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वसिष्ठापवाह (vasiSThApavAha)

 
Mahabharata
English
Vasishṭhāpavāha (“the carrying away of Vasishṭha”), name of a tīrtha. § 615 (Baladevatīrthayātrā): IX, 41, †2357
42, †2358.--§ 615p (do.): A great enmity arose between Viśvāmitra and Vasishṭha, due to their rivalry in respect of ascetic austerities. The hermitage of Vasishṭha was in Sthāṇutīrtha, on the bank of the Sarasvatī
on the opposite bank was the hermitage of Viśvāmitra. There (i.e. in Sthāṇutīrtha) Sthāṇu had practised penances, and having performed a sacrifice and worshipped the Sarasvatī he had established that tīrtha, and there the gods in days of yore installed Skanda. In that tīrtha on the Sarasvatī, the ṛshi Viśvāmitra, by his penances, disturbed Vasishṭha. Viśvāmitra and Vasishṭha every day challenged each other in respect of the superiority of their penances. Viśvāmitra ordered the Sarasvatī, notwithstanding her trembling, to bring Vasishṭha into his presence, that he might slay him. Vasishṭha willingly let her do so, lest Viśvāmitra should curse her. Sarasvatī washed away one of her banks and bore Vasishṭha (who praised the Sarasvatī (q)) away and informed Kauśika (i.e. Viśvāmitra) about his arrival
but while Viśvāmitra was looking for a weapon she quickly bore Vasishṭha back to the eastern bank. Viśvāmitra cursed her, saying that her current should be changed into blood, which is acceptable only to the Rākshasas. For a whole year she then flowed bearing blood mixed with water. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Apsarases grieved. For this reason the tīrtha came to be called V. Sarasvatī, however, once more got back her own proper condition (IX, 42), when some munis on a tīrthayātrā to the Sarasvatī, having bathed in all her tīrthas came to V. and saw the water mixed with blood, and that innumerable Rākshasas were drinking it. Having learnt the cause, they worshipped Mahādeva with penances and purified the Sarasvatī. The Rākshasas, who were Brahma-Rākshasas (so those among vaiśyas, śūdras, and kshatriyas, who hate and injure the brahmans, become Rākshasas), afflicted with hunger, sought the protection of the munis, who, having ordained what should be the food of the Rākshasas (r) solicited the Sarasvatī, who assumed a new shape called Aruṇā
bathing in that new river the Rākshasas abandoned their bodies and went to heaven. Ascertaining all this, Indra(s) bathed there and became purified of a grievous sin (i.e. brahmahatyā): IX, 42, 2398.
पुराणम्
English
वसिष्ठापवाह / VASIṢṬHĀPAVĀHA. An ancient holy bath on the banks of the river sarasvatī. (See under vasiṣṭha, fifth confrontation).