Scriptural Disclaimer
But however holy a Tirtha or a Kshetra may be, if the mind and intention are not pure and if the attitude is not spiritually oriented towards God, no dips in Tirthas or visits to Kshetras can be of spiritual avail. This is also the refrain repeated by all scriptures pertaining to Tirthas and Kshetras. Thousands of watery creatures like fish, etc. are born in water and also die in water, even in the Tirthas. Flocks of birds reside in temples and temple towers. But as the required mental approach is lacking in them, none would suggest that these creatures acquire any religious merit or a place in heaven. The proper faith or devotional approach is a necessary prerequisite. Scriptures declare that this is as much true in the matter of a Tirtha or a Kshetra as it is in the case of a doctor, a preceptor, an astrologer, a deity and a Mantra.
... India and its sacred places are sacred by and large for one reason alone. Sacred places are such because sacred persons, who have crossed over the river of samsara, reside in them. There is no more sacred place than the heart of the sadhu, wherein God himself resides.
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