were conceptualised, tirths started coming into existence. Because of their geographical and locational importance, tirths became the spots of human gathering for travel, trade and crossing the channel. These tirths became centres of religion, learning, and culture. If we examine all tirth episodes of Puranas, its definite outcome would be a vivid introduction to Bharat. Through tirths, people get the opportunity to directly perceive and experience their land and people.
In Mahabharat, Lomash Rishi describes the importance of pilgrimage, saying, "Tirth removes fear from the human mind. This is the greatest outcome of tirthyatra. Tirth dispels apprehension and doubts about unfamiliar places and people, replacing fear of the unknown with love."
Maintaining the ancient tradition, reverence for tirths and ensuring society's participation in tirthyatra is one of the most ingenious inventions of the Bhartiya mind for promoting unity and integrity of the country. Seen from this perspective, the importance of tirth such as Kumbh assumes far greater proportion and meaning. It is not only contributing to quench the inner thirst of the faithful but also contributing to unity, integrity and continuity of Bhartiya culture and civilisation. Kumbh becomes a vista through which people can see and feel unity of India, rising above perceived diversities. It becomes the divya dristi with which a common person can perceive the Bhartiya Mahamanav Samudra.
Authored by: B Purushartha
The writer is joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GOI
Views are personal