Chapter 43

Vaishampayana said, “Cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra in anger,Sarasvati, in that auspicious and best of tirthas, flowed, bearing bloodin her current. Then, O king, many Rakshasas came, O Bharata, and livedhappily there, drinking the blood that flowed. Exceedingly gratified withthat blood, cheerfully and without anxiety of any kind, they danced andlaughed there like persons that have (by merit) attained to heaven. Aftersome time had passed away, some Rishis, possessed of wealth ofasceticism, came to the Sarasvati, O king, on a sojourn to her tirthas.Those foremost of Munis, having bathed in all the tirthas and obtainedgreat happiness, became desirous of acquiring more merit. Those learnedpersons at last came, O king, to that tirtha where the Sarasvati ran abloody current. Those highly blessed ones, arriving at that frightfultirtha, saw the water of the Sarasvati mixed with blood and thatinnumerable Rakshasas, O monarch, were drinking it. Beholding thoseRakshasas, O king, those ascetics of rigid vows made great endeavours forrescuing the Sarasvati from that plight. Those blessed ones of high vows,arrived there, invoked that foremost of rivers and said these words untoher, ‘Tell us the reason, O auspicious lady, why this lake in thee hathbeen afflicted with such distress Hearing it, we shall endeavour (torestore it to its proper condition).’ Thus questioned, Sarasvati,trembling as she spoke, informed them of everything that had occurred.Seeing her afflicted with woe, those ascetics said, ‘We have heard thereason. We have heard of thy curse, O sinless lady! All of us shall exertourselves!’ Having said these words unto that foremost of rivers, theythen consulted with one another thus, ‘All of us shall emancipateSarasvati from her curse.’ Then all those Brahmanas, O king, worshippingMahadeva, that lord of the universe and protector of all creatures, withpenance and vows and fasts and diverse kinds of abstinences and painfulobservances, emancipated that foremost of rivers, the divine Sarasvati.Beholding the water of Sarasvati purified by those Munis, the Rakshasas(that had taken up their abode there), afflicted with hunger, sought theprotection of those Munis themselves. Afflicted with hunger, theRakshasas, with joined hands, repeatedly said unto those ascetics filledwith compassion, these words, ‘All of us are hungry! We have swerved frometernal virtue! That we are sinful in behaviour is not of our free will!Through the absence of your, grace and through our own evil acts, as alsothrough the sexual sins of our women, our demerits increase and we havebecome Brahma-Rakshasas! So amongst Vaisyas and Sudras, and Kshatriyas,those that hate and injure Brahmanas became Rakshasas. Ye best ofBrahmanas, make arrangements then for our relief! Ye are competent torelieve all the worlds!’ Hearing these words of theirs, those asceticspraised the great river. For the rescue of those Rakshasas, with raptminds those ascetics said, ‘The food over which one sneezed, that inwhich there are worms and insects, that which may be mixed with anyleavings of dishes, that which is mixed with hair, that which is mixedwith tears, that which is trodden upon shall form the portion of theseRakshasas! The learned man, knowing all this, shall carefully avoid thesekinds of food. He that shall take such food shall be regarded as eatingthe food of Rakshasas!’ Having purified the tirtha in this way, thoseascetics thus solicited that river for the relief of those Rakshasas.Understanding the views of those great Rishis, that foremost of riverscaused her body, O bull among men, to assume a new shape called Aruna.Bathing in that new river (a branch of the Sarasvati) the Rakshasas castoff their bodies and went to heaven. Ascertaining all this, the chief ofthe celestials, (Indra of a hundred sacrifices), bathed in that foremostof tirthas and became cleansed of a grievous sin.”

Janamejaya said, “For what reason was Indra tainted with the sin ofBrahmanicide? How also did he become cleansed by bathing in that tirtha?”

Vaishampayana said, “Listen to that history, O ruler of men! Hear ofthose occurrences as they happened! Hear how Vasava, in days of yore,broke his treaty with Namuchi! The Asura Namuchi, from fear of Vasava,had entered a ray of the Sun. Indra then made friends with Namuchi andentered into a covenant with him, saying, ‘O foremost of Asuras, I shallnot slay thee, O friend, with anything that is wet or with anything thatis dry! I shall not slay thee in the night or in the day! I swear this tothee by truth. Having made this covenant, the lord Indra one day beheld afog. He then, O king, cut off Namuchi’s head, using the foam of water (ashis weapon). The severed head of Namuchi thereupon pursued Indra frombehind, saying unto him from a near point these words, ‘O slayer of afriend, O wretch!’ Urged on incessantly by that head, Indra repaired tothe Grandsire and informed him, in grief, of what had occurred. TheSupreme Lord of the universe said unto him, ‘Performing a sacrifice,bathe with due rites, O chief of the celestials, in Aruna, that tirthawhich saveth from the fear of sin! The water of that river, O Shakra,hath been made sacred by the Munis! Formerly the presence of that riverat its site was concealed. The divine Sarasvati repaired to the Aruna,and flooded it with her waters. This confluence of Sarasvati and Aruna ishighly sacred! Thither, O chief of the celestials, perform a sacrifice!Give away gifts in profusion! Performing thy ablutions there, thou shallbe freed from thy sin.’ Thus addressed, Shakra, at these words of Brahma,O Janamejaya, performed in that abode of Sarasvati diverse sacrifices.Giving away many gifts and bathing in that tirtha, he of a hundredsacrifices, the piercer of Vala, duly performed certain sacrifices andthen plunged in the Aruna. He became freed from the sin arising out ofthe slaughter of a Brahmana. The lord of heaven then returned to heavenwith a joyful heart. The head of Namuchi also fell into that stream, OBharata, and the Asura obtained many eternal regions, O best of kings,that granted every wish.”

Vaishampayana continued, “The high-souled Baladeva having bathed in thattirtha and given away many kinds of gifts, obtained great merit. Ofrighteous deeds, he then proceeded to the great tirtha of Soma. There, indays of yore, Soma himself, O king of kings, had performed the Rajasuyasacrifice. The high-souled Atri, that foremost of Brahmanas, gifted withgreat intelligence became the Hotri in that grand sacrifice. Upon theconclusion of that sacrifice, a great battle took place between the gods(on the one side) and the Danavas, the Daityas, and the Rakshasas (on theother). That fierce battle is known after the name of (the Asura) Taraka.In that battle Skanda slew Taraka. There, on that occasion, Mahasena(Skanda), that destroyer of Daityas, obtained the command of thecelestial forces. In that tirtha is a gigantic Aswattha tree. Under itsshade, Kartikeya, otherwise called Kumara, always resides in person.”