इत्युक्ता देवराजेन पत्नी सा कमलेक्षणा । एवमस्त्वित्यथोक्त्वा तु जगाम नहुषं प्रति
Thus addressed by the king of the gods, his lotus-eyed wife replied, 'So be it,' and then went towards Nahusha.
नहुषस्तां ततो दृष्ट्वा सस्मितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । स्वागतं ते वरारोहे किं करोमि शुचिस्मिते
Seeing her, Nahusha then, with a smile, spoke these words: 'Welcome to you, O lovely-hipped one; what shall I do, O fair-smiling one?'
भक्तं मां भज कल्याणि किमिच्छसि मनस्विनि । तव कल्याणि यत्कार्यं तत्करिष्ये सुमध्यमे
'Honor me with devotion, O auspicious one; what do you desire, O high-minded lady? Whatever you wish, O slender-waisted one, that I shall do.'
न च व्रीडा त्वया कार्या सुश्रोणि मयि विश्वसेः। सत्येन वै पशे देवि करिष्ये वचनं तव
'And you need not feel any shame, O beautiful-hipped one; trust in me. By truth, O goddess, I will indeed carry out your word.'
यो मे कृतस्त्वया कालस्तमाकाङ्क्षे जगत्पते। ततस्त्वमेव भर्ता मे भविष्यसि सुराधिम
The time you have set for me, O lord of the world, I desire that; then you alone will be my husband, O lord of the gods.'
कार्यं च हृदि मे यत्तद्देवराजावधारय। वक्ष्यामि यदि मे राजन्प्रियमेतत्करिष्यसि
'That which is in my heart, O king of the gods, attend to it; if you, O king, will do this dear thing I shall say.'
वाक्यं प्रणयसंयुक्तं ततः स्यां वशगा तव। इन्द्रस्य वाजिनो वाहा हस्तिनोऽथ रथास्तथा
'If you fulfill my request with affection, then I shall be under your control; the steeds of Indra, the elephants, and the chariots as well—'
इच्छाम्यहमथापूर्वं वाहनं ते सुराधिप । यन्न विष्णोर्न रुद्रस्य न सुराणां न रक्षसाम्
'I wish for a vehicle for you, O lord of the gods, such as has never been before, which belongs neither to Vishnu nor Rudra, nor to the gods nor to the demons.'
वहन्तु त्वां महाभागा ऋषयः सङ्गता विभो। सर्वे शिबिकया राजन्नेतद्धि मम रोचते
Let the great sages, assembled together, bear you, O illustrious one, in a palanquin; O king, this pleases me.
नासुरेषु न देवेषु तुल्यो भवितुमर्हसि । सर्वेषां तेज आदत्से स्वेन वीर्येण दर्शनात्
You should not be considered equal among demons or gods; you draw the brilliance of all by your own power, simply by your presence.
एवमुक्तस्तु नहुषः प्राहृष्यत तदा किल। उवाच वचनं चापि सुरेन्द्रस्तामनिन्दिताम्
Thus addressed, Nahusha was greatly delighted at that time, and the lord of the gods spoke these words to her, who was beyond reproach.
अपूर्वं वाहनमिदं त्वयोक्तं वरवर्णिनि। दृढं मे रुचिरं देवि त्वद्वशोऽस्मि वरानने
O fair-complexioned one, you have spoken of a vehicle never before conceived; it is firm and pleasing to me, O goddess with lovely face, I am under your sway.
न ह्यल्पवीर्यो भवति यो वाहान्कुरुते मुनीन् । अहं तपस्वी बलवान्भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः
He who makes sages his bearers is not of little strength; I am an ascetic, powerful, lord of past, future, and present.
मयि क्रुद्धे जगन्न स्यान्मयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्। देवदानवगन्धर्वाः किन्नरोरगराक्षसाः
If I am angered, the world would not exist; all is established in me—the gods, demons, gandharvas, kinnaras, serpents, and rākṣasas.
न मे क्रुद्धस्य पर्याप्ताः सर्वे लोकाः शुचिस्मिते। चक्षुषा यं प्रपश्यामि तस्य तेजो हराम्यहम्
O gentle-smiling one, all the worlds are not sufficient for me when I am enraged; whoever I look upon, I take away his brilliance.
अहमिन्द्रोऽस्मि देवानां लोकानां च महेश्वरः। मयि हव्यं च कव्यं च लोकाश्चैव सनातनाः ।' तस्मात्ते वचनं देवि करिष्यामि न संशयः
I am Indra among the gods, the great lord of the worlds; in me are the offerings to gods and ancestors, and the eternal worlds. Therefore, O goddess, I will do as you have said, without doubt.
सप्तर्षयो मां वक्ष्यन्ति सर्वे ब्रह्मर्षयस्तथा । पश्य माहात्म्ययोगं मे ऋद्धिं च वरवर्णिनि
The Seven Sages and all the Brahmarṣis will carry me; behold my greatness and prosperity, O fair-complexioned one.
एवमुक्त्वा तु तां देवीं विसृज्य च वराननाम् । ` अथ संचिन्त्य नहुषो बलवीर्येण भारत
Having thus spoken to the goddess with the lovely face and dismissing her, Nahusha, O Bhārata, reflected on his own strength and power.
विसृज्य सुप्रतीकं च नागमैरावतं तथा। हंसयुक्तं विमानं च हरियुक्तं तथा रथम्
He dismissed the splendid elephant Supratika, as well as Airavata, and the chariot yoked with swans, and the chariot yoked with horses.
स तु दर्पेण महता परिभूय महामुनीन्।' विमाने योजयित्वा च ऋषीन्नियमामास्थितान्
Then, out of great pride, he disregarded the great sages, and, having yoked the restrained sages to his vehicle, he mounted it.
अब्रह्मण्यो बलोपेतो मत्तो मदबलेन च। कामवृत्तः स दुष्टात्मा वाहयामास तानृषीन्
Devoid of righteousness, possessed by strength, intoxicated by the power of his might, driven by desire, that wicked-souled one made those sages bear him.
नहुषेण विसृष्टा च बृहस्पतिमथाब्रवीत्। समयोऽल्पावशेषो मे नहुषेणेह यः कृतः
Dismissed by Nahusha, she then spoke to Bṛhaspati: 'The time granted to me by Nahusha here is almost spent.'
शक्रं मृगय शीघ्रं त्वं भक्तायाः कुरु मे दयाम्। बाढमित्येव भगवान्बृहस्पतिरुवाच ताम्
'Seek out Śakra quickly and show compassion to your devotee.' The blessed Bṛhaspati replied to her, 'So be it.'
न भेतव्यं त्वया देवि नहुषाद्दुष्टचेतसः । न ह्येष स्थास्यति चिरं गत एष नराधमः
O goddess, you need not fear Nahusha of evil mind; for this base man will not remain long—he is already lost.
अधर्मज्ञो महर्षीणां वाहनाच्च हतः शुभे । इष्टिं चाहं करिष्यामि विनाशायास्य दुर्मतेः
He, ignorant of righteousness, is doomed by making the great sages his bearers, O auspicious one; I will perform a sacrifice for the destruction of this evil-minded one.
शक्रं चाधिगमिष्यामि माभैस्त्वं भद्रमस्तु ते। ततः प्रज्वाल्य विधिवज्जुहाव परमं हविः
I will find Śakra; do not fear, may good befall you. Then, having duly kindled the fire, he offered the supreme oblation.
बृहस्पतिर्महातेजा देवराजोपलब्धये। हुत्वाऽग्निं सोब्रवीद्राजञ्छक्र अन्विष्यतामिति
Bṛhaspati, of great brilliance, performed a sacrifice to the fire for the sake of finding the king of the gods, and then said, 'O King, seek out Śakra.'
तस्माच्च भगवान्देवः स्वयमेव हुताशनः । स्त्रीवेषमद्भुतं कृत्वा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Then the divine Lord Agni himself, having assumed a wondrous form as a woman, vanished right there.
स दिशः प्रदिशश्चैव पर्वतांश्च वनानि च। पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षं च विचित्याथ मनोगतिः। निमेषान्तरमात्रेण बृहस्पतिमुपागमत्
He, moving with the speed of thought, searched the directions and intermediate quarters, the mountains, the forests, the earth, and the sky, and in the blink of an eye, approached Bṛhaspati.
बृहस्पते न पश्यामि देवराजमिह क्वचित्। आपः शेषाः सदा चापः प्रवेष्टुं नोत्सहाम्यहम्
'O Bṛhaspati, I do not see the king of the gods anywhere here; only waters remain, always waters, and I am unable to enter them.'