Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, 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 ||
Utathya, bậc tối thượng trong hàng nhị sinh, nói với sông Sarasvatī: “Hỡi kẻ nhút nhát, hỡi Sarasvatī cát tường—hãy đi mà vô hình về phía miền sa mạc. Nguyện cho vùng đất này, bị ngươi bỏ lại, trở thành nơi không còn phước đức.”
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 When that presence is withdrawn—especially through a powerful ascetic’s pronouncement—the region becomes ‘apuṇya,’ signaling moral and ritual decline alongside physical barrenness.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.