बभूव मूकवत्सोऽपि सिद्धान्तं कर्तुमक्षमः । तदा तां स च तुष्टाव संत्रस्तः कश्यपाज्ञया
He became like one mute, unable to establish the conclusion; then, terrified, he praised her by the command of Kashyapa.
ततश्चकार सिद्धान्तं निर्मलं भ्रमभञ्जनम् । व्यासः पुराणसूत्रं च पप्रच्छ वाल्मिकिं यदा
Then he made a pure, error-dispelling conclusion; Vyasa questioned Valmiki regarding the Purana-sutra.
मौनीभूतश्च सस्मार तामेव जगदम्बिकाम् । तदा चकार सिद्धान्तं तद्वरेण मुनीश्वरः
Becoming silent, he remembered that very Jagadambika; then, by her boon, the lord of sages established the conclusion.
सम्प्राप्य निर्मलं ज्ञानं भ्रमान्धध्वंसदीपकम् । पुराणसूत्रं श्रुत्वा च व्यासः कृष्णकलोद्भवः
Having attained pure knowledge, a lamp that destroys the darkness of delusion, Vyasa, born in the age of Krishna, heard the Purana-sutra.
तां शिवां वेद दध्यौ च शतवर्षं च पुष्करे । तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य सत्कवीन्द्रो बभूव ह
He meditated upon that auspicious one, the Veda, for a hundred years at Pushkara; then, having received a boon from you, he became the foremost of poets.
तदा वेदविभागं च पुराणं च चकार सः । यदा महेन्द्रः पप्रच्छ तत्त्वज्ञानं सदाशिवम्
Then he made the division of the Veda and the Purana; when Mahendra questioned Sadashiva about the knowledge of truth,
क्षणं तामेव सञ्चिन्त्य तस्मै ज्ञानं ददौ विभुः । पप्रच्छ शब्दशास्त्रं च महेन्द्रश्च बृहस्पतिम्
Thinking of her for a moment, the Lord gave him knowledge; Mahendra questioned Brihaspati about the science of words.
दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं च स त्वां दध्यौ च पुष्करे । तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य दिव्यवर्षसहस्रकम्
He meditated upon you at Pushkara for a thousand divine years; then, having received a boon from you, he gained a thousand divine years.
उवाच शब्दशास्त्रं च तदर्थं च सुरेश्वरम् । अध्यापिताश्च ये शिष्या यैरधीतं मुनीश्वरैः
He spoke the science of words and its meaning to the lord of gods; and those disciples who were taught by the sages,
ते च तां परिसञ्चिन्त्य प्रवर्तन्ते सुरेश्वरीम् । त्वं संस्तुता पूजिता च मुनीन्द्रैर्मनुमानवैः
They, contemplating her, proceed to worship the goddess of the gods; you are praised and honored by the great sages and men.
दैत्येन्द्रैश्च सुरैश्चापि ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिभिः । जडीभूतः सहस्रास्यः पञ्चवक्त्रश्चतुर्मुखः
By the lords of demons and gods, and by Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others; Sahasrāsya became stupefied, and the five-faced and four-faced ones as well.
यां स्तोतुं किमहं स्तौमि तामेकास्येन मानवः । इत्युक्त्वा याज्ञवल्क्यश्च भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरः
How can I, a human with one mouth, praise her whom even they cannot praise? Thus spoke Yajnavalkya, his neck bowed in devotion.
प्रणनाम निराहारो रुरोद च मुहुर्मुहुः । ज्योतीरूपा महामाया तेन दृष्टाप्युवाच तम्
He bowed, fasting, and wept again and again; the great Maya, in the form of light, appeared to him and spoke.
सुकवीन्द्रो भवेत्युक्त्वा वैकुण्ठं च जगाम ह । याज्ञवल्क्यकृतं वाणीस्तोत्रमेतत्तु यः पठेत्
Saying, 'Become the foremost of poets,' she went to Vaikuntha; whoever recites this hymn composed by Yajnavalkya,
स कवीन्द्रो महावाग्मी बृहस्पतिसमो भवेत् । महामूर्खश्च दुर्बुद्धिर्वर्षमेकं यदा पठेत्
He becomes the foremost poet, eloquent, equal to Brihaspati; even a great fool, of poor intellect, if he recites it for a year,
स पण्डितश्च मेधावी सुकवीन्द्रो भवे ध्रुवम्
He will surely become learned, intelligent, and the foremost of poets.
लक्ष्मीगङ्गासरस्वतीनां भूलोकेऽवतरणवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच सरस्वती तु वैकुण्ठे स्वयं नारायणान्तिके । गङ्गाशापेन कलहात्कलया भारते सरित्
The account of the descent of Lakshmi, Ganga, and Sarasvati to the earthly realm. Sri Narayana said: Sarasvati herself dwells in Vaikuntha near Narayana; by Ganga's curse and quarrel, she became a river in Bharata.
पुण्यदा पुण्यरूपा च पुण्यतीर्थस्वरूपिणी । पुण्यवद्भिर्निषेव्या च स्थितिः पुण्यवतां मुने
She is giver of merit, of meritorious form, the embodiment of sacred pilgrimage; she is served by the virtuous, and her abode is among the virtuous, O sage.
तपस्विनां तपोरूपा तपसः फलरूपिणी । कृतपापेध्मदाहाय ज्वलदग्निस्वरूपिणी
She is the form of austerity for ascetics, the embodiment of the fruit of penance; blazing like fire, she burns away the fuel of accumulated sins.
ज्ञानात्सरस्वतीतोये मृता ये मानवा भुवि । तेषां स्थितिश्च वैकुण्ठे सुचिरं हरिसंसदि
Those humans who die on earth through knowledge in the waters of Sarasvati, their abode is in Vaikuntha, dwelling for a long time in the assembly of Hari.
भारते कृतपापश्च स्नात्वा तत्र च लीलया । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोके वसेच्चिरम्
One who has committed sin in Bharata and bathes there playfully is freed from all sins and dwells for a long time in the world of Vishnu.
चातुर्मास्यां पौर्णमास्यामक्षयायां दिनक्षये । व्यतीपाते च ग्रहणेऽन्यस्मिन्पुण्यदिनेऽपि च
During the four-month period, on the full moon, on the imperishable day at day's end, at planetary conjunctions, eclipses, or on any other auspicious day—
अनुषङ्गेण यः स्नातो हेतुना श्रद्धयापि वा । सारूप्यं लभते नूनं वैकुण्ठे स हरेरपि
Whoever bathes there, even incidentally or with faith for some reason, surely attains resemblance in form to Hari in Vaikuntha.
सरस्वतीमनुं तत्र मासमेकं च यो जपेत् । महामूर्खः कवीन्द्रश्च स भवेन्नात्र संशयः
Whoever recites the Sarasvati mantra there for one month, even a great fool becomes a foremost poet—of this there is no doubt.
नित्यं सरस्वतीतोये यः स्नायान्मुण्डयन्नरः । न गर्भवासं कुरुते पुनरेव स मानवः
Whoever bathes daily in the waters of Sarasvati, shaving his head, does not enter the womb again as a human.
इत्येवं कथितं किञ्चिद्भारतीगुणकीर्तनम् । सुखदं कामदं सारं भूयः किं श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Thus a little has been spoken in praise of the virtues of Bharata, which brings happiness, fulfills desires, and is the essence. What more do you wish to hear?
सूत उवाच नारायणवचः श्रुत्वा नारदो मुनिसत्तमः । पुनः पप्रच्छ सन्देहमिमं शौनक सत्वरम्
Suta said: Hearing the words of Narayana, the eminent sage Narada quickly asked this doubt again, O Shaunaka.
नारद उवाच कथं सरस्वती देवी गङ्गाशापेन भारते । कलया कलहेनैव बभूव पुण्यदा सरित्
Narada said: How did the goddess Sarasvati, by the curse of Ganga, become a bestowing river in Bharata through a quarrel and discord?
श्रवणे श्रुतिसाराणां वर्धते कौतुकं मम । कथामृतेन मे तृप्तिः केन श्रेयसि तृप्यते
Hearing the essence of the scriptures increases my curiosity; my satisfaction comes from the nectar of stories—by what means is one satisfied in the pursuit of excellence?
कथं शशाप सा गङ्गा पूजितां तां सरस्वतीम् । सा तु सत्त्वस्वरूपा या पुण्यदा शुभदा सदा
How did Ganga curse Sarasvati, who was worshipped, she who is always the embodiment of virtue and bestows auspiciousness?