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?
तेजस्विनोर्द्वयोर्वादकारणं श्रुतिसुन्दरम् । सुदुर्लभं पुराणेषु तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
The cause of debate between those two radiant ones is beautiful to hear and rare in the Puranas; please explain it to me.
श्रीनारायण उवाच शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि कथामेतां पुरातनीम् । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते
Sri Narayana said: Listen, Narada, I will tell you this ancient story, by hearing which one is freed from all sins.
लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती गङ्गा तिस्रो भार्या हरेरपि । प्रेम्णा समास्तास्तिष्ठन्ति सततं हरिसन्निधौ
Lakshmi, Sarasvati, and Ganga—these three are also wives of Hari; with love they always remain together in the presence of Hari.
चकार सैकदा गङ्गा विष्णोर्मुखनिरीक्षणम् । सस्मिता च सकामा च सकटाक्षं पुनः पुनः
Once, Ganga gazed at Vishnu's face, smiling, desirous, and repeatedly casting sidelong glances.
विभुर्जहास तद्वक्त्रं निरीक्ष्य च क्षणं तदा । क्षमां चकार तद् दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मीर्नैव सरस्वती
The Lord laughed, seeing her face for a moment; Lakshmi forgave her upon seeing this, but Sarasvati did not.
बोधयामास पद्मा तां सत्त्वरूपा च सस्मिता । क्रोधाविष्टा च सा वाणी न च शान्ता बभूव ह
Padma, embodying goodness and smiling, sought to instruct her; but Vani, seized by anger, did not become calm.
उवाच वाणी भर्तारं रक्तास्या रक्तलोचना । कुपिता कामवेगेन शश्वत्प्रस्फुरिताधरा
Vani, with red lips and red eyes, her lips trembling constantly with anger and passion, spoke to her husband.
सरस्वत्युवाच सर्वत्र समताबुद्धिः सद्भर्तुः कामिनीं प्रति । धर्मिष्ठस्य वरिष्ठस्य विपरीता खलस्य च
Sarasvati said: The mind that remains equal everywhere, especially toward a beloved wife, belongs to a most virtuous and excellent man; the opposite is found in a wicked person.
ज्ञातं सौभाग्यमधिकं गङ्गायां ते गदाधर । कमलायां च तत्तुल्यं न च किञ्चिन्मयि प्रभो
O Gadadhara, I know that Ganga possesses greater fortune, and Lakshmi has fortune equal to hers, but in me, O Lord, there is nothing of the sort.
गङ्गायाः पद्मया सार्धं प्रीतिश्चास्ति सुसम्मता । क्षमां चकार तेनेदं विपरीतं हरिप्रिया
There is mutual affection between Ganga and Padma, which is widely approved; because of this, O beloved of Hari, she has endured this contrary situation.