Sarasvati's Release from the Curse and the Origin of the Sabhramati

Verse 1 (skanda.6.173.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । अहो बत महाश्चर्यं विश्वामित्रस्य सन्मुनेः । मंत्रप्रभावतो येन तत्तोयं रुधिरीकृतम्

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ aho bata mahāścaryaṁ viśvāmitrasya sanmuneḥ maṁtraprabhāvato yena tattoyaṁ rudhirīkṛtam

The sages said: Oh, what a great wonder this is of the virtuous sage Vishvamitra, who by the power of his mantra turned that water into blood!

Verse 2 (skanda.6.173.2)

ततःप्रभृति संप्राप्तं कथं तोयं प्रकीर्तय । सरस्वत्या महाभाग सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

tataḥprabhṛti saṁprāptaṁ kathaṁ toyaṁ prakīrtaya sarasvatyā mahābhāga sarvaṁ vistarato vada

'O greatly fortunate one, tell us in full detail how, after that, the Sarasvati came to regain her waters.'

Verse 3 (skanda.6.173.3)

सूत उवाच । बहुकालं प्रवाहः स सरस्वत्या द्विजोत्तमाः । महान्रक्तमयो जातो भूतराक्षससेवितः

sūta uvāca bahukālaṁ pravāhaḥ sa sarasvatyā dvijottamāḥ mahānraktamayo jāto bhūtarākṣasasevitaḥ

Suta said: O best of the twice-born, that great stream of the Sarasvati remained a flow of blood for a very long time, frequented by bhutas and rakshasas.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.173.4)

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य वसिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः । अर्बुदस्थस्तया प्रोक्तो दीनया दुःखयुक्तया

kasyacittvatha kālasya vasiṣṭho munisattamaḥ arbudasthastayā prokto dīnayā duḥkhayuktayā

After some time, Vasishtha, best of sages, dwelling on Mount Arbuda, was addressed by her, wretched and sorrowful:

Verse 5 (skanda.6.173.5)

तवार्थाय मुने शप्ता विश्वामित्रेण कोपतः । रुधिरौघवहाजाता तपस्विजनवर्जिता

tavārthāya mune śaptā viśvāmitreṇa kopataḥ rudhiraughavahājātā tapasvijanavarjitā

'O sage, it was on your account that Vishvamitra cursed me in anger; now I have become a stream carrying a flood of blood, forsaken by ascetics.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.173.6)

तस्मात्कुरु प्रसादं मे यथा स्यात्सलिलं पुनः । प्रवाहे मम विप्रेन्द्र प्रयाति रुधिरं क्षयम्

tasmātkuru prasādaṁ me yathā syātsalilaṁ punaḥ pravāhe mama viprendra prayāti rudhiraṁ kṣayam

'Therefore, O foremost of brahmins, show me favor, so that my stream may again become water and the blood flowing in my current may be destroyed.'

Verse 7 (skanda.6.173.7)

त्रैलोक्यकरणे विप्र संक्षये वा स्थितौ हि वा । नाशक्तिर्विद्यते काचित्तव सर्वमुनीश्वर

trailokyakaraṇe vipra saṁkṣaye vā sthitau hi vā nāśaktirvidyate kācittava sarvamunīśvara

'O brahmin, in the creation, destruction, or sustaining of the three worlds, O lord of all sages, no lack of power exists in you.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.173.8)

वसिष्ठ उवाच । तथा भद्रे करिष्यामि यथा स्यात्सलिलं पुनः । प्रवाहे तव निर्याति सर्वं रक्तं परिक्षयम्

vasiṣṭha uvāca tathā bhadre kariṣyāmi yathā syātsalilaṁ punaḥ pravāhe tava niryāti sarvaṁ raktaṁ parikṣayam

Vasishtha said: 'So be it, gentle one; I shall act so that your stream becomes water again, and all the blood in your current is wholly destroyed.'

Verse 9 (skanda.6.173.9)

एवमुक्त्वा स विप्रर्षिरवतीर्य धरातले । गतः प्लक्षतरुं यस्मा दवतीर्णा सरस्वती

evamuktvā sa viprarṣiravatīrya dharātale gataḥ plakṣataruṁ yasmā davatīrṇā sarasvatī

Having said this, that sage among brahmins descended to the earth and went to the Plaksha tree from which the Sarasvati had originally descended.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.173.10)

समाधिं तत्र संधाय निविष्टो धरणीतले । संभ्रमं परमं गत्वा विश्वामित्रस्य चोपरि

samādhiṁ tatra saṁdhāya niviṣṭo dharaṇītale saṁbhramaṁ paramaṁ gatvā viśvāmitrasya copari

There, entering into deep meditation, he settled upon the ground, greatly agitated on account of Vishvamitra,

Verse 11 (skanda.6.173.11)

वारुणेन तु मन्त्रेण वीक्ष यन्वसुधातलम् । ततो निर्भिद्य वसुधां भूरितोयं विनिर्गतम्

vāruṇena tu mantreṇa vīkṣa yanvasudhātalam tato nirbhidya vasudhāṁ bhūritoyaṁ vinirgatam

and, gazing upon the surface of the earth with the mantra of Varuna, he cleft the earth open, so that abundant water came gushing forth.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.173.12)

रन्ध्रद्वयेन विप्रेन्द्रा लोचनाभ्यां निरीक्षणात् । एकस्य सलिलं क्षिप्रं यत्र जाता सरस्वती

randhradvayena viprendrā locanābhyāṁ nirīkṣaṇāt ekasya salilaṁ kṣipraṁ yatra jātā sarasvatī

O foremost of brahmins, from the gaze of his two eyes two openings were formed; from one of them water swiftly issued, and from it the Sarasvati was born anew.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.173.13)

प्लक्षमूले ततस्तस्य वेगेनापहृतं बलात् । तद्रक्तं तेन संपूर्णं ततस्तेन महानदी

plakṣamūle tatastasya vegenāpahṛtaṁ balāt tadraktaṁ tena saṁpūrṇaṁ tatastena mahānadī

Then at the root of the Plaksha, by the force of that water, the blood was swept away by its very force; filled with that fresh water, the great river became pure once more.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.173.14)

द्वितीयस्तु प्रवाहो यः संभ्रमा त्तस्य निर्गतः । सा च साभ्रमती नाम नदी जाता धरातले

dvitīyastu pravāho yaḥ saṁbhramā ttasya nirgataḥ sā ca sābhramatī nāma nadī jātā dharātale

And the second stream, which issued from his agitation of mind, became on earth the river named Sabhramati.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.173.15)

एवं प्रकृतिमापन्ना भूय एव सरस्वती । यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि महाभागाः सरस्वत्याः कृते द्विजाः

evaṁ prakṛtimāpannā bhūya eva sarasvatī yatpṛṣṭo'smi mahābhāgāḥ sarasvatyāḥ kṛte dvijāḥ

Thus the Sarasvati regained her own natural, pure state once again. O greatly fortunate brahmins, this is my answer to what was asked of me concerning the Sarasvati.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.173.16)

एतत्सारस्वतं नाम व्याख्यानमतिबुद्धिदम् । यः पठेच्छ्रणुयाद्वापि मतिस्तस्य विवर्द्धते । सरस्वत्याः प्रसादेन सत्यमेतन्म योदितम्

etatsārasvataṁ nāma vyākhyānamatibuddhidam yaḥ paṭhecchraṇuyādvāpi matistasya vivarddhate sarasvatyāḥ prasādena satyametanma yoditam

This account called 'Sarasvata' bestows the highest wisdom; whoever reads or hears it has his intellect increased. It is by the grace of Sarasvati alone that I have spoken this truth.