Agastya Tells How Nahusha Fell

Verse 1 (5.17.1)

अथ संचिन्तयानस्य देवराजस्य धीमतः । नहुषस्य वधोपायं लोकपालैः सदैवतैः ॥

atha saṃcintayānasya devarājasya dhīmataḥ | nahuṣasya vadhopāyaṃ lokapālaiḥ sadaivataiḥ

Then, as the wise king of the gods, with the guardians of the world and the gods, was pondering a way to slay Nahusha,

Verse 2 (5.17.2)

तपस्वी तत्र भगवानगस्त्यः प्रत्यदृश्यत । सोऽब्रवीदर्च्य देवेन्द्रं दिष्ट्या वै वर्धते भवान् ॥

tapasvī tatra bhagavānagastyaḥ pratyadṛśyata | so'bravīdarcya devendraṃ diṣṭyā vai vardhate bhavān

the blessed ascetic Agastya appeared there. Honouring the lord of the gods, he said: "Happily, you prosper —"

Note on the text: Wikisource divides verses 1–4 one half-line out of step with the critical edition: line 1 here is 5.17.1e, line 2 is 5.17.2ab.

Verse 3 (5.17.3)

विश्वरूपविनाशेन वृत्रासुरवधेन च । दिष्ट्याद्य नहुषो भ्रष्टो देवराज्यात्पुरन्दर ॥

viśvarūpavināśena vṛtrāsuravadhena ca | diṣṭyādya nahuṣo bhraṣṭo devarājyātpurandara

by the destruction of Vishvarupa and the slaying of the demon Vritra. And happily, Purandara, Nahusha has today fallen from the kingship of the gods.

Note on the text: Speaker: Agastya's words to Indra fill this verse without a printed heading; given to Agastya (the input carried Shalya over). Line 1 is the critical edition 5.17.2cd, line 2 is 5.17.3ab (दिष्ट्याद्य where the critical edition reads diṣṭyā ca).

Verse 4 (5.17.4)

दिष्ट्या हतारिं पश्यामि भवन्तं वलसूदन ॥

diṣṭyā hatāriṃ paśyāmi bhavantaṃ valasūdana

Happily I see you, slayer of Vala, with your enemies slain.

Note on the text: Split: Wikisource prints the heading "इन्द्र उवाच" after this line, in the middle of its verse 4; this first part is Agastya's (critical edition 5.17.3cd), the rest is Indra's reply. Both parts keep Wikisource number 4.

Verse 5 (5.17.5)

स्वागतं ते महर्षेऽस्तु प्रीतोऽहं दर्शनात्तत । पाद्यमाचमनीयं च गामर्घ्यं च प्रतीच्छ मे ॥

svāgataṃ te maharṣe'stu prīto'haṃ darśanāttata | pādyamācamanīyaṃ ca gāmarghyaṃ ca pratīccha me

Welcome to you, great seer; I am glad to see you, dear sir. Accept from me water for your feet, water to sip, a cow and the guest-offering.

Note on the text: Split from Wikisource verse 4 at the printed heading "इन्द्र उवाच" (the input gave the whole verse to Shalya); critical edition 5.17.4, which reads darśanāt tava where Wikisource has दर्शनात्तत.

Verse 6 (5.17.6)

पूजितं चोपविष्टं तमासने मुनिसत्तमम् । पर्यपृच्छत देवेशः प्रहृष्टो ब्राह्मणर्षभम् ॥

pūjitaṃ copaviṣṭaṃ tamāsane munisattamam | paryapṛcchata deveśaḥ prahṛṣṭo brāhmaṇarṣabham

When the best of sages had been honoured and was seated, the lord of the gods, delighted, questioned that bull among brahmins:

Note on the text: Corrected तमासेन → तमासने (misprint in Wikisource; transposed letters; आसने, "on a seat", as the critical edition reads).

Verse 7 (5.17.7)

श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन्कथ्यमानं द्विजोत्तम । परिभ्रष्टः कथं स्वर्गान्नहुषः पापनिश्चयः ॥

śrotumicchāmi bhagavankathyamānaṃ dvijottama | paribhraṣṭaḥ kathaṃ svargānnahuṣaḥ pāpaniścayaḥ

Blessed one, best of the twice-born, I wish to hear you tell it: how did Nahusha, bent on evil, fall from heaven?

Note on the text: Speaker: Indra's question fills this verse without a printed heading; given to Indra.

Verse 8 (5.17.8)

शृणु शक्र प्रियं वाक्यं यथा राजा दुरात्मवान् । स्वर्गाद्भ्रष्टो दुराचारो नहुषो बलदर्पितः ॥

śṛṇu śakra priyaṃ vākyaṃ yathā rājā durātmavān | svargādbhraṣṭo durācāro nahuṣo baladarpitaḥ

Hear, Shakra, the welcome account of how the wicked king Nahusha, evil in conduct and proud of his strength, fell from heaven.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रृणु → शृणु (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads śṛṇu).

Verse 9 (5.17.9)

श्रमार्ताश्च वहन्तस्तं नहुषं पापकारिणम् । देवर्षयो महाभागास्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः ॥

śramārtāśca vahantastaṃ nahuṣaṃ pāpakāriṇam | devarṣayo mahābhāgāstathā brahmarṣayo'malāḥ

The illustrious divine seers and the spotless brahmin seers, worn out with toil as they carried the evil-doing Nahusha,

Note on the text: Wikisource divides verses 8–10 one half-line out of step with the critical edition (5.17.8–9, which have three lines each).

Verse 10 (5.17.10)

पप्रच्छुर्नहुषं देवं संशयं जयतां वर । य इमे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्ता मन्त्रा वै प्रोक्षणे गवाम् ॥

papracchurnahuṣaṃ devaṃ saṃśayaṃ jayatāṃ vara | ya ime brahmaṇā proktā mantrā vai prokṣaṇe gavām

asked Nahusha, now a god, about a doubt, O best of victors: "These mantras that Brahma pronounced for the sprinkling of cows —

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 5.17.8ef, line 2 to 5.17.9ab.

Verse 11 (5.17.11)

एते प्रमाणं भवत उताहो नेति वासव । नहुषो नेति तानाह तमसा मूढचेतनः ॥

ete pramāṇaṃ bhavata utāho neti vāsava | nahuṣo neti tānāha tamasā mūḍhacetanaḥ

are they authoritative for you, Vasava, or not?" Nahusha, his mind deluded by darkness, told them, "No."

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition 5.17.9cd–ef.

Verse 12 (5.17.12)

अधर्मे संप्रवृत्तस्त्वं धर्मं न प्रतिपद्यसे । प्रमाणमेतदस्माकं पूर्वं प्रोक्तं महर्षिभिः ॥

adharme saṃpravṛttastvaṃ dharmaṃ na pratipadyase | pramāṇametadasmākaṃ pūrvaṃ proktaṃ maharṣibhiḥ

You have set out on unrighteousness and do not accept righteousness. For us this is authoritative, declared long ago by the great seers.

Verse 13 (5.17.13)

ततो विवदमानः स मुनिभिः सह वासव । अथ मामस्पृशन्मूर्ध्नि पादेनाधर्मपीडितः ॥

tato vivadamānaḥ sa munibhiḥ saha vāsava | atha māmaspṛśanmūrdhni pādenādharmapīḍitaḥ

Then, Vasava, as he argued with the sages, he, driven by unrighteousness, touched me on the head with his foot.

Verse 14 (5.17.14)

तेनाभूद्धततेजाश्च निःश्रीकश्च महीपतिः । ततस्तं तमसाविग्नमवोचं भृशपीडितम् ॥

tenābhūddhatatejāśca niḥśrīkaśca mahīpatiḥ | tatastaṃ tamasāvignamavocaṃ bhṛśapīḍitam

By that the king lost his splendour and his fortune. Then I spoke to him, agitated by darkness and sorely afflicted as he was:

Note on the text: Corrected तमसा विग्नमवोचं → तमसाविग्नमवोचं (misprint in Wikisource; a stray space splits तमसा + आविग्नम्, "agitated by darkness"; विग्न alone is not a word, and the critical edition reads āvignam).

Verse 15 (5.17.15)

यस्मात्पूर्वैः कृतं राजन्ब्रह्मर्षिभिरनुष्ठितम् । अदृष्टं दूषयसि मे यच्च मूर्ध्न्यस्पृशः पदा ॥

yasmātpūrvaiḥ kṛtaṃ rājanbrahmarṣibhiranuṣṭhitam | adṛṣṭaṃ dūṣayasi me yacca mūrdhnyaspṛśaḥ padā

"Because, O king, you defile the unseen sanction that the ancients established and the brahmin seers have followed, and because you touched me on the head with your foot,

Note on the text: Corrected मूर्ध्य्रस्पृशः → मूर्ध्न्यस्पृशः (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct; मूर्ध्नि अस्पृशः, "you touched on the head", as the critical edition reads).

Verse 16 (5.17.16)

यच्चापि त्वमृषीन्मूढ ब्रह्मकल्पान्दुरासदान् ॥

yaccāpi tvamṛṣīnmūḍha brahmakalpāndurāsadān

and because, fool, the seers who are like Brahma and unassailable

Note on the text: Wikisource prints this verse as a single line (5.17.14ab) and divides verses 15–17 one half-line out of step with the critical edition; nothing is lost.

Verse 17 (5.17.17)

वाहान्कृत्वा वाहयसि तेन स्वर्गाद्धतप्रभः । ध्वंस पाप परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणपुण्यो महीतले ॥

vāhānkṛtvā vāhayasi tena svargāddhataprabhaḥ | dhvaṃsa pāpa paribhraṣṭaḥ kṣīṇapuṇyo mahītale

you have made your bearers and have them carry you — therefore fall from heaven, sinner, your splendour destroyed! Cast down, your merit spent, on the surface of the earth

Note on the text: Corrected कृत्व्रा → कृत्वा (misprint in Wikisource; stray र; the critical edition reads kṛtvā). Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 5.17.14cd, line 2 to 5.17.15ab.

Verse 18 (5.17.18)

दशवर्षसहस्राणि सर्परूपधरो महान् । विचरिष्यसि पूर्णेषु पुनः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि ॥

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi sarparūpadharo mahān | vicariṣyasi pūrṇeṣu punaḥ svargamavāpsyasi

you shall wander for ten thousand years in the form of a huge serpent. When they are complete, you shall regain heaven.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition 5.17.15cd–ef.

Verse 19 (5.17.19)

दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरं नाम तव वंशसमुद्भवम् । निहतो ब्रह्मशापेन प्रपद्यस्व त्रिविष्टपम् ॥

dṛṣṭvā yudhiṣṭhiraṃ nāma tava vaṃśasamudbhavam | nihato brahmaśāpena prapadyasva triviṣṭapam

Struck down by a brahmin's curse, you shall go to heaven once you have seen the one named Yudhishthira, born of your own line."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). The critical edition gives its two lines in the apparatus as 114* and 115*, after 5.17.15. Removed Wikisource's interpolation marks (` … ') and a doubled danda.

Verse 20 (5.17.20)

एवं भ्रष्टो दुरात्मा स देवराज्यादरिन्दम । दिष्ट्या वर्धामहे शक्र हतो ब्रह्मर्षिकण्टकः ॥

evaṃ bhraṣṭo durātmā sa devarājyādarindama | diṣṭyā vardhāmahe śakra hato brahmarṣikaṇṭakaḥ

Thus the wicked one fell from the kingship of the gods, O tamer of foes. Happily we prosper, Shakra: the thorn in the side of the brahmin seers is destroyed.

Verse 21 (5.17.21)

त्रिविष्टपं प्रपद्यस्व पाहि लोकाञ्शचीपते । जितेन्द्रियो जितामित्रः स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः ॥

triviṣṭapaṃ prapadyasva pāhi lokāñśacīpate | jitendriyo jitāmitraḥ stūyamāno maharṣibhiḥ

Return to heaven, husband of Shachi, and protect the worlds, master of your senses, conqueror of your foes, praised by the great seers.

Verse 22 (5.17.22)

ततो देवा भृशं तुष्टा महर्षिगणसंवृताः । पितरश्चैव यक्षाश्च भुजगा राक्षसास्तथा ॥

tato devā bhṛśaṃ tuṣṭā maharṣigaṇasaṃvṛtāḥ | pitaraścaiva yakṣāśca bhujagā rākṣasāstathā

Then the gods, greatly delighted, surrounded by the hosts of great seers, and the ancestors, yakshas, serpents and rakshasas,

Verse 23 (5.17.23)

गन्धर्वा देवकन्याश्च सर्वे चाप्सरसां गणाः । सरांसि सरितः शैलाः सागराश्च विशांपते ॥

gandharvā devakanyāśca sarve cāpsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ | sarāṃsi saritaḥ śailāḥ sāgarāśca viśāṃpate

the gandharvas, the daughters of the gods and all the troops of apsarases, the lakes, rivers, mountains and oceans, O lord of the people,

Verse 24 (5.17.24)

उपागम्याब्रुवन्सर्वे दिष्ट्या वर्धसि शत्रुहन् । हतश्च नहुषः पापो दिष्ट्यागस्त्येन धीमता । दिष्ट्या पापसमाचारः कृतः सर्पो महीतले ॥

upāgamyābruvansarve diṣṭyā vardhasi śatruhan | hataśca nahuṣaḥ pāpo diṣṭyāgastyena dhīmatā | diṣṭyā pāpasamācāraḥ kṛtaḥ sarpo mahītale

all came to him and said: "Happily you prosper, slayer of foes! Happily the wise Agastya has struck down the wicked Nahusha; happily that evil-doer has been made a serpent on the earth."

Note on the text: Corrected शक्रुहन् → शत्रुहन् (misprint in Wikisource; "slayer of foes", as the critical edition reads śatruhan).