Hare Krsna,
The essence of this forum topic is sadhu-sanga. The whole point of going on a pilgrimage is to associate with sadhus. Association with a great personality is most important. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lord Caitanya says that sādhu-saṅga, the association of a great saintly person, is very important, because even if one is not advanced in knowledge, simply by association with a great saintly person one can immediately make considerable advancement in spiritual life.
In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, we have seen Lord Caitanya going on a pilgrimage to South India and other parts of India. He did not just visit the holy places to take bath in the sacred rivers or visit the temples. He associated with advanced devotees such as Ramananda Raya, Venkata Bhatta, Paramananda Puri. The Lord even met met Lord Śiva and his wife Durgā in the dress of a brāhmaṇa and brāhmaṇī at Sri Saila-parvata. We have seen a similar example with Lord Nityananda. He left home with a sannyasi (who came to Hadai Pandit with a request that he allow his son to travel with him to all the holy places). Thus Lord Nityananda left home, wandering to the holy places by His own sweet will and ecstasy. Thus Mahaprabhu and showed us how to travel to holy places of pilgrimage and associate with the sadhus.
Srila Prabhupada explains beautifully that “places of pilgrimages are meant for eradicating the sins of the pilgrims, and they are distributed all over the universe just to give facility to all concerned for attaining pure existence and God realization. One should not be satisfied, however, merely by visiting the places of pilgrimage and performing one’s prescribed duties; he should be eager to meet the great souls who are already there, engaged in the service of the Lord. In each and every place of pilgrimage, the Lord is present in His various transcendental forms.”
It is not to be concluded that a holy place has no potency. It definitely has. A tīrtha, or holy place, is a place where great saintly personalities visit or reside. Although the holy places were already places of pilgrimage, they were all purified by visit of pure devotees. Many people go to these holy places and leave their sinful activities there, thus becoming free from contamination. When these contaminations pile up, they are counteracted by the visit of great personalities like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His strict followers. Places of pilgrimage are always infected by the sins left by the sinners who go there, but when a personality like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visits such a place, all contaminations vanish. (CC Madhya 9.4)
However the pure devotees of the Supreme Lord have greater purifying power than the holy places themselves. Even Mother Ganges waits for pure devotees to bathe in her waters so that all the accumulated sins in her water are eradicated by their touch.
O Sūta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use. (SB 1.1.15)
Dear Lord, Your personal associates, devotees, wander all over the world to purify even the holy places of pilgrimage. Is not such activity pleasing to those who are actually afraid of material existence? (SB 4.30.37)
Pure devotees of the Lord are more powerful than the waters of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges waters. But one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord. (SB 1.1.15 P)
When a pure devotee goes to a place of pilgrimage, he desires to purify that holy place of pilgrimage. Many sinful men bathe in the holy waters of the places of pilgrimage. They take their baths in the waters of the Ganges and Yamunā at places such as Prayāga, Vṛndāvana and Mathurā. In this way the sinful men are purified, but their sinful actions and reactions remain at the holy places of pilgrimage. When a devotee comes to take his bath at those places of pilgrimage, the sinful reactions left by the sinful men are neutralized by the devotee. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadā-bhṛtā (Bhāg. 1.13.10). Because the devotee always carries the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, wherever he goes becomes a place of pilgrimage, a holy place for understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is therefore the duty of everyone to associate with a pure devotee and thus attain freedom from material contamination. Everyone should take advantage of the wandering devotees, whose only business is to deliver conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā.
In the case of Vidura, he travelled to the holy places to purify himself in order to achieve greater piety and advance nearer to the Lord. A hidden meaning could be that the places of pilgrimage themselves got purified by Vidura’s visits. Thus there is a nice reciprocation between the pure devotee and the places they visit. A pure devotee’s visit makes a place holier.
Thanks to Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, we now have ISKCON temples in all the major cities of the world. Thus there is no dearth of holy places and holy name. Just by visiting an ISKCON temple, attending the morning program (and hearing Srimad Bhagavatam), and partaking prasadam, one will obtain million times more benefit than by merely following the ritual of visiting a holy place but not associating with the sadhus.
arvatra prakāśa tāṅra — bhakte sukha dite
jagatera adharma nāśi’ dharma sthāpite
“The Lord has so distributed Himself all over the universe just to give pleasure to the devotees, to give the common man facility to eradicate his sins, and to establish religious principles in the world.” (CC Madhya 20.219)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 