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TEXT 4
kim anvaprcchan maitreyam
virajas tirtha-sevaya
upagamya kusavarta
asinam tattva-vittamam
SYNONYMS
kimwhat; anvaprcchatinquired; maitreyamfrom the sage Maitreya; virajahVidura, who was without material contamination; tirtha-sevayaby visiting sacred places; upagamyahaving met; kusavarteat Kusavarta (Haridvara, or Hardwar); asinamwho was abiding; tattva-vit-tamamthe foremost knower of the science of spiritual life.
TRANSLATION
Vidura was purified of all passion by wandering in sacred places, and at last he reached Hardwar, where he met the great sage who knew the science of spiritual life, and he inquired from him. Saunaka Rsi therefore asked: What more did Vidura inquire from Maitreya?
PURPORT
Here the words virajas tirtha-sevaya refer to Vidura, who was completely cleansed of all contamination by traveling to places of pilgrimage. In India there are hundreds of sacred places of pilgrimage, of which Prayaga, Hardwar, Vrndavana and Ramesvaram are considered principal. After leaving his home, which was full of politics and diplomacy, Vidura wanted to purify himself by traveling to all the sacred places, which are so situated that anyone who goes there automatically becomes purified. This is especially true in Vrndavana; any person may go there, and even if he is sinful he will at once contact an atmosphere of spiritual life and will automatically chant the names of Krsna and Radha. That we have actually seen and experienced. It is recommended in the sastras that after retiring from active life and accepting the vanaprastha (retired) order, one should travel everywhere to places of pilgrimage in order to purify himself. Vidura completely discharged this duty, and at last he reached Kusavarta, or Hardwar, where the sage Maitreya was sitting.
Another significant point is that one must go to sacred places not only to take bath there but to search out great sages like Maitreya and take instructions from them. If one does not do so, his traveling to places of pilgrimage is simply a waste of time. Narottama dasa Thakura, a great acarya of the Vaisnava sect, has, for the present, forbidden us to go to such places of pilgrimage because in this age, the times having so changed, a sincere person may have a different impression on seeing the behavior of the present residents of the pilgrimage sites. He has recommended that instead of taking the trouble to travel to such places, one should concentrate his mind on Govinda, and that will help him. Of course, to concentrate ones mind on Govinda in any place is a path meant for those who are the most spiritually advanced; it is not for ordinary persons. Ordinary persons may still derive benefit from traveling to holy places like Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana and Hardwar.
It is recommended in this verse that one find a person who knows the science of God, or a tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who knows the Absolute Truth. There are many pseudotranscendentalists, even at places of pilgrimage. Such men are always present, and one has to be intelligent enough to find the actual person to be consulted; then ones attempt to progress by traveling to different holy places will be successful. One has to be freed from all contamination, and at the same time he has to find a person who knows the science of Krsna. Krsna helps a sincere person; as stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, guru-krsna-prasade: by the mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna, one attains the path of salvation, devotional service. If one sincerely searches for spiritual salvation, then Krsna, being situated in everyones heart, gives him the intelligence to find a suitable spiritual master. By the grace of a spiritual master like Maitreya, one gets the proper instruction and advances in his spiritual life.
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