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.'
न मे तत्र गतिर्ब्रह्मन्किमन्यत्करवाणि ते। तमब्रवीद्देवगुरुरपो विश महाद्युते
'O Brāhman, I have no way there; what else shall I do for you?' The preceptor of the gods said to him, 'Enter the waters, O greatly radiant one.'
नापः प्रवेष्टुं शक्ष्यामि क्षयो मेऽत्र भविष्यति। शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नोऽस्मि स्वस्ति तेस्तु महाद्युते
'I cannot enter the waters; I would perish there. I take refuge in you; may it be well with you, O greatly radiant one.'
अद्भ्योऽग्निर्ब्रह्मतः क्षत्रमश्मनो लोहमुत्थितम् । तेषां सर्वत्रगं तेजः स्वासु योनिषु शाम्यति
From water comes fire, from Brāhman comes kṣatriya, from stone arises iron; the energy of all these, though pervading everywhere, subsides in their own sources.
अथ संचिन्तयानस्य देवराजस्य धीमतः। नहुषस्य वधोपायं लोकपालैः सदैवतैः
Then, as the wise king of the gods was pondering the means for Nahusha's destruction, the guardians of the worlds and the gods deliberated together.
तपस्वी तत्र भगवानगस्त्यः प्रत्यदृश्यत। सोऽब्रवीदर्च्य देवेन्द्रं दिष्ट्या वै वर्धते भवान्
There, the venerable sage Agastya, devoted to austerity, appeared; he respectfully addressed Indra, 'By fortune, you are prospering, O lord of the gods.'
विश्वरूपविनाशेन वृत्रासुरवधेन च। दिष्ट्याद्य नहुषो भ्रष्टो देवराज्यात्पुरन्दर
By the destruction of Viśvarūpa and the slaying of Vṛtrāsura, by fortune today, Nahusha has fallen from the kingdom of the gods, O Purandara.
स्वागतं ते महर्षेऽस्तु प्रीतोऽहं दर्शनात्तत। पाद्यमाचमनीयं च गामर्घ्यं च प्रतीच्छ मे
'Welcome to you, great sage; I am pleased by this meeting. Accept from me water for washing the feet, water for sipping, and the cow for hospitality.'
पूजितं चोपविष्टं तमासेन मुनिसत्तमम्। पर्यपृच्छत देवेशः प्रहृष्टो ब्राह्मणर्षभम्
Having honored and seated that foremost of sages, the lord of the gods, delighted, inquired after the welfare of the best of Brāhmaṇas.
श्रोतुमिच्छामि भगवन्कथ्यमानं द्विजोत्तम। परिभ्रष्टः कथं स्वर्गान्नहुषः पापनिश्चयः
'I wish to hear, O venerable one, as it is told, how Nahusha, intent on evil, fell from heaven, O best of twice-born.'
श्रृणु शक्र प्रियं वाक्यं यथा राजा दुरात्मवान् । स्वर्गाद्भ्रष्टो दुराचारो नहुषो बलदर्पितः
'Hear, O Śakra, these pleasing words: how the wicked king Nahusha, filled with arrogance, fell from heaven due to his evil conduct.'
श्रमार्ताश्च वहन्तस्तं नहुषं पापकारिणम् । देवर्षयो महाभागास्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः
Weary from carrying the sinful Nahusha, the great and pure devarṣis and brahmarṣis were afflicted.
पप्रच्छुर्नहुषं देवं संशयं जयतां वर। य इमे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्ता मन्त्रा वै प्रोक्षणे गवाम्
Those best among the victorious, the sages, questioned Nahusha, the god, about a doubt: 'Are these mantras, declared by Brahmā for the sprinkling of cows, authoritative for you?'
एते प्रमाणं भवत उताहो नेति वासव। नहुषो नेति तानाह तमसा मूढचेतनः
'Are these authoritative for you or not, O Vāsava?' To them, Nahusha, his mind deluded by darkness, replied, 'They are not.'
अधर्मे संप्रवृत्तस्त्वं धर्मं न प्रतिपद्यसे। प्रमाणमेतदस्माकं पूर्वं प्रोक्तं महर्षिभिः
'You have turned to unrighteousness; you do not adhere to righteousness. This was declared by the great sages of old as our authority.'
ततो विवदमानः स मुनिभिः सह वासव । अथ मामस्पृशन्मूर्ध्नि पादेनाधर्मपीडितः
Then, as he argued with the sages, Indra, afflicted by unrighteousness, touched my head with his foot.
तेनाभूद्धततेजाश्च निःश्रीकश्च महीपतिः । ततस्तं तमसा विग्नमवोचं भृशपीडितम्
Because of this, the king lost his brilliance and fortune; then, seeing him troubled by darkness and greatly tormented, I spoke to him.
यस्मात्पूर्वैः कृतं राजन्ब्रह्मर्षिभिरनुष्ठितम् । अदृष्टं दूषयसि मे यच्च मूर्ध्य्रस्पृशः पदा
O king, since you have defiled what was established by the ancient Brahmarshis and, unseen by me, touched my head with your foot—
यच्चापि त्वमृषीन्मूढ ब्रह्मकल्पान्दुरासदान्
And because you, deluded one, have treated the sages—who are as unapproachable as Brahma—
वाहान्कृत्व्रा वाहयसि तेन स्वर्गाद्धतप्रभः । ध्वंस पाप परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणपुण्यो महीतले
—as if they were beasts of burden, making them carry you, your brilliance is destroyed and you are cast down from heaven; perish, sinner, fallen and bereft of merit, on the earth.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि सर्परूपधरो महान्। विचरिष्यसि पूर्णेषु पुनः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि
For ten thousand years you shall wander the earth in the form of a great serpent; when that time is fulfilled, you shall regain heaven.