अहो बुद्धिमतांश्रेष्ठ शुभा बुद्धिरियं तव। विदितं वेदितव्यं ते कस्मान्नहुष पृच्छसि
Ah, O best of the wise, your intellect is auspicious indeed; all that is to be known is known to you—why, O Nahusha, do you question me?
सर्वज्ञं त्वां कथं मोह आविशत्स्वर्गवासिनम्। एवमद्भुतकर्माणमिति मे संशयो महान्
How could delusion seize you, who dwell in heaven and know all things, who perform such wondrous deeds? This is my great doubt.
सुप्रज्ञमपि चेच्छूरमृद्धिर्मोहयते नरम्। वर्तमानः सुखे सर्वो नावैतीति मतिर्मम
Even a wise and valiant man may be deluded by prosperity; when one is enjoying happiness, no one truly perceives it—this is my view.
सोहमैश्वर्यमोहेन मदाविष्टो युधिष्ठिर। पतितः प्रतिसंबुद्धस्त्वां तु संबोधयाम्यहम्
I, overcome by the pride of sovereignty, was deluded, O Yudhishthira; having fallen, I have regained awareness, and now I awaken you.
कृतंकार्यं महाराज त्वया मम परंतप। क्षीणः शाप सुकृच्छ्रो मे त्वया संभाष्य साधुना
O great king, you have accomplished my highest purpose, scorcher of foes; my severe curse is ended, having been spoken with you, a virtuous man.
अहं हि दिवि दिव्येन विमानन चरन्पुरा। अभिमानेन मत्तः सन्कंचिन्नान्यमचिन्तयम्
Once, I traveled in heaven in a divine chariot; intoxicated with pride, I thought of nothing else.
ब्रह्मर्षिदेघगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षसपन्नगाः। वरं मम प्रयच्छन्ति सर्वे त्रैलोक्यवासिनः
All the Brahmarshis, gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, and serpents—indeed, all the dwellers of the three worlds—granted me boons.
चक्षुषा यं प्रपश्यामि प्राणिनं पृथिवीपते। तस्य तेजो हराम्याशु तद्धि दृष्टेर्बलं मम
O lord of the earth, whomever I beheld with my eyes among living beings, I would swiftly take away their energy, for such was the power of my gaze.
ब्रह्मर्षीणां सरस्रं हि उवाह शिबिकां मम। कस मामपनयो राजन्भ्रंशयामास वै श्रियः
Indeed, I bore the palanquin of the Brahmarshis; but, O King, the yoke pressed upon me and caused me to lose my splendor.
तत्र ह्यगस्त्यः पादेन वहन्स्पृष्टो महामुनिः। अगस्त्येन ततोस्म्युक्तो ध्वंस सर्पेति वैरुषा
There, as I was carrying, the great sage Agastya touched me with his foot; then, out of anger, Agastya spoke to me: 'Perish, become a serpent!'
ततस्तस्माद्विमानाग्र्यात्प्रच्युतश्च्युतलक्षणः। प्रपतन्बुबुधेऽऽत्मानं व्यालीभूतमधोमुखम्
Then, from that excellent celestial vehicle, I fell, losing my auspicious marks; as I was falling, I realized I had become a serpent, facing downward.
अयाचं तमहं विप्रं शापस्यान्तो भवेदिति। प्रमादात्संप्रमूढस्य भगवन्क्षन्तुमर्हसि
I begged that Brahmin, 'May there be an end to this curse; O venerable one, please forgive the error of my bewildered mind.'
ततः स मामुवाचेदं प्रपतन्तं कृपानवितः। युधिष्ठिरो धर्मराजः शापात्त्वां मोक्षयिष्यति
Then, as I was falling, he spoke to me with compassion: 'Yudhishthira, the king of righteousness, will release you from this curse.'
अभिमानस्य वै तस्य बलस्य च नराधिप। फले क्षीणे महाराज फलं पुण्यमवाप्स्यसि
O great king, when the fruit of that pride and strength of his is exhausted, you will obtain the blessed result.
ततो मे विस्मयो जातस्तद्दृष्ट्वा तपसो बलम्। ब्रह्म च ब्राह्मणत्वं च येन त्वाऽहमचूचुदम्
Then I was amazed, seeing the power of asceticism—by which I had been touched—of Brahman and the state of a Brahmin.
सत्यं दमस्तपो योगमहिंसा ज्ञाननित्यता। साधकानि सतां पुंसां न जातिर्नकुलं नृप
Truth, self-restraint, austerity, yoga, nonviolence, and constancy in knowledge—these are the means of the virtuous, O king, not birth or lineage.
अरिष्ट कएष ते भ्राता मुक्तो बीमो महाभुज। स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु महाराज गमिष्यामि दिवं पुनः
Your brother, the mighty-armed Bhima, is unharmed and freed; may good fortune be yours, O great king, I shall now return to heaven.
स चायं पुरुषव्याघ्र कालः पुण्य उपागतः। तदस्मात्कारणात्पार्थ कार्यं तन्मे महत्कृतम्
And now, O best of men, the auspicious time has arrived; therefore, O Partha, because of this, my great task has been accomplished.
ततस्तस्मिन्मुहूर्ते तु विमानं कामगामि वै। अवपातेन महता तत्रावाप तदुत्तमम्
Then, at that very moment, the wish-fulfilling celestial vehicle descended there with a great sound and reached that excellent place.
इत्युक्त्वाऽऽजगरं देहं मुक्त्वा स नहुषो नृपः। दिव्यं वपुः समास्थाय गतस्त्रिदिवमेव ह
Having spoken thus, King Nahusha cast off the serpent body, assumed a divine form, and departed to the heavenly realm.
युधिष्ठिरोपि धर्मात्मा भ्रात्रा भीमेन संगतः। धौम्येन सहितः श्रीमानाश्रमं पुनरागमत्
Yudhishthira, righteous-souled, reunited with his brother Bhima and accompanied by Dhaumya, the illustrious one returned again to the hermitage.
ततो द्विजेभ्यः सर्वेभ्यः समेतेभ्यो यथातथम्। कथयामास तत्सर्वं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः
Then, to all the assembled twice-born, Yudhishthira, the king of righteousness, recounted everything just as it had happened.
तच्छ्रुत्वा ते द्विजाः सर्वे भ्रातरश्चास्य ते त्रयः। आसन्सुव्रीडिता राजन्द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी
Hearing this, all those Brahmins, his three brothers, and the illustrious Draupadi were filled with modesty, O king.
ते तु सर्वेद्विजश्रेष्ठाः पाण्डवानां हितेप्सया। मैवमित्यब्रुवन्भीमं गर्हयन्तोऽस् साहसम्
But all those foremost of Brahmins, wishing for the welfare of the Pandavas, reproached Bhima, saying, 'Do not act so rashly.'
पाण्डवास्तु भयान्पुक्तं प्रेक्ष्य भीमं महाबलम्। हर्षमाहारयांचक्रुर्विजह्रुश्च मुदा युताः
But the Pandavas, seeing the mighty Bhima safe from danger, were filled with joy and embraced him with delight.
निदाघान्तकरः कालः सर्वभूतसुखावहः। तत्रैव वसतां तेषां प्रावृट् समभिपद्यत
The season ending the summer, bringing happiness to all beings, the rainy season, arrived as they continued to dwell there.
छादयन्तो महाघोषाः स्वं दिशश्च बलाहकाः। प्रववर्षुर्दिवारात्रमसिताः सततं तदा
The great clouds, resounding loudly, covered their own quarters and the directions, and poured down black rain continuously, day and night.
तपात्ययनिकेताश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। अपेतार्कप्रभाजालाः सविद्युन्मण्डप्रभाः
Hundreds and thousands of thunderclouds, devoid of the sun’s radiance, shone with the glow of lightning clusters.
विरूढशष्पा धरणी मत्तदंशसरीसृपा। बभूव पयसा सिक्ता शान्तधूमरजोगणा
The earth, grown over with grass and teeming with intoxicated insects and reptiles, became soaked with water, its dust and smoke subdued.
न स्म प्रज्ञायते किंचिदम्भसा समवस्तृते। समं वा विषमं वाऽपि नद्यो वा स्तावराणि वा
When everything was covered with water, nothing could be distinguished—whether level or uneven ground, rivers, or immovable things.