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seemed to resound with the loud Vedic recitations of those Rishis of
cleansed souls, all employed in pouring libations on sacrificial fires.
That foremost of rivers looked exceedingly beautiful with those blazing
homa fires all around, over which those high-souled ascetics poured
libations of clarified butter. Valkhilyas and Asmakuttas,
Dantolakhalinas, Samprakshanas and other ascetics, as also those that
subsisted on air, and those that lived on water, and those that lived on
dry leaves of trees, and diverse others that were observant of diverse
kinds of vows, and those that forswore beds for the bare and hard earth,
all came to that spot in the vicinity of the Sarasvati. And they made
that foremost of rivers exceedingly beautiful, like the celestials
beautifying (with their presence) the heavenly stream called Mandakini.
Hundreds upon hundreds of Rishis, all given to the observance of
sacrifices, came thither. Those practisers of high vows, however, failed
to find sufficient room on the banks of the Sarasvati. Measuring small
plots of land with their sacred threads, they performed their Agnihotras
and diverse other rites. The river Sarasvati beheld, O monarch, that
large body of Rishis penetrated with despair and plunged into anxiety for
want of a broad tirtha wherein to perform their rites. For their sake,
that foremost of streams came there, having made many abodes for herself
in that spot, through kindness for those Rishis of sacred penances, O
Janamejaya! Having thus, O monarch, turned her course for their sake, the
Sarasvati, that foremost of rivers, once more flowed in a westerly
direction, as if she said, 'I must go hence, having prevented the arrival
of these Rishis from becoming futile!' This wonderful feat, O king, was
accomplished there by that great river. Even thus those receptacles of
water, O king, were formed in Naimisha. There, at Kurukshetra, O foremost
of Kuru's care, do thou perform grand sacrifices and rites! As he beheld
those many receptacles of water and seeing that foremost of rivers turn
her course, wonder filled the heart of the high-souled Rama. Bathing in
those tirthas duly and giving away wealth and diverse articles of
enjoyment unto the Brahmanas, that delighter of Yadu's race also gave
away diverse kinds of food and diverse desirable articles unto them.
Worshipped by those regenerate ones, Vala, O king, then set out from that
foremost of all tirthas on the Sarasvati (Sapta-Saraswat). Nu