Shloka 403
Sarasvatī-Śāpavimokṣa, Rākṣasa-Mokṣa, and Aruṇā-Tīrtha
Indra–Namuci Expiation
सरस्वती तथा दृष्टवा बभूवुर्भशदु:खिता: । तदनन्तर ऋषि, देवता, गन्धर्व और अप्सरा सरस्वतीको उस अवस्थामें देखकर अत्यन्त दुःखी हो गये
sarasvatī tathā dṛṣṭvā babhūvur bhṛśa-duḥkhitāḥ | tad-anantaraṃ ṛṣayaḥ devatā gandharvā apsarasaś ca sarasvatīm tasmin avasthāyāṃ dṛṣṭvā atyantaṃ duḥkhitā abhavan |
Seeing Sarasvatī in that condition, they became deeply distressed. Thereafter the sages, the gods, the Gandharvas, and the Apsarases, on beholding Sarasvatī thus, were overwhelmed with sorrow—signaling how even exalted beings are moved by compassion when a revered, life-giving presence is found afflicted.
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharmic compassion: when a sacred and beneficent power like Sarasvatī is seen in distress, even divine and celestial beings respond with empathy, implying that sensitivity to suffering is a mark of righteousness.
Vasiṣṭha describes a scene where Sarasvatī is observed in a pitiable condition; immediately afterward, sages, gods, Gandharvas, and Apsarases see her and become intensely sorrowful.