na hy am-mayÄni tÄ«rthÄni
na devÄ má¹›c-chilÄ-mayÄḥ
te punanty uru-kÄlena
darÅ›anÄd eva sÄdhavaḥ
na - not; hi - indeed; ap - of water; mayÄni - composed; tÄ«rthÄni - holy places; na - not; devÄḥ - deities; má¹›t - of earth; Å›ilÄ - and stone; mayÄḥ - composed; te - they; punanti - purify; uru-kÄlena - after a long time; darÅ›anÄt - by being seen; eva - only; sÄdhavaḥ - saints.
Because the Personality of Godhead is absolute — the Supreme Spirit — any representation of Him, whether manifested in stone, paint, sound or any other authorized medium, is nondifferent from His original form in the topmost spiritual planet, Goloka Vá¹›ndÄvana. But ordinary demigods are not absolute, being infinitesimal spirit souls, and thus representations of the demigods are not identical with them. Worship of demigods or ritual bathing in a sanctified place gives only limited benefit to those who lack transcendental faith in the Supreme Lord.
On the other hand, great Vaiṣṇava saints like VyÄsadeva, NÄrada and the four KumÄras are always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thus they are veritable moving tÄ«rthas, places of pilgrimage. Even a moment’s association with them, especially by hearing their glorification of the Lord, can deliver one from all material entanglement. As King Yudhiá¹£á¹hira said to Vidura,
bhavad-vidhÄ bhÄgavatÄs
tÄ«á¹›tha-bhÅ«tÄḥ svayaá¹ vibho
tÄ«rthÄ«-kurvanti tÄ«rthÄni
svÄntaḥ-sthena gadÄbhá¹›tÄ
“My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.†(BhÄg. 1.13.10)