Shloka 286
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
मोक्षार्थ राक्षसानां च नदीं तां प्रत्यचोदयन् । तदनन्तर उन तपोधन महर्षियोंने उस तीर्थकी शुद्धि करके उन राक्षसोंकी मुक्तिके लिये सरस्वती नदीसे अनुरोध किया
mokṣārthaṃ rākṣasānāṃ ca nadīṃ tāṃ pratyacodayan | tadanantaram un tapodhana maharṣiyo ne us tīrthakī śuddhi karke un rākṣasoṃkī muktike liye sarasvatī nadīse anurodha kiyā |
Vaiśampāyana said: With the aim of securing liberation for the Rākṣasas, they urged that river onward. Thereafter, the great ascetics—rich in austerity—purified that sacred ford and, seeking the release of those Rākṣasas, made a supplication to the river Sarasvatī.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic ethic of compassion: even hostile or impure beings (Rākṣasas) are not beyond the reach of liberation when guided by the tapas and benevolent intent of sages, supported by purification and reverence for sacred waters.
Sages, aiming at the Rākṣasas’ release, direct the river and then purify a tīrtha; they petition the Sarasvatī to grant liberation to those beings, presenting the river as an active sacred power responsive to righteous supplication.