The Account of the Curse Upon the Sarasvati

Verse 1 (skanda.6.172.1)

सूत उवाच । ततःप्रभृति च्छिद्राणि विश्वामित्रो निरीक्षयन् । वसिष्ठस्य वधार्थाय संस्थितो द्विजसत्तमाः

sūta uvāca tataḥprabhṛti cchidrāṇi viśvāmitro nirīkṣayan vasiṣṭhasya vadhārthāya saṁsthito dvijasattamāḥ

Suta said: O best of the twice-born, from that time on Vishvamitra remained watchful for an opening, intent upon killing Vasishtha.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.172.2)

आत्मशक्तिप्रभावेन मशकस्य यथा गजः । अन्यस्मिन्नहनि प्राप्ते विश्वामित्रेण सा नदी

ātmaśaktiprabhāvena maśakasya yathā gajaḥ anyasminnahani prāpte viśvāmitreṇa sā nadī

By the power of his own strength he thought he could crush him as easily as an elephant crushes a mosquito. When the next day came, Vishvamitra

Verse 3 (skanda.6.172.3)

समाहूता समायाता द्रुतं सा स्त्रीस्वरूपिणी । अब्रवीत्प्रांजलिर्भूत्वा आदेशो दीयतां मम । ब्रह्मर्षे येन कार्येण समाहूतास्मि सांप्रतम्

samāhūtā samāyātā drutaṁ sā strīsvarūpiṇī abravītprāṁjalirbhūtvā ādeśo dīyatāṁ mama brahmarṣe yena kāryeṇa samāhūtāsmi sāṁpratam

summoned her. She quickly came in the form of a woman and said, with joined palms: 'Command me. O Brahmarshi, for what purpose have I now been summoned?'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.172.4)

विश्वामित्र उवाच । यदा निमज्जनं कुर्यात्तव तोये महानदि । परमं वेगमास्थाय तदाऽऽनय ममांतिकम्

viśvāmitra uvāca yadā nimajjanaṁ kuryāttava toye mahānadi paramaṁ vegamāsthāya tadā''naya mamāṁtikam

Vishvamitra said: 'O great river, when he goes down to bathe in your waters, take on the utmost force and bring him to me.'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.172.5)

पूर्णश्रोत्रं जले नैव व्याकुलांगं व्यवस्थितम् । निहन्मि येन शीघ्रं च नान्यच्छिद्रं प्रलक्षये

pūrṇaśrotraṁ jale naiva vyākulāṁgaṁ vyavasthitam nihanmi yena śīghraṁ ca nānyacchidraṁ pralakṣaye

'Let his ears fill with water, his limbs be thrown into confusion, so that I may kill him swiftly; I see no other opening.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.172.6)

एवमुक्ता तदा तेन विश्वामित्रेण सा नदी । वित्रस्ता भयसंयुक्ता शापाद्वाक्यमुवाच सा

evamuktā tadā tena viśvāmitreṇa sā nadī vitrastā bhayasaṁyuktā śāpādvākyamuvāca sā

Thus addressed by Vishvamitra, that river grew frightened, and, gripped by the fear of a curse, spoke these words:

Verse 7 (skanda.6.172.7)

नाहं द्रोहं करिष्यामि वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः । ब्रह्मर्षे न च ते युक्तं कर्तुं वै ब्रह्मणो वधम्

nāhaṁ drohaṁ kariṣyāmi vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ brahmarṣe na ca te yuktaṁ kartuṁ vai brahmaṇo vadham

'I will not do harm to the great-souled Vasishtha. O Brahmarshi, nor is it proper even for you to slay a brahmin.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.172.8)

यदि त्वं ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तो ब्रह्मर्षिः स्वयमेव तु । कामान्नायं वसिष्ठस्तु तस्मात्कोपं परित्यज

yadi tvaṁ brahmaṇā prokto brahmarṣiḥ svayameva tu kāmānnāyaṁ vasiṣṭhastu tasmātkopaṁ parityaja

'Even though Brahma himself has proclaimed you a Brahmarshi, Vasishtha does not fall from his own standing merely because you wish it; therefore abandon this anger.'

Verse 9 (skanda.6.172.9)

मनसापि वधं यस्तु ब्राह्मणस्य विचिंतयेत् । तप्तकृच्छ्रेण मुच्येत मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत्

manasāpi vadhaṁ yastu brāhmaṇasya viciṁtayet taptakṛcchreṇa mucyeta manuḥ svāyaṁbhuvo'bravīt

'Whoever even contemplates in his mind the killing of a brahmin is freed of that sin only by the tapta-krichchhra penance — so declared Svayambhuva Manu.'

Verse 10 (skanda.6.172.10)

वाचया प्रवदेद्यस्तु ब्राह्मणस्य वधं नरः । चांद्रायणेन शुद्धिः स्यात्तस्य देवोऽब्रवीदिदम्

vācayā pravadedyastu brāhmaṇasya vadhaṁ naraḥ cāṁdrāyaṇena śuddhiḥ syāttasya devo'bravīdidam

'And the man who even speaks of killing a brahmin is purified through the Chandrayana vow — this too the god declared.'

Verse 11 (skanda.6.172.11)

तस्मान्नाहं करिष्यामि तव वाक्यं कथंचन । वसिष्ठार्थं तु यत्प्रोक्तं कुरु यत्तव रोचते

tasmānnāhaṁ kariṣyāmi tava vākyaṁ kathaṁcana vasiṣṭhārthaṁ tu yatproktaṁ kuru yattava rocate

'Therefore I shall in no way carry out this command of yours. As for what you have said concerning Vasishtha, do as pleases you.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.172.12)

तच्छ्रुत्वा कुपितस्तस्या विश्वामित्रो द्विजोत्तमाः । शशाप तां नदीं श्रेष्ठां यत्तद्वक्ष्यामि श्रूयताम्

tacchrutvā kupitastasyā viśvāmitro dvijottamāḥ śaśāpa tāṁ nadīṁ śreṣṭhāṁ yattadvakṣyāmi śrūyatām

O best of the twice-born, hearing this Vishvamitra grew furious with her and cursed that excellent river — hear now what he said.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.172.13)

यस्मात्पापे वचो मह्यं न कृतं कुनदि त्वया । तस्माद्रक्तप्रवाहस्ते जलजोऽयं भविष्यति

yasmātpāpe vaco mahyaṁ na kṛtaṁ kunadi tvayā tasmādraktapravāhaste jalajo'yaṁ bhaviṣyati

'O sinful river, since you have not obeyed my word, this water-born stream of yours shall become a stream of blood.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.172.14)

एवमुक्त्वा करात्तोयं सप्तवाराभिमंत्रितम् । चिक्षेपाथ जले तस्याः क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः

evamuktvā karāttoyaṁ saptavārābhimaṁtritam cikṣepātha jale tasyāḥ krodhasaṁraktalocanaḥ

Having said this, Vishvamitra, his eyes red with rage, cast into her waters, from his own hand, water that he had consecrated with mantras seven times.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.172.15)

ततश्च तत्क्षणाज्जातं तत्तोयं रुधिरं द्विजाः । सारस्वतं सुपुण्यं च यदासीच्छंखसंनिभम्

tataśca tatkṣaṇājjātaṁ tattoyaṁ rudhiraṁ dvijāḥ sārasvataṁ supuṇyaṁ ca yadāsīcchaṁkhasaṁnibham

O brahmins, that very instant the most sacred Sarasvata water, which had been white as a conch shell, turned to blood.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.172.16)

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्ता भूतप्रेतनिशाचराः । पीत्वापीत्वा प्रनृत्यंति गायंति च हसंति च

etasminnaṁtare prāptā bhūtapretaniśācarāḥ pītvāpītvā pranṛtyaṁti gāyaṁti ca hasaṁti ca

Meanwhile bhutas, pretas, and night-wandering demons arrived, and drinking that blood again and again, they danced, sang, and laughed.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.172.17)

ये तत्र तापसाः केचित्तटे तस्या व्यवस्थिताः । ते सर्वेऽपि च तां त्यक्ता दूरदेशं समाश्रिताः

ye tatra tāpasāḥ kecittaṭe tasyā vyavasthitāḥ te sarve'pi ca tāṁ tyaktā dūradeśaṁ samāśritāḥ

Whatever ascetics had dwelt there on her banks all abandoned her and took refuge in distant lands.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.172.18)

बहिर्वासाश्च ये तत्र नागराः समवस्थिताः । चण्डशर्म प्रभृतयस्तेऽपि याताः सुदूरतः

bahirvāsāśca ye tatra nāgarāḥ samavasthitāḥ caṇḍaśarma prabhṛtayaste'pi yātāḥ sudūrataḥ

And the townsfolk who had settled there outside the town, led by Chandasharma, they too went far away.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.172.19)

वसिष्ठोऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठो जगामार्बुदपर्वतम् । विश्वामित्रस्तु विप्रर्षिश्चमत्कारपुरं गतः

vasiṣṭho'pi muniśreṣṭho jagāmārbudaparvatam viśvāmitrastu viprarṣiścamatkārapuraṁ gataḥ

Vasishtha, foremost of sages, went to Mount Arbuda, while the sage Vishvamitra went to Chamatkarapura.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.172.20)

हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे यत्स्थितं विप्रसंकुलम् । तत्राश्रमपदं कृत्वा तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्

hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre yatsthitaṁ viprasaṁkulam tatrāśramapadaṁ kṛtvā tapastepe sudāruṇam

In the Hatakeshvara sacred field, thronged with brahmins, he built himself a hermitage and performed most severe austerity.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.172.21)

येन सृष्टिक्षमो जातः स्पर्धते ब्रह्मणा सह । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं यथा सारस्वतं जलम्

yena sṛṣṭikṣamo jātaḥ spardhate brahmaṇā saha etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṁ yathā sārasvataṁ jalam

By that austerity he became capable of creation, fit even to rival Brahma. All this has now been told to you — how the Sarasvata water

Verse 22 (skanda.6.172.22)

रुधिरत्वमनुप्राप्तं विश्वामित्रस्य शापतः । चंडशर्मादयो विप्रा यथा देशांतरं गताः

rudhiratvamanuprāptaṁ viśvāmitrasya śāpataḥ caṁḍaśarmādayo viprā yathā deśāṁtaraṁ gatāḥ

attained the form of blood through the curse of Vishvamitra, and how the brahmins headed by Chandasharma departed to another land.