Saraswati (act I, Scene I)

(Vishwamitra is meditating in his forest hermitage. Enter Brahma.)

BRAHMA: Vishwamitra, you have been humiliated by Vashishtha.

VISHWAMITRA: Brahma, at last! At last you have come! You have listened to my prayers. I have prayed to you for so many years. Today you have come to me.

BRAHMA: Yes, I have come to fulfil your desire. I have come to give you the knowledge of Brahman. Today you equal Vashishtha.

(Vishwamitra bursts into joyous laughter.)

VISHWAMITRA: Ah! Today at last I have equaled Vashishtha. That Vashishtha, who smashed my pride, whose cow Nandini smashed my pride! Now I equal him in the knowledge of Brahman. (Touching Brahma's feet.) Oh Lord Brahma, I am so grateful to you. You have given me the knowledge of Brahman today.

(Brahma blesses Vishwamitra.)

(Exit Brahma)

VISHWAMITRA: Now I have got the knowledge of Brahman. I have equaled Vashishtha. Now I am not inferior in the knowledge of God and Truth. But still, I want to take revenge on him. He humiliated me like anything. I am on this side of the river Saraswati, and he is on the other side. Let me invoke the presiding deity of Saraswati.

(He invokes Saraswati, the presiding deity. Saraswati appears.)

VISHWAMITRA: Saraswati, I want you to do me a favour. Go to the other side of the river and bring Vashishtha here. If you do not do this, I shall annihilate you.

SARASWATI: O Sage, certainly I shall do it.