This is the
place of those two, and this the tirtha of those two high-souled persons.
Bathing there and giving away wealth unto the Brahmanas, the high-souled
wielder of the plough, of noble deeds, earned great merit and then
proceeded to the tirtha of Soma."
51
Vaishampayana said, "There, in that tirtha, O Bharata, where the Lord of
stars had in former days performed the rajasuya sacrifice, a great battle
was fought in which Taraka was the root of the evil. Bathing in that
tirtha and making many presents, the virtuous Bala of cleansed soul
proceeded to the tirtha of the muni named Sarasvata. There, during a
drought extending for twelve years, the sage Sarasvata, in former days,
taught the Vedas unto many foremost of brahmanas."
Janamejaya said, "Why did the sage Sarasvata, O thou of ascetic merit,
teach the Vedas unto the rishis during a twelve years' drought?"
Vaishampayana continued, "In days of yore, O monarch, there was an
intelligent sage of great ascetic merit. He was celebrated by the name of
Dadhica. Possessing a complete control over his senses, he led the life
of a brahmacari. In consequence of his excessive ascetic austerities
Shakra was afflicted with a great fear. The sage could not be turned
(away from his penance) by the offer of even diverse kinds of rewards. At
last the chastiser of Paka, for tempting the sage, despatched unto him
the exceedingly beautiful and celestial apsara, by name Alambusa. Thither
where on the banks of the Sarasvati the high-souled sage was engaged in
the act of gratifying the gods, the celestial damsel named above, O
monarch, made her appearance.
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