Shloka 7
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
अथागम्य महाभागास्तत् तीर्थ दारुणं तदा ६ ।।
athāgamya mahābhāgās tat tīrthaṁ dāruṇaṁ tadā | dṛṣṭvā toyaṁ sarasvatyāḥ śoṇitena pariplutam || pīyamānaṁ ca rakṣobhir bahubhir nṛpasattama ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Alors ces sages illustres arrivèrent à ce gué sacré et terrible. Là, ils virent les eaux de la Sarasvatī inondées de sang, et de nombreux rākṣasas qui en buvaient. La scène montre combien la violence peut profaner jusqu’à un tīrtha, transformant un lieu voué à la purification en témoin de l’effondrement moral et de la rapacité qui suit la guerre.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that unchecked violence and adharma can defile even sacred places: a tīrtha meant for purification becomes blood-filled, and predatory beings thrive there. It serves as a moral warning about the spiritual and social consequences of war.
A group of revered sages arrives at a tīrtha on the Sarasvatī and witnesses a horrific sight: the river-water is inundated with blood, and many rākṣasas are drinking it, indicating a grim aftermath of conflict and desecration.