Sambodhi 2012 Vol 35

Author(s): J B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 68

On Some Tirthas in the Vāmanapurāņa
Satyavrat Varma
Such places, shrines, rivers, lakes and sea-shores as command religious significance or are held sacred because of their association with variou sages and other high personages, are known as tīrthas, the centres of pilgrimage. With its great antiquity and bewildering variety, Hinduism
ses other religions in having a plethora of tirthas that combine to lend it a unique colour and vigour. The tīrthas have played a vital role in inculcating spiritual values and moral norms in the Hindu society. They have been the true harbingers of socialism in the society. People with different social and linguistic background who flock them from every nook and corner of the country on auspicious occasions, rub shoulders together and are virtually turned into a monolithic mass with little to distinguish them. It was to foster this unity in diversity that the four illustrious dhāmas were established in the four corners of the country which continue to serve the noble purpose of bringing about religious and cultural cohesion in the society. Some of the Hindu tīrthas are held in high esteem and are believed to be the gateways to the heaven.' Early works like the Mahābhārata and Purānas detail in their own way, the history and sanctity of a number of tīrthas, which, notwithstanding the many changes that have overtaken the perception of the society, hold unabated fascination for the masses. The Vāmanapurāna (VP)? also refers to scorces of the ancient holy places. While some of them have been disposed of hastily, quite a few of them have claimed a fairly detailed description. A perceptive analysis of some of the major tīrthas of the Kuruksetra region detailed therein, is sure to unravel their importance in the cultural history of the country. Kuruksetra
Kuruksetra is one of the most ancient and sacred tīrthas of the Hindus. With its antiquity going back to the Vedic times, it has claimed wide notice