Ninth Skandha · Chapter 6
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच सरस्वती तु वैकुण्ठे स्वयं नारायणान्तिके । गङ्गाशापेन कलहात्कलया भारते सरित् ॥ १ ॥ पुण्यदा पुण्यरूपा च पुण्यतीर्थस्वरूपिणी । पुण्यवद्भिर्निषेव्या च स्थितिः पुण्यवतां मुने ॥ २ ॥ तपस्विनां तपोरूपा तपसः फलरूपिणी । कृतपापेध्मदाहाय ज्वलदग्निस्वरूपिणी ॥ ३ ॥ ज्ञानात्सरस्वतीतोये मृता ये मानवा भुवि । तेषां स्थितिश्च वैकुण्ठे सुचिरं हरिसंसदि ॥ ४ ॥ भारते कृतपापश्च स्नात्वा तत्र च लीलया । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोके वसेच्चिरम् ॥ ५ ॥ चातुर्मास्यां पौर्णमास्यामक्षयायां दिनक्षये । व्यतीपाते च ग्रहणेऽन्यस्मिन्पुण्यदिनेऽपि च ॥ ६ ॥ अनुषङ्गेण यः स्नातो हेतुना श्रद्धयापि वा । सारूप्यं लभते नूनं वैकुण्ठे स हरेरपि ॥ ७ ॥ सरस्वतीमनुं तत्र मासमेकं च यो जपेत् । महामूर्खः कवीन्द्रश्च स भवेन्नात्र संशयः ॥ ८ ॥ नित्यं सरस्वतीतोये यः स्नायान्मुण्डयन्नरः । न गर्भवासं कुरुते पुनरेव स मानवः ॥ ९ ॥ इत्येवं कथितं किञ्चिद्भारतीगुणकीर्तनम् । सुखदं कामदं सारं भूयः किं श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ १० ॥ सूत उवाच नारायणवचः श्रुत्वा नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । पुनः पप्रच्छ सन्देहमिमं शौनक सत्वरम् ॥ ११ ॥ नारद उवाच कथं सरस्वती देवी गङ्गाशापेन भारते । कलया कलहेनैव बभूव पुण्यदा सरित् ॥ १२ ॥ श्रवणे श्रुतिसाराणां वर्धते कौतुकं मम । कथामृतेन मे तृप्तिः केन श्रेयसि तृप्यते ॥ १३ ॥ कथं शशाप सा गङ्गा पूजितां तां सरस्वतीम् । सा तु सत्त्वस्वरूपा या पुण्यदा शुभदा सदा ॥ १४ ॥ तेजस्विनोर्द्वयोर्वादकारणं श्रुतिसुन्दरम् । सुदुर्लभं पुराणेषु तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ १५ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १६ ॥ लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती गङ्गा तिस्रो भार्या हरेरपि । प्रेम्णा समास्तास्तिष्ठन्ति सततं हरिसन्निधौ ॥ १७ ॥ चकार सैकदा गङ्गा विष्णोर्मुखनिरीक्षणम् । सस्मिता च सकामा च सकटाक्षं पुनः पुनः ॥ १८ ॥ विभुर्जहास तद्वक्त्रं निरीक्ष्य च क्षणं तदा । क्षमां चकार तद् दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मीर्नैव सरस्वती ॥ १९ ॥ बोधयामास पद्मा तां सत्त्वरूपा च सस्मिता । क्रोधाविष्टा च सा वाणी न च शान्ता बभूव ह ॥ २० ॥ उवाच वाणी भर्तारं रक्तास्या रक्तलोचना । कुपिता कामवेगेन शश्वत्प्रस्फुरिताधरा ॥ २१ ॥ सरस्वत्युवाच सर्वत्र समताबुद्धिः सद्भर्तुः कामिनीं प्रति । धर्मिष्ठस्य वरिष्ठस्य विपरीता खलस्य च ॥ २२ ॥ ज्ञातं सौभाग्यमधिकं गङ्गायां ते गदाधर । कमलायां च तत्तुल्यं न च किञ्चिन्मयि प्रभो ॥ २३ ॥ गङ्गायाः पद्मया सार्धं प्रीतिश्चास्ति सुसम्मता । क्षमां चकार तेनेदं विपरीतं हरिप्रिया ॥ २४ ॥ किं जीवनेन मेऽत्रैव दुर्भगायाश्च साम्प्रतम् । निष्कलं जीवनं तस्या या पत्युः प्रेमवञ्चिता ॥ २५ ॥ त्वां सर्वे सत्त्वरूपं च ये वदन्ति मनीषिणः । ते च मूर्खा न वेदज्ञा न जानन्ति मतिं तव ॥ २६ ॥ सरस्वतीवचः श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा तां कोपसंयुताम् । मनसा च समालोच्य स जगाम बहिः सभाम् ॥ २७ ॥ गते नारायणे गङ्गामुवाच निर्भयं रुषा । वागधिष्ठातृदेवी सा वाक्यं श्रवणदुष्करम् ॥ २८ ॥ हे निर्लज्जे हे सकामे स्वामिगर्वं करोषि किम् । अधिकं स्वामिसौभाग्यं विज्ञापयितुमिच्छसि ॥ २९ ॥ मानचूर्णं करिष्यामि तवाद्य हरिसन्निधौ । किं करिष्यति ते कान्तो ममैवं कान्तवल्लभे ॥ ३० ॥ इत्येवमुक्त्वा गङ्गायाः केशं ग्रहीतुमुद्यता । वारयामास तां पद्मा मध्यदेशं समाश्रिता ॥ ३१ ॥ शशाप वाणी तां पद्मां महाबलवती सती । वृक्षरूपा सरिद्रूपा भविष्यसि न संशयः ॥ ३२ ॥ विपरीतं ततो दृष्ट्वा किञ्चिन्नो वक्तुमर्हसि । सन्तिष्ठति सभामध्ये यथा वृक्षो यथा सरित् ॥ ३३ ॥ शापं श्रुत्वा तु सा देवी न शशाप चुकोप ह । तत्रैव दुःखिता तस्थौ वाणीं धृत्वा करेण च ॥ ३४ ॥ असन्तुष्टां तु तां दृष्ट्वा कोपप्रस्फुरिताधराम् । उवाच गङ्गा तां देवीं पद्मां चारक्तलोचनाम् ॥ ३५ ॥ गङ्गोवाच त्वमुत्सृज महोग्रां च पद्मे किं मे करिष्यति । दुःशीला मुखरा नष्टा नित्यं वाचालरूपिणी ॥ ३६ ॥ वागधिष्ठात्री देवीयं सततं कलहप्रिया । यावती योग्यता चास्या यावती शक्तिरेव च ॥ ३७ ॥ तथा करोतु वादं च मया सार्धं च दुर्मुखी । स्वबलं यन्मम बलं विज्ञापयितुमिच्छति ॥ ३८ ॥ जानन्तु सर्वे ह्युभयोः प्रभावं विक्रमं सति । इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा देवी वाण्यै शापं ददाविति ॥ ३९ ॥ सरिक्त्यरूपा भवतु सा या त्वां च शशाप ह । अधोमर्त्यं सा प्रयातु सन्ति यत्रैव पापिनः ॥ ४० ॥ कलौ तेषां च पापानि ग्रहीष्यति न संशयः । इत्येवं वचनं श्रुत्वा तां शशाप सरस्वती ॥ ४१ ॥ त्वमेव यास्यसि महीं पापिपापं लभिष्यसि । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र भगवानाजगाम ह ॥ ४२ ॥ चतुर्भुजश्चतुर्भिश्च पार्षदैश्च चतुर्भुजैः । सरस्वतीं करे धृत्वा वासयामास वक्षसि ॥ ४३ ॥ बोधयामास सर्वज्ञः सर्वज्ञानं पुरातनम् । श्रुत्वा रहस्यं तासां च शापस्य कलहस्य च ॥ ४४ ॥ उवाच दुःखितास्ताश्च वाचं सामयिकीं विभुः । श्रीभगवानुवाच लक्ष्मि त्वं कलया गच्छ धर्मध्वजगृहं शुभे ॥ ४५ ॥ अयोनिसम्भवा भूमौ तस्य कन्या भविष्यसि । तत्रैव दैवदोषेण वृक्षत्वं च लभिष्यसि ॥ ४६ ॥ मदंशस्यासुरस्यैव शङ्खचूडस्य कामिनी । भूत्वा पश्चाच्च मत्पत्नी भविष्यसि न संशयः ॥ ४७ ॥ त्रैलोक्यपावनी नाम्ना तुलसीति च भारते । कलया च सरिद्भावं शीघ्रं गच्छ वरानने ॥ ४८ ॥ भारतं भारतीशापान्नाम्ना पद्मावती भव । गङ्गे यास्यसि पश्चात्त्वमंशेन विश्वपावनी ॥ ४९ ॥ भारतं भारतीशापात्पापदाहाय पापिनाम् । भगीरथस्य तपसा तेन नीता सुकल्पिते ॥ ५० ॥ नाम्ना भागीरथी पूता भविष्यसि महीतले । मदंशस्य समुद्रस्य जाया जायेर्ममाज्ञया ॥ ५१ ॥ मत्कलांशस्य भूपस्य शन्तनोश्च सुरेश्वरि । गङ्गाशापेन कलया भारतं गच्छ भारति ॥ ५२ ॥ कलहस्य फलं भुंक्ष्व सपत्नीभ्यां सहाच्युते । स्वयं च ब्रह्मसदने ब्रह्मणः कामिनी भव ॥ ५३ ॥ गङ्गा यातु शिवस्थानमत्र पद्मैव तिष्ठतु । शान्ता च क्रोधरहिता मद्भक्ता सत्त्वरूपिणी ॥ ५४ ॥ महासाध्वी महाभागा सुशीला धर्मचारिणी । यदंशकलया सर्वा धर्मिष्ठाश्च पतिव्रताः ॥ ५५ ॥ शान्तरूपाः सुशीलाश्च प्रतिविश्वेषु पूजिताः । तिस्रो भार्यास्त्रिशीलाश्च त्रयो भृत्याश्च बान्धवाः ॥ ५६ ॥ ध्रुवं वेदविरुद्धाश्च न ह्येते मङ्गलप्रदाः । स्त्रीपुंवच्च गृहे येषां गृहिणां स्त्रीवशः पुमान् ॥ ५७ ॥ निष्फलं च जन्म तेषामशुभं च पदे पदे । मुखे दुष्टा योनिदुष्टा यस्य स्त्री कलहप्रिया ॥ ५८ ॥ अरण्यं तेन गन्तव्यं महारण्यं गृहाद्वरम् । जलानां च स्थलानां च फलानां प्राप्तिरेव च ॥ ५९ ॥ सततं सुलभा तत्र न तेषां गृह एव च । वरमग्नौ स्थितिर्हिंस्रजन्तूनां सन्निधौ सुखम् ॥ ६० ॥ ततोऽपि दुःखं पुंसां च दुष्टस्त्रीसन्निधौ ध्रुवम् । व्याधिज्वाला विषज्वाला वरं पुंसां वरानने ॥ ६१ ॥ दुष्टस्त्रीणां मुखज्वाला मरणादतिरिच्यते । पुंसां च स्त्रीजितां चैव भस्मान्तं शौचमध्रुवम् ॥ ६२ ॥ यदह्नि कुरुते कर्म न तस्य फलभाग्भवेत् । निन्दितोऽत्र परत्रैव सर्वत्र नरकं व्रजेत् ॥ ६३ ॥ यशःकीर्तिविहीनो यो जीवन्नपि मृतो हि सः । बह्वीनां च सपत्नीनां नैकत्र श्रेयसे स्थितिः ॥ ६४ ॥ एकभार्यः सुखी नैव बहुभार्यः कदाचन । गच्छ गङ्गे शिवस्थानं ब्रह्मस्थानं सरस्वति ॥ ६५ ॥ अत्र तिष्ठतु मद्गेहे सुशीला कमलालया । सुसाध्या यस्य पत्नी च सुशीला च पतिव्रता ॥ ६६ ॥ इह स्वर्गे सुखं तस्य धर्मो मोक्षः परत्र च । पतिव्रता यस्य पत्नी स च मुक्तः शुचिः सुखी । जीवन्मृतोऽशुचिर्दुःखी दुःशीलापतिरेव च ॥ ६७ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca sarasvatī tu vaikuṇṭhe svayaṃ nārāyaṇāntike | gaṅgāśāpena kalahātkalayā bhārate sarit || 1 || puṇyadā puṇyarūpā ca puṇyatīrthasvarūpiṇī | puṇyavadbhirniṣevyā ca sthitiḥ puṇyavatāṃ mune || 2 || tapasvināṃ taporūpā tapasaḥ phalarūpiṇī | kṛtapāpedhmadāhāya jvaladagnisvarūpiṇī || 3 || jñānātsarasvatītoye mṛtā ye mānavā bhuvi | teṣāṃ sthitiśca vaikuṇṭhe suciraṃ harisaṃsadi || 4 || bhārate kṛtapāpaśca snātvā tatra ca līlayā | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo viṣṇuloke vasecciram || 5 || cāturmāsyāṃ paurṇamāsyāmakṣayāyāṃ dinakṣaye | vyatīpāte ca grahaṇe'nyasminpuṇyadine'pi ca || 6 || anuṣaṅgeṇa yaḥ snāto hetunā śraddhayāpi vā | sārūpyaṃ labhate nūnaṃ vaikuṇṭhe sa harerapi || 7 || sarasvatīmanuṃ tatra māsamekaṃ ca yo japet | mahāmūrkhaḥ kavīndraśca sa bhavennātra saṃśayaḥ || 8 || nityaṃ sarasvatītoye yaḥ snāyānmuṇḍayannaraḥ | na garbhavāsaṃ kurute punareva sa mānavaḥ || 9 || ityevaṃ kathitaṃ kiñcidbhāratīguṇakīrtanam | sukhadaṃ kāmadaṃ sāraṃ bhūyaḥ kiṃ śrotumicchasi || 10 || sūta uvāca nārāyaṇavacaḥ śrutvā nārado munisattamaḥ | punaḥ papraccha sandehamimaṃ śaunaka satvaram || 11 || nārada uvāca kathaṃ sarasvatī devī gaṅgāśāpena bhārate | kalayā kalahenaiva babhūva puṇyadā sarit || 12 || śravaṇe śrutisārāṇāṃ vardhate kautukaṃ mama | kathāmṛtena me tṛptiḥ kena śreyasi tṛpyate || 13 || kathaṃ śaśāpa sā gaṅgā pūjitāṃ tāṃ sarasvatīm | sā tu sattvasvarūpā yā puṇyadā śubhadā sadā || 14 || tejasvinordvayorvādakāraṇaṃ śrutisundaram | sudurlabhaṃ purāṇeṣu tanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 15 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca śṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi kathāmetāṃ purātanīm | yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa sarvapāpātpramucyate || 16 || lakṣmīḥ sarasvatī gaṅgā tisro bhāryā harerapi | premṇā samāstāstiṣṭhanti satataṃ harisannidhau || 17 || cakāra saikadā gaṅgā viṣṇormukhanirīkṣaṇam | sasmitā ca sakāmā ca sakaṭākṣaṃ punaḥ punaḥ || 18 || vibhurjahāsa tadvaktraṃ nirīkṣya ca kṣaṇaṃ tadā | kṣamāṃ cakāra tad dṛṣṭvā lakṣmīrnaiva sarasvatī || 19 || bodhayāmāsa padmā tāṃ sattvarūpā ca sasmitā | krodhāviṣṭā ca sā vāṇī na ca śāntā babhūva ha || 20 || uvāca vāṇī bhartāraṃ raktāsyā raktalocanā | kupitā kāmavegena śaśvatprasphuritādharā || 21 || sarasvatyuvāca sarvatra samatābuddhiḥ sadbhartuḥ kāminīṃ prati | dharmiṣṭhasya variṣṭhasya viparītā khalasya ca || 22 || jñātaṃ saubhāgyamadhikaṃ gaṅgāyāṃ te gadādhara | kamalāyāṃ ca tattulyaṃ na ca kiñcinmayi prabho || 23 || gaṅgāyāḥ padmayā sārdhaṃ prītiścāsti susammatā | kṣamāṃ cakāra tenedaṃ viparītaṃ haripriyā || 24 || kiṃ jīvanena me'traiva durbhagāyāśca sāmpratam | niṣkalaṃ jīvanaṃ tasyā yā patyuḥ premavañcitā || 25 || tvāṃ sarve sattvarūpaṃ ca ye vadanti manīṣiṇaḥ | te ca mūrkhā na vedajñā na jānanti matiṃ tava || 26 || sarasvatīvacaḥ śrutvā dṛṣṭvā tāṃ kopasaṃyutām | manasā ca samālocya sa jagāma bahiḥ sabhām || 27 || gate nārāyaṇe gaṅgāmuvāca nirbhayaṃ ruṣā | vāgadhiṣṭhātṛdevī sā vākyaṃ śravaṇaduṣkaram || 28 || he nirlajje he sakāme svāmigarvaṃ karoṣi kim | adhikaṃ svāmisaubhāgyaṃ vijñāpayitumicchasi || 29 || mānacūrṇaṃ kariṣyāmi tavādya harisannidhau | kiṃ kariṣyati te kānto mamaivaṃ kāntavallabhe || 30 || ityevamuktvā gaṅgāyāḥ keśaṃ grahītumudyatā | vārayāmāsa tāṃ padmā madhyadeśaṃ samāśritā || 31 || śaśāpa vāṇī tāṃ padmāṃ mahābalavatī satī | vṛkṣarūpā saridrūpā bhaviṣyasi na saṃśayaḥ || 32 || viparītaṃ tato dṛṣṭvā kiñcinno vaktumarhasi | santiṣṭhati sabhāmadhye yathā vṛkṣo yathā sarit || 33 || śāpaṃ śrutvā tu sā devī na śaśāpa cukopa ha | tatraiva duḥkhitā tasthau vāṇīṃ dhṛtvā kareṇa ca || 34 || asantuṣṭāṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā kopaprasphuritādharām | uvāca gaṅgā tāṃ devīṃ padmāṃ cāraktalocanām || 35 || gaṅgovāca tvamutsṛja mahogrāṃ ca padme kiṃ me kariṣyati | duḥśīlā mukharā naṣṭā nityaṃ vācālarūpiṇī || 36 || vāgadhiṣṭhātrī devīyaṃ satataṃ kalahapriyā | yāvatī yogyatā cāsyā yāvatī śaktireva ca || 37 || tathā karotu vādaṃ ca mayā sārdhaṃ ca durmukhī | svabalaṃ yanmama balaṃ vijñāpayitumicchati || 38 || jānantu sarve hyubhayoḥ prabhāvaṃ vikramaṃ sati | ityevamuktvā sā devī vāṇyai śāpaṃ dadāviti || 39 || sariktyarūpā bhavatu sā yā tvāṃ ca śaśāpa ha | adhomartyaṃ sā prayātu santi yatraiva pāpinaḥ || 40 || kalau teṣāṃ ca pāpāni grahīṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | ityevaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā tāṃ śaśāpa sarasvatī || 41 || tvameva yāsyasi mahīṃ pāpipāpaṃ labhiṣyasi | etasminnantare tatra bhagavānājagāma ha || 42 || caturbhujaścaturbhiśca pārṣadaiśca caturbhujaiḥ | sarasvatīṃ kare dhṛtvā vāsayāmāsa vakṣasi || 43 || bodhayāmāsa sarvajñaḥ sarvajñānaṃ purātanam | śrutvā rahasyaṃ tāsāṃ ca śāpasya kalahasya ca || 44 || uvāca duḥkhitāstāśca vācaṃ sāmayikīṃ vibhuḥ | śrībhagavānuvāca lakṣmi tvaṃ kalayā gaccha dharmadhvajagṛhaṃ śubhe || 45 || ayonisambhavā bhūmau tasya kanyā bhaviṣyasi | tatraiva daivadoṣeṇa vṛkṣatvaṃ ca labhiṣyasi || 46 || madaṃśasyāsurasyaiva śaṅkhacūḍasya kāminī | bhūtvā paścācca matpatnī bhaviṣyasi na saṃśayaḥ || 47 || trailokyapāvanī nāmnā tulasīti ca bhārate | kalayā ca saridbhāvaṃ śīghraṃ gaccha varānane || 48 || bhārataṃ bhāratīśāpānnāmnā padmāvatī bhava | gaṅge yāsyasi paścāttvamaṃśena viśvapāvanī || 49 || bhārataṃ bhāratīśāpātpāpadāhāya pāpinām | bhagīrathasya tapasā tena nītā sukalpite || 50 || nāmnā bhāgīrathī pūtā bhaviṣyasi mahītale | madaṃśasya samudrasya jāyā jāyermamājñayā || 51 || matkalāṃśasya bhūpasya śantanośca sureśvari | gaṅgāśāpena kalayā bhārataṃ gaccha bhārati || 52 || kalahasya phalaṃ bhuṃkṣva sapatnībhyāṃ sahācyute | svayaṃ ca brahmasadane brahmaṇaḥ kāminī bhava || 53 || gaṅgā yātu śivasthānamatra padmaiva tiṣṭhatu | śāntā ca krodharahitā madbhaktā sattvarūpiṇī || 54 || mahāsādhvī mahābhāgā suśīlā dharmacāriṇī | yadaṃśakalayā sarvā dharmiṣṭhāśca pativratāḥ || 55 || śāntarūpāḥ suśīlāśca prativiśveṣu pūjitāḥ | tisro bhāryāstriśīlāśca trayo bhṛtyāśca bāndhavāḥ || 56 || dhruvaṃ vedaviruddhāśca na hyete maṅgalapradāḥ | strīpuṃvacca gṛhe yeṣāṃ gṛhiṇāṃ strīvaśaḥ pumān || 57 || niṣphalaṃ ca janma teṣāmaśubhaṃ ca pade pade | mukhe duṣṭā yoniduṣṭā yasya strī kalahapriyā || 58 || araṇyaṃ tena gantavyaṃ mahāraṇyaṃ gṛhādvaram | jalānāṃ ca sthalānāṃ ca phalānāṃ prāptireva ca || 59 || satataṃ sulabhā tatra na teṣāṃ gṛha eva ca | varamagnau sthitirhiṃsrajantūnāṃ sannidhau sukham || 60 || tato'pi duḥkhaṃ puṃsāṃ ca duṣṭastrīsannidhau dhruvam | vyādhijvālā viṣajvālā varaṃ puṃsāṃ varānane || 61 || duṣṭastrīṇāṃ mukhajvālā maraṇādatiricyate | puṃsāṃ ca strījitāṃ caiva bhasmāntaṃ śaucamadhruvam || 62 || yadahni kurute karma na tasya phalabhāgbhavet | nindito'tra paratraiva sarvatra narakaṃ vrajet || 63 || yaśaḥkīrtivihīno yo jīvannapi mṛto hi saḥ | bahvīnāṃ ca sapatnīnāṃ naikatra śreyase sthitiḥ || 64 || ekabhāryaḥ sukhī naiva bahubhāryaḥ kadācana | gaccha gaṅge śivasthānaṃ brahmasthānaṃ sarasvati || 65 || atra tiṣṭhatu madgehe suśīlā kamalālayā | susādhyā yasya patnī ca suśīlā ca pativratā || 66 || iha svarge sukhaṃ tasya dharmo mokṣaḥ paratra ca | pativratā yasya patnī sa ca muktaḥ śuciḥ sukhī | jīvanmṛto'śucirduḥkhī duḥśīlāpatireva ca || 67 ||
English translation
1-10. Narayana said “O Narada! Sarasvati lives always in Vaikuntha close to Narada. One day a quarrel arose with Ganga, and by Her curse, Sarasvati came in parts as a river here in this Bharata. She is reckoned in Bharata as a great sanctifiying holy and merit-giving river. The good persons serve Her always, residing on Her banks. She is the Tapasya and the fruit thereof of the ascetics. She is like the burning fire to the sins of the sinners. Those that die in Bharata on the Sarasvati waters with their full consciousness, live for ever in Vaikuntha in the council of Hah. Those that bathe in the Sarasvati waters, after committing sins, become easily freed of them and live for a long, long time in Visnu-Loka. If one bathes even once in the Sarasvati waters, during Chaturmasya (a vow that lasts four months), in full moon time, in Aksyaya or when the day ends, in Vyatipata Yoga, in the time of eclipse or on any other holy day or through any other concomitant cause or even without any faith and out of sheer disregard, one is able to go to Vaikuntha and get the nature of S’ri Hari. If one repeats the Sarasvati Mantra, residing on the banks of the Sarasvati, for one month, a great illiterate can become a great poet. There is no doubt in this. Once shaving one's head, if one resides on the banks of the Sarasvati, daily bathes in it, one will have not to meet with the pain of being again born in the womb. O Narada! Thus I have described a little of the unbounded glories of Bharata that give happiness and the fruits of all desires.”
11. Suta said “O Saunaka! The Muni Narada hearing thus, asked again at that very moment to solve his doubts. I am now speaking of that. Hear.”
12-15. Narada said “O Lord! How did the Devi Sarasvati quarrel with the Devi Ganga and how did she by Her curse turn out in India,
into a holy river in giving virtues. I am becoming more and more eager and impatient to hear about this critical incident. I do not find satiety in drinking your nectar-like words. Who finds satiety in getting his good weal? Why did Ganga curse Sarasvati, worshipped everywhere. Ganga is also full of Sattva Gunas. She always bestows good and virtue to all. Both of them are fiery and it is pleasant to hear the cause of quarrels between those two. These are very rarely found in the Puranas. So you ought to describe that to me.”
16-21. Narayana said Hear, O Narada! I will now describe that incident, the hearing of which removes all the sins. Laksmi,
Sarasvati and Ganga, the three wives of Hari and all equally loved, remain always close to Hari. One day Ganga cast side-long glances frequently towards Narayana and was eagerly looking at Him, with smile on Her lips. Seeing this, the Lord Narayana, startled and looked at Ganga and smiled also. Laksmi saw that, but she did not take any offence. But Sarasvati became very angry. Padma (Laksmi) who was of Sattva Guna, began to console in various ways the wrathful Sarasvati; but she could not be appeased by any means. Rather Her face became red out of anger; she began to tremble out of her feelings (passion); Her lips quivered; and She began to speak to Her husband.
22-38. The husband that is good, religious, and well qualified looks on his all the wives equally; but it is just the opposite with him who is a cheat. O Gadadhara! You are partial to Ganga; and so is the case with Laksmi. I am the only one that is deprived of your love. It is, therefore, that Ganga and Padma are in love with each other; for you love Padma. So why shall not Padma bear this contrary thing! I am only unfortunate. What use is there in holding my life? Her life is useless, who is deprived of her husband's love. Those that declare you, of Sattva Gunas, ought not to be ever called Pundits. They are quite illiterate; they have not the least knowledge of the Vedas. They
are quite impotent to understand the nature of your mind. O Narada! Hearing Sarasvati's words and knowing that she had become very angry, Narayana thought for a moment and then went away from the Zenana outside. When Narayana had thus gone away, Sarasvati became fearless and began to abuse Ganga downright out of anger in an abusive language, hard to hear“O Shameless One! O Passionate One! What pride do you feel for your husband? Do you like to show that your husband loves you much? I will destroy your pride today. I will see today, it will be seen by others also, what your Hari can do for you?” Saying thus Sarasvati rose up to catch hold of Ganga by Her hairs violently. Padma intervened to stop this. Sarasvati became very violent and cursed Laksmi “No doubt you will be turned into a tree and into a river. In as much as seeing this undue behaviour of Ganga, you do not step forward to speak anything in this assembly, as if you are a tree or a river.” Padma did not become at all angry, even when she heard of the above curse. She became sorry and, holding the hands of Sarasvati, remained silent. Then Ganga became very angry; Her lips began to quiver frequently. Seeing the mad fiery nature of the red-eyed Sarasvati, she told Laksmi “O Padme! Leave that wicked foul-mouthed woman. What will she do to me? She presides over speech and therefore likes always to remain with quarrels. Let Her shew Her force how far can she quarrel with me. She wants to test the strength of us. So leave Her. Let all know today our strength and prowess.”
39-44. Thus saying, Ganga became ready to curse Sarasvati and addressing Laksmi, said “O Dear Padme! As that woman has cursed you to become a river, so I too curse her, that she, too, be turned into a river and she would go to the abode of men, the sinners, to the world and take their heaps of sins.” Hearing this curse of Ganga, Sarasvati gave her curse, “You, too, will have to descend into the Bhurloka (the world) as a river, taking all the sins of the sinners.” O Narada! While there was going on this quarrel, the four¬ armed omniscient Bhagavan Hari came up there accompanied by
four attendants of His, all four-armed, and took Sarasvati in His breast and began to speak all the previous mysteries. Then they came to know the cause of their quarrels and why they cursed one another and all became very sorry. At that time Bhagavan Hah told them one by one
45-67. O Laksmi! Let you be born in parts, without being born in any womb, in the world as the daughter in the house of the King Dharma- dhvaja. You will have to take the form of a tree there, out of this evil turn of fate. There S'ankhachuda, the Indra of the Asuras, born of my parts will marry you. After that you will come back here and be my wife as now. There is no doubt in this. You will be named TulasT, the purifier of the three worlds, in Bharata. O Beautiful One! Now go there quickly and be a river in your parts under the name Padmavati. O Gange! You will also have to take incarnation in Bharata as a river, purifying all the worlds, to destroy the sins of the inhabitants of Bharata. Bhagiratha will take you there after much entreating and worshipping you; and you will be famous by the name Bhagirathi, the most sanctifying river in the world. There, the Ocean born of my parts, and the King S'antanu also born of my parts will be your husbands. O Bharati! Let you go also and incarnate in part in Bharata under the curse of Ganga. O Good-natured One! Now go in full Amsas to Brahma and become His wife. Let Ganga go also in Her fullness to S'iva. Let Padma remain with Me. Padma is of a peaceful nature, void of anger, devoted to Me and of a Sattvika nature. Chaste, good-natured, fortunate, and religious woman like Padma are very rare. Those women that are born of the parts of Padma are all very religious and devoted to their husbands. They are peaceful and good-natured and worshipped in every universe. It is forbidden, nay, opposed to the Vedas, to keep three wives, three servants, three friends of different natures, at one place. They never conduce to any welfare. They are the fruitful sources of all jealousies and quarrels. Where, in any family females are powerful like men and males are submissive to females, the birth of the male is
useless. At his every step, he meets with difficulties and bitter experiences. He ought to retire to the forest whose wife is foul- mouthed, of bad birth and fond of quarrels. The great forest is better for him than his house. That man does not get in his house any water for washing his feet, or any seat to sit on, or any fruit to eat, nothing whatsoever; but in the forest, all these are not unavailable. Rather to dwell amidst rapacious animals or to enter into fire than remain with a bad wife. O Fair One! Rather the pains of the disease or venom are bearable, but the words of a bad wife are hard to bear. Death is far better than that. Those that are under the control of their wives, know that they never get their peace of mind until they are laid on their funeral pyres. They never see the fruits of what they daily do. They have no fame anywhere, neither in this world nor in the next. Ultimately the fruit is this:- that they have to go to hell and remain there. His life is verily a heavy burden who is without any name or fame. Never it is for the least good that many co-wives remain at one place. When, by taking one wife only a man does not become happy, then imagine, how painful it becomes to have many wives. O Gange! Go to S'iva. O Sarasvati! Go to Brahma. Let the good-natured Kamala, residing on the lotus remain with Me. He gets in this world happiness and Dharma and in the next Mukti whose wife is chaste and obedient. In fact he is Mukta, pure and happy whose wife is chaste; and he whose wife is foul-natured, is rendered impure unhappy and dead whilst he is living.
Here ends the Sixth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the coming in this world of Laksmi, Ganga and Sarasvati in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24491, revision 75061 (2016-07-24T05:55:48Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch06.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.