Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 37

Sarasvatī-Śāpavimokṣa, Rākṣasa-Mokṣa, and Aruṇā-Tīrtha

Indra–Namuci Expiation

Devanagari script

ततो<पवाहितं दृष्टवा वसिष्ठमृषिसत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

tato ’pavāhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā vasiṣṭham ṛṣisattamam | śoṇitaṃ vaha kalyāṇi rakṣogrāmaṇisammatam ||

Translation

于是，他见最上圣仙婆悉吒又被水流带离自己，毗湿瓦密多因不甘与悲愤而怒极，喝道：“吉祥的萨拉斯瓦蒂啊，诸河之最！你欺我而去又复归；从今以后，莫再流清水，且流鲜血——那为罗刹群首所嗜之血！”

Word by Word

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अपवाहितम्: carried away/driven away
• अपवाहितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपवाहित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऋषिसत्तमम्: best of sages
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषिसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शोणितम्: blood
• शोणितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वह: carry/flow
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• रक्षोग्रामणिसम्मतम्: approved/liked by the leader of the rākṣasas
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षोग्रामणिसम्मत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Sarasvatī
• Rākṣasas (leaders/chiefs)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Uncontrolled anger and humiliation can distort one’s sense of dharma, attempting to weaponize even sacred forces; the episode warns that spiritual or natural powers should not be bent toward cruelty and revenge.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Vasiṣṭha is seen swept away by the river, the enraged speaker addresses Sarasvatī and orders her to flow with blood instead of water—an extreme curse-like command aimed at empowering destructive beings (rākṣasa chiefs).