Shloka 27
अदृश्या गच्छ भीरु त्वं सरस्वति मरुन् प्रति । अपुण्य एष भवतु देशस्त्यक्तस्त्वया शुभे
adṛśyā gaccha bhīru tvaṁ sarasvati marūn prati | apuṇya eṣa bhavatu deśas tyaktas tvayā śubhe ||
Sinabi ni Utathya, ang pinakadakila sa mga dwija, sa ilog Sarasvatī: “O mahiyain, O mapalad na Sarasvatī—lumakad kang di-nakikita patungo sa mga lupain ng disyerto. Nawa’y ang pook na ito, na iniwan mo, ay mawalan ng bisa ng kabutihan.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic idea of sacred ecology: a land’s purity and prosperity depend on the sustaining presence of sacred forces (here, the Sarasvatī). When that presence is withdrawn—especially through a powerful ascetic’s pronouncement—the region becomes ‘apuṇya,’ signaling moral and ritual decline alongside physical barrenness.
Utathya, described as a leading brāhmaṇa, addresses Sarasvatī directly and commands her to proceed invisibly toward the Maru (desert). He further declares that the land she leaves behind should become impure/without merit, explaining why the area turns barren once the river departs.