SECTION 43
Vaishampayana said, "Cursed by the intelligent Vishvamitra in anger,
Sarasvati, in that auspicious and best of tirthas, flowed, bearing blood
in her current. Then, O king, many Rakshasas came, O Bharata, and lived
happily there, drinking the blood that flowed. Exceedingly gratified with
that blood, cheerfully and without anxiety of any kind, they danced and
laughed there like persons that have (by merit) attained to heaven. After
some time had passed away, some Rishis, possessed of wealth of
asceticism, came to the Sarasvati, O king, on a sojourn to her tirthas.
Those foremost of Munis, having bathed in all the tirthas and obtained
great happiness, became desirous of acquiring more merit. Those learned
persons at last came, O king, to that tirtha where the Sarasvati ran a
bloody current. Those highly blessed ones, arriving at that frightful
tirtha, saw the water of the Sarasvati mixed with blood and that
innumerable Rakshasas, O monarch, were drinking it. Beholding those
Rakshasas, O king, those ascetics of rigid vows made great endeavours for
rescuing the Sarasvati from that plight. Those blessed ones of high vows,
arrived there, invoked that foremost of rivers and said these words unto
her, 'Tell us the reason, O auspicious lady, why this lake in you hath
been afflicted with such distress Hearing it, we shall endeavour (to
restore 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 the
reason. We have heard of your curse, O sinless lady! All of us shall exert
ourselves!' Having said these words unto that foremost of rivers, they
then consulted with one another thus, 'All of us shall emancipate
Sarasvati from her curse.' Then all those Brahmanas, O king, worshipping
Mahadeva, that lord of the universe and protector of all creatures, with
penance and vows and fasts and diverse kinds of abstinences and painful
observances, 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 the
protection of those Munis themselves. Afflicted with hunger, the
Rakshasas, with joined hands, repeatedly said unto those ascetics filled
with compassion, these words, 'All of us are hungry! We have swerved from
eternal 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 also
through the sexual sins of our women, our demerits increase and we have
become Brahma-Rakshasas! So amongst Vaisyas and Sudras, and Kshatriyas,
those that hate and injure Brahmanas became Rakshasas. Ye best of
Brahmanas, make arrangements then for our relief! Ye are competent to
relieve all the worlds!' Hearing these words of theirs, those ascetics
praised the great river. For the rescue of those Rakshasas, with rapt
minds those ascetics said, 'The food over which one sneezed, that in
which there are worms and insects, that which may be mixed with any
leavings of dishes, that which is mixed with hair, that which is mixed
with tears, that which is trodden upon shall form the portion of these
Rakshasas! The learned man, knowing all this, shall carefully avoid these
kinds of food. He that shall take such food shall be regarded as eating
the food of Rakshasas!' Having purified the tirtha in this way, those
ascetics thus solicited that river for the relief of those Rakshasas.
Understanding the views of those great Rishis, that foremost of rivers
caused 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 cast
off their bodies and went to heaven. Ascertaining all this, the chief of
the celestials, (Indra of a hundred sacrifices), bathed in that foremost
of tirthas and became cleansed of a grievous sin."
Janamejaya said, "For what reason was Indra tainted with the sin of
Brahmanicide? How also did he become cleansed by bathing in that tirtha?"
Vaishampayana said, "Listen to that history, O ruler of men! Hear of
those 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 and
entered into a covenant with him, saying, 'O foremost of Asuras, I shall
not slay thee, O friend, with anything that is wet or with anything that
is dry! I shall not slay you in the night or in the day! I swear this to
thee by truth. Having made this covenant, the lord Indra one day beheld a
fog. He then, O king, cut off Namuchi's head, using the foam of water (as
his weapon). The severed head of Namuchi thereupon pursued Indra from
behind, saying unto him from a near point these words, 'O slayer of a
friend, O wretch!' Urged on incessantly by that head, Indra repaired to
the Grandsire and informed him, in grief, of what had occurred. The
Supreme Lord of the universe said unto him, 'Performing a sacrifice,
bathe with due rites, O chief of the celestials, in Aruna, that tirtha
which 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 river
at its site was concealed. The divine Sarasvati repaired to the Aruna,
and flooded it with her waters. This confluence of Sarasvati and Aruna is
highly sacred! Thither, O chief of the celestials, perform a sacrifice!
Give away gifts in profusion! Performing your ablutions there, you shall
be freed from your 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 hundred
sacrifices, the piercer of Vala, duly performed certain sacrifices and
then plunged in the Aruna. He became freed from the sin arising out of
the slaughter of a Brahmana. The lord of heaven then returned to heaven
with a joyful heart. The head of Namuchi also fell into that stream, O
Bharata, and the Asura obtained many eternal regions, O best of kings,
that granted every wish."
Vaishampayana continued, "The high-souled Baladeva having bathed in that
tirtha and given away many kinds of gifts, obtained great merit. Of
righteous deeds, he then proceeded to the great tirtha of Soma. There, in
days of yore, Soma himself, O king of kings, had performed the Rajasuya
sacrifice. The high-souled Atri, that foremost of Brahmanas, gifted with
great intelligence became the Hotri in that grand sacrifice. Upon the
conclusion of that sacrifice, a great battle took place between the gods
(on the one side) and the Danavas, the Daityas, and the Rakshasas (on the
other). 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 the
celestial forces. In that tirtha is a gigantic Aswattha tree. Under its
shade, Kartikeya, otherwise called Kumara, always resides in person."
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 43 ---------------------
