Namdharak asked Siddhamuni why Sri Narasimha Saraswati chose to remain invisible (unseen) form for a year at Vaijnath. There must have been a divine purpose for every single act of Guru Nath and Namdharak wanted to be enlightened on this.
Siddhamuni said that Sri Narasimha Saraswati was exceedingly compassionate to one and all. He used to shower his blessings and grace on anyone, often without any consideration whether the person deserved them or not. People of all sorts, good, bad and indifferent used to come to him. Some were often genuine seekers of the Spirit. Some used to come to seek redress for their afflictions. But many used to come seeking his Grace and blessings for the fulfillment of their worldly desires and ambitions, and some for fulfillment and success of their vicious schemes. Sri Narasimha Saraswati was distressed about it; what a unique opportunity they were missing, he thought. He has come down like a KalpaVriksha, and it was mainly for the purpose of the moral and spiritual regeneration and upliftment of people but unfortunately most of the people were not able to realise this and use his presence and his Grace and Blessings for that High Purpose.
Further, he felt that although he himself was beyond all bounds of Karma and all laws of Nature, yet his relieving all kinds of people of their afflictions, of whosoever came to him, and thus too much superseding of the operation of the laws of Karma would not be congenial to the ultimate Good, and might weaken the moral order even more. Thinking thus, Sri Narasimha Saraswati decided that he should withdraw himself from people for sometime at least, and accordingly took to invisible form for his stay at Vaijnath. But before taking to invisible form (Gupta Rupa), Guru Nath called his disciples and told them that they should go out on pilgrimage and visit all the holy places, bathe in all the sacred rivers of the land and should reach Sri Sailam by the year Bahudanya and join him back there. They were not happy to leave the presence of Guru Nath, even it be for visiting holy places of the land. Guru Nath told them "It is not necessary for the disciples to be always in the physical presence of the Guru. Constant chanting of the Guru's Upadesa, of the Guru Mantra and worshipping of the Guru's Form in the shrine of one's heart, is the real Guru Sannidhana..i.e., living close to the Guru. I have got to be necessarily alone for some time. ..but, I am indeed ever with you. Try to feel my presence wherever you will be and wherever you go. Further for the Yatis (Sanyasis), pilgrimages constitute the most beneficial and necessary discipline; the mind gets purified and steadied thereby and one will experience a higher state of consciousness and divine awareness. I bless you all that you will have most rewarding experiences. And surely you will all meet me at Sri Sailam".
The disciples had no other option but to abide by Guru Nath's command. They however, sought his instructions as to which holy places they should visit. Guru Nath then told them the significance of the various holy places and of the sacred rivers of the land, and the special merits each one of these would confer on the pilgrims. Visits to these holy places and doing the appropriate ceremonies and rites there - as prescribed according to their respective Asramas (Stages) in life, would wash off all sins, purify the body and mind and in the end would confer liberation not only to them, but also to 21 generations of their ancestors as well as 21 generations of their descendants.
Some of the Holy places referred to by Guru Nath and the instructions given by him were as under:
"Kashi is the foremost of the pilgrim centers. One should have a bath in the Holy Bhageerathi (Ganges river) there. From Kashi, one should go to Ganga Dwara, Triveni (Prayaga), Yamuna and Saraswati, Varuna, Kasavarta, Sattadruvu, Vipakasa, Saravati, Vitasta, Asikni, Marudhvrudha, Madhumati, Dhrutavati - these are all most sacred rivers and a bath in them will be most purifying. So also are the rivers Chandrabhaga, Revati, Gomati, Vedika, Kausiki, Sahasravakta, Purna, Bahuda, etc. Bath in these rivers is equivalent to several fold Chandrayanam and other Vratas and austerities. Whenever there is confluence of any two rivers, they are sacred as the Triveni Sangam, Vairacharu Pushkara Teertha, Kurukshetra, Sri Saila, Sri Rangam, Rameshwaram, Anantasayanam, Mahalaya Teertha, Namisaranya, Badari, Kedar, Narmada, kakamukha, Gokarna, Ayodhya, Mathura, Dwarka - these are all MuktiShetras. Godavari, Bheemeshwaram abd Vajhara are as sacred as Prayaga. Kusatarpan, Godavari Sagara Sangam, Purna river, Krishnaveni river, Tungabhadra river, pampa Sarovar - these are all very sacred. Hariharakshetra and Pandaripur, burn away all sins of the pilgrims. Bhima-Amarja Sangam at Gangapur, is very sacred. There are Koti Theerthas there. The Aswatha Tree at Gangapur is as powerful as tha KalpaVriksha. Near the Aswatha Tree is Narasimha Teertha, and northwards to it are the PapaVinasini Teertha, Varanasi Teertha, Rudrapada Teertha, Chakra Teertha, Koti Teertha, manmadha Teertha etc. There is the Kalleshwara temple there. It is holy as Gokarna.
"When Brihaspati enters Simha Rasi, the subterranean current of Ganga enters Godavari. Then it is known as Godavari Pushkara. This takes place in 12-year cycles. Likewise when Brihaspati enters Kanya rasi, it is Krishna Pushkara, and also in the case of Southern rivers, each having it's Pushkara in it's own cycle. A bath in the respective rivers at the Pushkara time is most auspicious. Man gains his spiritual evolution thereby. Whoever bathes in the Bhima-Krishna rivers confluence, he becomes purified and will be born as a Brahmin or as a Yogi, i.e, as a pure Satvic person in his next life. Whosoever bathes in the Patal Ganga and will have Lord Mallikarjuna's Jyotirlinga Darshan at Sri Sailam attains liberation. Krishna Sagara Sangam, Keveri Sagara Sangam are annihilators of all sins. Seshadiri (Tirupati Venkateshwara Kshetra), Kumbhakonam, Kanyakumari, Matsya-Theerta), Rameshwara, Dhanushokti, Kolhapur (the seat of Mahalakshmi), are all most sacred places.
"On banks or Krishna is Bhillawadi, the place of Bhuvaneshwari Devi. At Amrapur, on the banks of Krishna river there is the confluence of 5 rivers (Panchanadi Kshetra). There are also Yugalaya Teertha, Supalaya Teertha, etc. Where Malapha river joins Krishna river is, the place where Sage Vishwamitra did penance. At Kapila Kshetra, Krishna river flows as Uttara Vahini (ie, in northern direction) Whatever penance is done there, it gains million fold potency, Pithapur is Dattatreya Kshetra. Manigiri is the place where the seven sages did their penance. Darshan of Ahobila Kshetra earns the merit of 60 Yagnas. At the onset of the rainy season, the river waters get polluted and should be avoided by pilgrims for varying periods of time. (For the residents there however this prohibition does not apply).
"Pilgrimage is the means whereby all past sins are washed off, and immense spiritual merit is earned. All these places are resonant with spiritual vibrations and they enrich and speed up the men on their spiritual evolution, for certain".
Advising the disciples thus and giving many more detailed instructions, Guru Nath sent all the disciples on long pilgrimages. He especially told them about doing Nadi Pradakshinas (circumambulation around the whole course of the rivers) and what immense benefit they confer. With one nadi pradakshina, one will have lived away and exhausted all his Karmic lives and attain liberation. "while all other disciples, thereafter left to do the long pilgrimage with Guru Nath's blessings, I was allowed to remain with Guru Nath to serve him". Thus concluded Siddhamuni.
Thus ends the Fifteenth Chapter of Sri Guru Charitra of Sri Guru Charitra called the "Theeratha Yatra Prakarna".
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