Shloka 27
Sarasvatī-Śāpavimokṣa, Rākṣasa-Mokṣa, and Aruṇā-Tīrtha
Indra–Namuci Expiation
अथ कूले स्वके राजन् जपन्तमृषिसत्तमम् | जुद्दानं कौशिक प्रेक्ष्य सरस्वत्य भ्यचिन्तयत्
atha kūle svake rājan japantam ṛṣisattamam | yuddhānaṃ kauśikaṃ prekṣya sarasvaty abhyacintayat ||
Then, O King, on his own riverbank, seeing the foremost of sages—Kauśika—absorbed in mantra-recitation, Sarasvatī reflected within herself. Observing his austere devotion set against the surrounding turmoil, she considered what response was fitting, mindful of the moral weight carried by a sage’s intent and the consequences that can follow from spiritual power.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical seriousness of ascetic practice: a sage’s japa and tapas are not merely private acts but forces with real-world consequences, prompting even divine powers (here Sarasvatī) to deliberate on what is right and proportionate.
Vasiṣṭha narrates that Sarasvatī notices Kauśika on the riverbank engaged in mantra-recitation and, after observing him, begins to reflect—setting up her ensuing decision or intervention in the unfolding episode.