Does bathing in sacred rivers free one from all sins?
Thank you. If you bathe in a river, then you will be freed from all sinful reactions.
Then, that is amazing, absurd. How does it work? The point is, there is a particular particular disposition that is meant to be created. So, the act of bathing in a river is not just a matter of physical contact of the body with the water of the river.
That is one important aspect of it. But that is meant to signify a desire to reform oneself. And the contact itself can bring out some purification and that contact itself can give us some higher blessings to bring about reformation.
But when that physical activity is considered to be the only thing that is required and there is no inner reformation that is talked about, then the physical activity does not lead to that reformation. Bhagavatam has said that यत्तीर्थबुद्धी सलिलेन करिचिज् जनेशु भेगेशु सेव गोखरः That person who thinks that the purpose of going to a holy place is simply to bathe in a river and not to associate with the saintly persons there. And that person is actually like a cow or an ass.
That means they are not a very enlightened mentality. So, the contact with the holy river purifies us. And gives us a inspiration and motive and empowerment to reform.
But if one does not have a mentality to reform, then thus the act of bathing doesn't cleanse one of all sinful reactions. So, these are promises which are made to inspire. The statements in scripture are meant to inspire people to do particular activities so that they can begin the journey of reformation.
They alone don't comprise the entirety of that journey. Is that clear?