Shalya Parva, Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 41
Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 41:English
Section 42
Janamejaya said, "Why is the current of (the tirtha known by the name of) Vasishthapavaha so rapid? For what reason did the foremost of rivers bear away Vasishtha? What, O lord, was the cause of the dispute between Vasishtha and Vishvamitra? Questioned by me, O thou of great wisdom, tell me all this! I am never satiated with hearing thee!"
Vaishampayana said, "A great enmity arose between Vishvamitra and Vasishtha, O Bharata, due to their rivalry in respect of ascetic austerities. The high abode of Vasishtha was in the tirtha called Sthanu on the eastern bank of the Sarasvati. On the opposite bank was the asylum of the intelligent Vishvamitra. There, in that tirtha, O monarch, Sthanu (Mahadeva) had practised the austerest penances. Sages still speak of those fierce feats. Having performed a sacrifice there and worshipped the river Sarasvati, Sthanu established that tirtha there. Hence it is known by the name Sthanu-tirtha, O lord. In that tirtha, the celestials had, in days of yore, O king, installed Skanda, that slayer of the enemies of the gods, in the supreme command of their army. Unto that tirtha of the Sarasvati, the great Rishi Vishvamitra, by the aid of his austere penances, brought Vasishtha. Listen to that history. The two ascetics Vishvamitra and Vasishtha, O Bharata, every day challenged each other very earnestly in respect of the superiority of their penances. The great Muni Vishvamitra, burning (with jealousy) at sight of the energy of Vasishtha, began to reflect on the matter. Though devoted to the performance of his duties, this, however, is the resolution, O Bharata, that he formed: 'This Sarasvati shall quickly bring, by force of her current, that foremost of ascetics, Vasishtha, to my presence. After he shall have been brought hither, I shall, without doubt, slay that foremost of regenerate ones.' Having settled this, the illustrious and great Rishi Vishvamitra with eyes red in wrath, thought of that foremost of rivers. Thus remembered by the ascetic, she became exceedingly agitated. The fair lady, however, repaired to that Rishi of great energy and great wrath. Pale and trembling, Sarasvati, with joined hands appeared before that foremost of sages. Indeed, the lady was much afflicted with grief, even like a woman who has lost her mighty lord. And she said unto that best of sages, 'Tell me what is there that I shall do for thee.' Filled with rage, the ascetic said unto her, 'Bring hither Vasishtha without delay, so that I may slay him.' Hearing these words the river became agitated. With joined hands the lotus-eyed lady began to tremble exceedingly in fear like a creeper shaken by the wind. Beholding the great river in that plight, the ascetic said unto her, 'Without any scruple, bring Vasishtha unto my presence!' Hearing these words of his, and knowing the evil he intended to do, and acquainted also with the prowess of Vasishtha that was unrivalled on earth, she repaired to Vasishtha and informed him of what the intelligent Vishvamitra had said unto her. Fearing the curse of both, she trembled repeatedly. Indeed, her heart was on the grievous curse (that either of them might pronounce on her). She stood in terror of both. Seeing her pale and plunged in anxiety, the righteous-souled Vasishtha, that foremost of men, O king, said these words unto her.
"Vasishtha said, 'O foremost of rivers, save thyself! O thou of rapid current, bear me away, otherwise Vishvamitra will curse thee. Do not feel any scruple.' Hearing these words of that compassionate Rishi, the river began to think, O Kauravya, as to what course would be best for her to follow. Even these were the thoughts that arose in her mind: 'Vasishtha showeth great compassion for me. It is proper for me that I should serve him.' Beholding then that best of Rishis, (Vasishtha) engaged in silent recitation (of mantras) on her bank, and seeing Kusika's son (Vishvamitra) also engaged in homa, Sarasvati thought, 'Even this is my opportunity.' Then that foremost of rivers, by her current, washed away one of her banks. In washing away that bank, she bore Vasishtha away. While being borne away, O king, Vasishtha praised the river in these words: 'From the Grandsire's (manasa) lake thou hast taken thy rise, O Sarasvati! This whole universe is filled with thy excellent waters! Wending through the firmament, O goddess, thou impartest thy waters to the clouds! All the waters are thee! Through thee we exercise our thinking faculties! Thou art Pushti and Dyuti, Kirti, and Siddhi and Uma! Thou art Speech, and thou art Svaha! This whole universe is dependent on thee! It is thou that dwellest in all creatures, in four forms!' Thus praised by that great Rishi, Sarasvati, O king, speedily bore that Brahmana towards the asylum of Vishvamitra and repeatedly represented unto the latter the arrival of the former. Beholding Vasishtha thus brought before him by Sarasvati, Vishvamitra, filled with rage, began to look for a weapon wherewith to slay that brahmana. Seeing him filled with wrath, the river from fear of (witnessing and aiding in) a brahmana's slaughter, quickly bore Vasishtha away to her eastern bank once more. She thus obeyed the words of both, although she deceived the son of Gadhi by her act. Seeing that best of Rishis, Vasishtha, borne away, the vindictive Vishvamitra, filled with wrath, addressed Sarasvati. saying, 'Since, O foremost of rivers, thou hast gone away, having deceived me, let thy current be changed into blood that is acceptable to Rakshasas.' Then, cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra, Sarasvati flowed for a whole year, bearing blood mixed with water. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Apsaras, beholding the Sarasvati reduced to that plight, became filled with great sorrow. For this reason, O king, the tirtha came to be called Vasishthapravaha on earth. The foremost of rivers, however, once more got back her own proper condition."
Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 41:Sanskrit
1 [ज]
वसिष्ठस्यापवाहॊ वै भीमवेगः कदं नु सः
किमर्दं च सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा तम ऋषिं परत्यवाहयत
2 केन चास्याभवथ वैरं कारणं किं च तत परभॊ
शंस पृष्टॊ महाप्राज्ञ न हि तृप्यामि कद्यताम
3 [वै]
विश्वामित्रस्य चैवर्षेर वसिष्ठस्य च भारत
भृशं वैरम अभूथ राजंस तपः सपर्धा कृतं महत
4 आश्रमॊ वै वसिष्ठस्य सदाणुतीर्दे ऽभवन महान
पूर्वतः पश्चिमश चासीथ विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः
5 यत्र सदाणुर महाराज तप्तवान सुमहत तपः
यत्रास्य कर्म तथ घॊरं परवथन्ति मनीषिणः
6 यत्रेष्ट्वा भगवान सदाणुः पूजयित्वा सरस्वतीम
सदापयाम आस तत तीर्दं सदाणुतीर्दम इति परभॊ
7 तत्र सर्वे सुराः सकन्थम अभ्यषिञ्चन नराधिप
सेनापत्येन महता सुरारिविनिबर्हणम
8 तस्मिन सरस्वती तीर्दे विश्वामित्रॊ महामुनिः
वसिष्ठं चालयाम आस तपसॊग्रेण तच छृणु
9 विश्वामित्र वसिष्ठौ ताव अहन्य अहनि भारत
सपर्धां तपः कृतां तीव्रां चक्रतुस तौ तपॊधनौ
10 तत्राप्य अधिकसंतापॊ विश्वामित्रॊ महामुनिः
थृष्ट्वा तेजॊ वसिष्ठस्य चिन्ताम अभिजगाम ह
तस्य बुथ्धिर इयं हय आसीथ धर्मनित्यस्य भारत
11 इयं सरस्वती तूर्णं मत्समीपं तपॊधनम
आनयिष्यति वेगेन वसिष्ठं जपतां वरम
इहागतं थविजश्रेष्ठं हनिष्यामि न संशयः
12 एवं निश्चित्य भगवान विश्वामित्रॊ महामुनिः
सस्मार सरितां शरेष्ठां करॊधसंरक्तलॊचनः
13 सा धयाता मुनिना तेन वयाकुलत्वं जगाम ह
जज्ञे चैनं महावीर्यं महाकॊपं च भामिनी
14 तत एनं वेपमाना विवर्णा पराञ्जलिस तथा
उपतस्दे मुनिवरं विश्वामित्रं सरस्वती
15 हतवीरा यदा नारी साभवथ थुःखिता भृशम
बरूहि किं करवाणीति परॊवाच मुनिसत्तमम
16 ताम उवाच मुनिः करुथ्धॊ वसिष्ठं शीघ्रम आनय
यावथ एनं निहन्म्य अथ्य तच छरुत्वा वयदिता नथी
17 साञ्जलिं तु तदा कृत्वा पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणा
विव्यदे सुविरूढेव लता वायुसमीरिता
18 तदागतां तु तां थृष्ट्वा वेपमानां कृताञ्जलिम
विश्वामित्रॊ ऽबरवीत करॊधॊ वसिष्ठं शीघ्रम आनय
19 ततॊ भीता सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा चिन्तयाम आस भारत
उभयॊः शापयॊर भीता कदम एतथ भविष्यति
20 साभिगम्य वसिष्ठं तु इमम अर्दम अचॊथयत
यथ उक्ता सरितां शरेष्ठा विश्वामित्रेण धीमता
21 उभयॊः शापयॊर भीता वेपमाना पुनः पुनः
चिन्तयित्वा महाशापम ऋषिवित्रासिता भृशम
22 तां कृशां च विवर्णां च थृष्ट्वा चिन्ता समन्विताम
उवाच राजन धर्मात्मा वसिष्ठॊ थविपथां वरः
23 तराह्य आत्मानं सरिच्छ्रेष्ठे वह मां शीघ्रगामिनी
विश्वामित्रः शपेथ धि तवां मा कृदास तवं विचारणाम
24 तस्य तथ वचनं शरुत्वा कृपा शीलस्य सा सरित
चिन्तयाम आस कौरव्य किं कृतं सुकृतं भवेत
25 तस्याश चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना वसिष्ठॊ मय्य अतीव हि
कृतवान हि थयां नित्यं तस्य कार्यं हितं मया
26 अद कूले सवके राजञ जपन्तम ऋषिसत्तमम
जुह्वानं कौशिकं परेक्ष्य सरस्वत्य अभ्यचिन्तयत
27 इथम अन्तरम इत्य एव ततः सा सरितां वरा
कूलापहारम अकरॊत सवेन वेगेन सा सरित
28 तेन कूलापहारेण मैत्रावरुणिर औह्यत
उह्यमानश च तुष्टाव तथा राजन सरस्वतीम
29 पितामहस्य सरसः परवृत्तासि सरस्वति
वयाप्तं चेथं जगत सर्वं तवैवाम्भॊभिर उत्तमैः
30 तवम एवाकाशगा थेवि मेघेषूत्सृजसे पयः
सर्वाश चापस तवम एवेति तवत्तॊ वयम अधीमहे
31 पुष्टिर थयुतिस तदा कीर्तिः सिथ्धिर वृथ्धिर उमा तदा
तवम एव वाणी सवाहा तवं तवय्य आयत्तम इथं जगत
तवम एव सर्वभूतेषु वससीह चतुर्विधा
32 एवं सरस्वती राजन सतूयमाना महर्षिणा
वेगेनॊवाह तं विप्रं विश्वामित्राश्रमं परति
नयवेथयत चाभीक्ष्णं विश्वामित्राय तं मुनिम
33 तम आनीतं सरस्वत्या थृष्ट्वा कॊपसमन्वितः
अदान्वेषत परहरणं वसिष्ठान्त करं तथा
34 तं तु करुथ्धम अभिप्रेक्ष्य बरह्महत्या भयान नथी
अपॊवाह वसिष्ठं तु पराचीं थिशम अतन्थ्रिता
उभयॊः कुर्वती वाक्यं वञ्चयित्वा तु गाधिजम
35 ततॊ ऽपवाहितं थृष्ट्वा वसिष्ठम ऋषिसत्तमम
अब्रवीथ अद संक्रुथ्धॊ विश्वामित्रॊ हय अमर्षणः
36 यस्मान मा तवं सरिच्छ्रेष्ठे वञ्चयित्वा पुनर गता
शॊणितं वह कल्याणि रक्षॊ गरामणि संमतम
37 ततः सरस्वती शप्ता विश्वामित्रेण धीमता
अवहच छॊणितॊन्मिश्रं तॊयं संवत्सरं तथा
38 अदर्षयश च थेवाश च गन्धर्वाप्सरसस तदा
सरस्वतीं तदा थृष्ट्वा बभूवुर भृशथुःखिताः
39 एवं वसिष्ठापवाहॊ लॊके खयातॊ जनाधिप
आगच्छच च पुनर मार्गं सवम एव सरितां वरा
Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 41:Roman
1 [j]
vasiṣṭhasyāpavāho vai bhīmavegaḥ kathaṃ nu saḥ
kimarthaṃ ca saricchreṣṭhā tam ṛṣiṃ pratyavāhayat
2 kena cāsyābhavad vairaṃ kāraṇaṃ kiṃ ca tat prabho
śaṃsa pṛṣṭo mahāprājña na hi tṛpyāmi kathyatām
3 [vai]
viśvāmitrasya caivarṣer vasiṣṭhasya ca bhārata
bhṛśaṃ vairam abhūd rājaṃs tapaḥ spardhā kṛtaṃ mahat
4 āśramo vai vasiṣṭhasya sthāṇutīrthe 'bhavan mahān
pūrvataḥ paścimaś cāsīd viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ
5 yatra sthāṇur mahārāja taptavān sumahat tapaḥ
yatrāsya karma tad ghoraṃ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ
6 yatreṣṭvā bhagavān sthāṇuḥ pūjayitvā sarasvatīm
sthāpayām āsa tat tīrthaṃ sthāṇutīrtham iti prabho
7 tatra sarve surāḥ skandam abhyaṣiñcan narādhipa
senāpatyena mahatā surārivinibarhaṇam
8 tasmin sarasvatī tīrthe viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ
vasiṣṭhaṃ cālayām āsa tapasogreṇa tac chṛṇu
9 viśvāmitra vasiṣṭhau tāv ahany ahani bhārata
spardhāṃ tapaḥ kṛtāṃ tīvrāṃ cakratus tau tapodhanau
10 tatrāpy adhikasaṃtāpo viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ
dṛṣṭvā tejo vasiṣṭhasya cintām abhijagāma ha
tasya buddhir iyaṃ hy āsīd dharmanityasya bhārata
11 iyaṃ sarasvatī tūrṇaṃ matsamīpaṃ tapodhanam
ānayiṣyati vegena vasiṣṭhaṃ japatāṃ varam
ihāgataṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ haniṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ
12 evaṃ niścitya bhagavān viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ
sasmāra saritāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ krodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ
13 sā dhyātā muninā tena vyākulatvaṃ jagāma ha
jajñe cainaṃ mahāvīryaṃ mahākopaṃ ca bhāminī
14 tata enaṃ vepamānā vivarṇā prāñjalis tadā
upatasthe munivaraṃ viśvāmitraṃ sarasvatī
15 hatavīrā yathā nārī sābhavad duḥkhitā bhṛśam
brūhi kiṃ karavāṇīti provāca munisattamam
16 tām uvāca muniḥ kruddho vasiṣṭhaṃ śīghram ānaya
yāvad enaṃ nihanmy adya tac chrutvā vyathitā nadī
17 sāñjaliṃ tu tathā kṛtvā puṇḍarīkanibhekṣaṇā
vivyathe suvirūḍheva latā vāyusamīritā
18 tathāgatāṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā vepamānāṃ kṛtāñjalim
viśvāmitro 'bravīt krodho vasiṣṭhaṃ śīghram ānaya
19 tato bhītā saricchreṣṭhā cintayām āsa bhārata
ubhayoḥ śāpayor bhītā katham etad bhaviṣyati
20 sābhigamya vasiṣṭhaṃ tu imam artham acodayat
yad uktā saritāṃ śreṣṭhā viśvāmitreṇa dhīmatā
21 ubhayoḥ śāpayor bhītā vepamānā punaḥ punaḥ
cintayitvā mahāśāpam ṛṣivitrāsitā bhṛśam
22 tāṃ kṛśāṃ ca vivarṇāṃ ca dṛṣṭvā cintā samanvitām
uvāca rājan dharmātmā vasiṣṭho dvipadāṃ varaḥ
23 trāhy ātmānaṃ saricchreṣṭhe vaha māṃ śīghragāminī
viśvāmitraḥ śaped dhi tvāṃ mā kṛthās tvaṃ vicāraṇām
24 tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā kṛpā śīlasya sā sarit
cintayām āsa kauravya kiṃ kṛtaṃ sukṛtaṃ bhavet
25 tasyāś cintā samutpannā vasiṣṭho mayy atīva hi
kṛtavān hi dayāṃ nityaṃ tasya kāryaṃ hitaṃ mayā
26 atha kūle svake rājañ japantam ṛṣisattamam
juhvānaṃ kauśikaṃ prekṣya sarasvaty abhyacintayat
27 idam antaram ity eva tataḥ sā saritāṃ varā
kūlāpahāram akarot svena vegena sā sarit
28 tena kūlāpahāreṇa maitrāvaruṇir auhyata
uhyamānaś ca tuṣṭāva tadā rājan sarasvatīm
29 pitāmahasya sarasaḥ pravṛttāsi sarasvati
vyāptaṃ cedaṃ jagat sarvaṃ tavaivāmbhobhir uttamaiḥ
30 tvam evākāśagā devi megheṣūtsṛjase payaḥ
sarvāś cāpas tvam eveti tvatto vayam adhīmahe
31 puṣṭir dyutis tathā kīrtiḥ siddhir vṛddhir umā tathā
tvam eva vāṇī svāhā tvaṃ tvayy āyattam idaṃ jagat
tvam eva sarvabhūteṣu vasasīha caturvidhā
32 evaṃ sarasvatī rājan stūyamānā maharṣiṇā
vegenovāha taṃ vipraṃ viśvāmitrāśramaṃ prati
nyavedayata cābhīkṣṇaṃ viśvāmitrāya taṃ munim
33 tam ānītaṃ sarasvatyā dṛṣṭvā kopasamanvitaḥ
athānveṣat praharaṇaṃ vasiṣṭhānta karaṃ tadā
34 taṃ tu kruddham abhiprekṣya brahmahatyā bhayān nadī
apovāha vasiṣṭhaṃ tu prācīṃ diśam atandritā
ubhayoḥ kurvatī vākyaṃ vañcayitvā tu gādhijam
35 tato 'pavāhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam
abravīd atha saṃkruddho viśvāmitro hy amarṣaṇaḥ
36 yasmān mā tvaṃ saricchreṣṭhe vañcayitvā punar gatā
śoṇitaṃ vaha kalyāṇi rakṣo grāmaṇi saṃmatam
37 tataḥ sarasvatī śaptā viśvāmitreṇa dhīmatā
avahac choṇitonmiśraṃ toyaṃ saṃvatsaraṃ tadā
38 atharṣayaś ca devāś ca gandharvāpsarasas tathā
sarasvatīṃ tathā dṛṣṭvā babhūvur bhṛśaduḥkhitāḥ
39 evaṃ vasiṣṭhāpavāho loke khyāto janādhipa
āgacchac ca punar mārgaṃ svam eva saritāṃ varā