Chapter summary
वेगसेतुवैभवम् Vega Setu Vaibhavam
The Glory of Vegasetu (The Dam on the Vegavati)
**The Sadguru said:**
Brahma, the very embodiment of the Vedas, was ever worshipped by his two consorts, Vāgdevī, the Goddess of Speech, and Manodevī, the Goddess of Mind. One day, filled with love and profound reverence, they approached their Lord with a question. (v.1-2)
**The Goddesses said:**
"O Lord, you who are the creator of all worlds and capable in all deeds, tell us: which of your two wives do you deem superior?" (v.3)
**Brahma said:**
"O Vāgdevī, Sarasvatī, you hold the elder position. Yet, Bhāratī, though younger, is superior, for she presides over the mind. For it is only after a man first conceives a thought within his mind that he gives it voice. Thus, Manodevī is indeed superior, as speech is always preceded by thought." (v.4-5)
**Sarasvati said:**
"O Lord, what purpose does mere thought serve a mute person? Surely, Manodevī's influence in the world extends only so far. Without me, Vāgdevī, how can mortals express their thoughts outwardly? Ponder this deeply, O Four-faced One! You forsake me, Sarasvatī, who am elder in both position and power, and praise Bhāratī in vain. For this, I am truly incensed! From this day forth, I shall not praise you with my voice, which is my very essence. And whoever praises you, unaware of this, shall surely fall into poverty. You deem Manodevī dear in rituals such as Homa, where the worship is prescribed as, 'One should meditate on Brahma with the mind.' But I, your elder wife, have been neglected by you, O Four-faced One. Therefore, I shall transform into a great river, desiring to bestow grace upon the world." (v.6-11)
**The Sadguru said:**
Witnessing this, Sarasvatī was filled with immense wrath and manifested as the swift-flowing river, Vegavatī, intending to submerge the sacrificial hall. The mighty river surged forth with tremendous speed, its waves churning rapidly, emitting a clamorous, roaring sound. Her reddish-tawny waters flowed wildly, felling great trees and inundating houses. Playfully, she dragged away entire villages, along with cattle, birds, and men, repeatedly engulfing sages and gods in her powerful whirlpools. Beholding Sarasvatī, adorned with tortoises, crocodiles, fish, and circles of foam, Brahma became fraught with deep anxiety. (v.16-20)
Seeing her obstruct the sacrifice, the pure-hearted Four-faced One prayed to Lord Vishnu, the protector of all sacred rites. Then, in the very middle of her path, Lord Vishnu, reclining upon the couch of Śeṣa, manifested in a magnificent form, appearing like a colossal dam. The river Vegavatī, beholding Janārdana [an epithet for Vishnu] in the form of this dam, instantly became calm and stood still, like the placid waters of a lake. Unable to cross over Vishnu, who lay reposed upon the coils of Śeṣa, she remained there, humbled by devotion, her hands folded in reverence. (v.21-24)
Here ends the third chapter, named "The Glory of Vegasetu," in the Second Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus, one should behold the divine Janārdana, the very dam upon the Vegavatī, for He grants the destruction of all sins and the bestowal of all prosperity. This entire episode was merely a divine play (līlā) of Sarasvatī; there was no true anger in her nature. She flows in the form of a river solely for the welfare of the world. Both hidden and manifest, the sin-destroying Sarasvatī shines in sacred lands such as Kurukṣetra and many other places. In the same manner, within the golden city of Kāñcī, Sarasvatī shines in a hidden form, known as Vegavatī, whose very remembrance destroys sins. By seeing Vegavatīsetu, by beholding Janārdana who is knowable through the Vedas, and by bathing in the holy waters of the Vegavatī, all sins are utterly destroyed. (v.25-29)
