दुःखं च प्राप्तवान्घोरं भृगुशापेन भारत । तथेन्द्रोऽपि ब्रह्महत्याकृतं प्राप्य महद्भयम्
He too suffered terrible sorrow due to Bhṛgu's curse, O Bhārata; likewise, Indra, having committed Brahmin-slaying, encountered great fear.
न स्वास्थ्यं प्राप गेहेऽसौ सर्वसिद्धिसमन्विते । पौलोमी तं सभाहीनं दृष्ट्वा प्रोवाच वासवम्
He did not find peace even in his own home, though endowed with all perfections; seeing him deprived of his assembly, Paulomī spoke to Vāsava.
निःश्वसन्तं भयत्रस्तं नष्टसंज्ञं विचेतसम् । किं प्रभोऽद्य भयार्तोऽसि मृतस्ते दारुणो रिपुः
Breathing heavily, terrified, his senses lost and mind bewildered—O Lord, why are you so fearful today? Has some dreadful enemy killed you?
का चिन्ता वर्तते कान्त तव शत्रुनिषूदन । कस्माच्छोचसि लोकेश निःश्वसन्प्राकृतो यथा
What is the worry, beloved, for you, the destroyer of enemies? Why do you grieve, Lord of the world, sighing like an ordinary man?
नान्योऽस्ति बलवाञ्छत्रुर्येन चिन्तापरो भवान् । इन्द्र उवाच नारातिर्बलवान्मेऽस्ति न शान्तिर्न सुखं तथा
There is no other powerful enemy for whom you should be so anxious.
ब्रह्महत्याभयाद्राज्ञि बिभेमि सततं गृहे । न नन्दनं सुखकरं नामृतं न गृहं वनम्
Indra said: There is no enemy stronger than me, nor is there peace or happiness for me. O Queen, I am always afraid at home of the danger of Brahminicide. Neither Nandana, the pleasure-garden, nor nectar, nor home, nor forest brings me joy.
गन्धर्वाणां तथा गेयं नृत्यमप्सरसां पुनः । न त्वं सुखकरा नारी नाना च सुरयोषितः
Neither the songs of the Gandharvas, nor the dances of the Apsaras, nor you, beloved woman, nor any of the divine ladies bring me happiness.
न तथा कामधेनुश्च देववृक्षः सुखप्रदः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि क्व शर्म मम जायते
Not even the wish-fulfilling cow, nor the divine tree that grants pleasure, can give me happiness. What shall I do, where shall I go, where can I find peace?
इति चिन्तापरः कान्ते न लभे सुखमात्मनि । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा वचनं शक्रः प्रियां परमकातराम्
Thus, overwhelmed by worry, beloved, I find no happiness within myself.
निर्जगाम गृहान्मन्दो मानसं सर उत्तमम् । पद्मनाले प्रविष्टोऽसौ भयार्तः शोककर्षितः
Vyasa said: Having spoken these words, Shakra, deeply distressed, left his beloved and his home. Afflicted by fear and sorrow, he entered the finest lotus lake.
न प्राज्ञायत देवेन्द्रस्त्वभिभूतश्च कल्मषैः । प्रतिच्छन्नो वसत्यप्सु चेष्टमान इवोरगः
Devendra, overpowered by sin, could not be recognized. Concealed, he dwelled in the waters, like a serpent in hiding.
असहायस्तुराषाडैच्चिन्तार्तो विकलेन्द्रियः । ततः प्रनष्टे देवेन्द्रे ब्रह्महत्याभयार्दिते
Helpless, tormented by anxiety, his senses disturbed, Turashada remained. Then, with Devendra lost and afflicted by the fear of Brahminicide—
सुराश्चिन्तातुराश्चासन्नुत्पाताश्चाभवन्नथ । ऋषयः सिद्धगन्धर्वा भयार्ताश्चाभवन्भृशम्
The gods became anxious and troubled, and calamities arose. The sages, Siddhas, and Gandharvas were all greatly afraid.
अराजकं जगत्सर्वमभिभूतमुपद्रवैः । अवर्षणं तदा जातं पृथिवी क्षीणवैभवा
The whole world, without a ruler, was overcome by disasters. Then, drought came, and the earth lost its prosperity.
विच्छिन्नस्रोतसो नद्यः सरांस्यनुदकानि वै । एवं त्वराजके जाते देवता मुनयस्तथा
The rivers lost their streams, and the lakes became dry. Thus, when there was no ruler, the gods and sages—
विचार्य नहुषं चक्रुः शक्रं सर्वे दिवौकसः । सम्प्राप्य नहुषो राजा धर्मिष्ठोऽपि रजोबलात्
—considered and appointed Nahusha as Shakra, all the dwellers of heaven together. Nahusha, though righteous, became attached to pleasure due to the force of passion.
बभूव विषयासक्तः पञ्चबाणशराहतः । अप्सरोभिर्वृतः क्रीडन्देवोद्यानेषु भारत
Struck by the arrows of the god of love, he became absorbed in sensual pleasures, surrounded by Apsaras, playing in the gardens of the gods, O Bharata.
शक्रपत्नीगुणाञ्छ्रुत्वा चकमे तां स पार्थिवः । ऋषीनाह किमिन्द्राणी नोपगच्छति मां किल
Hearing of the virtues of Shakra’s wife, that king desired her. He said to the sages, 'Why does Indrani not come to me?'
भवद्भिश्चामरैः सर्वैः कृतोऽहं वासवस्त्विह । प्रेषयध्वं सुराः कामं सेवार्थं मम वै शचीम्
'You all, with the immortals, have made me Indra here. Send Shachi, O gods, to serve me as I wish.'
प्रियं चेन्मम कर्तव्यं सर्वथा मुनयोऽमराः । अहमिन्द्रोऽद्य देवानां लोकानां च तथेश्वरः
'If you sages and gods truly wish to please me, then today I am Indra, the lord of the gods and the worlds.'
आगच्छतु शची मह्यं क्षिप्रमद्य निवेशनम् । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवा देवर्षयस्तथा
Let Śacī come to my residence quickly today. Hearing these words, the gods and the divine sages likewise—
गत्वा चिन्तातुराः प्रोचुः पौलोमीं प्रणतास्ततः । इन्द्रपत्नि दुराचारो नहुषस्त्वामिहेच्छति
Having gone, troubled with anxiety, they spoke to Paulomī, bowing before her: Indra’s wife, Nahusha, of wicked conduct, desires you here.
कुपितोऽस्मानुवाचेदं प्रेषयध्वं शचीमिह । किं कुर्मस्तदधीनाः स्मो येनेन्द्रोऽयं कृतः किल
Angry, he told us: Send Śacī here. What can we do? We are dependent on him, since he has become Indra.
तच्छ्रुत्वा दुर्मना देवी बृहस्पतिमुवाच ह । रक्ष मां नहुषाद्ब्रह्मंस्तवास्मि शरणं गता
Hearing this, the goddess, distressed, spoke to Bṛhaspati: Protect me from Nahusha, O Brahman; I have come to you for refuge.
बृहस्पतिरुवाच न भेतव्यं त्वया देवि नहुषात्पापमोहितात् । न त्वां दास्याम्यहं वत्से त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सनातनम्
Bṛhaspati said: You need not fear, O goddess, from Nahusha, deluded by sin. I will not give you up, dear one, abandoning the eternal Dharma.
शरणागतमार्तं च यो ददाति नराधमः । स एव नरकं याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । स्वस्था भव पृथुश्रोणि न त्यक्ष्ये त्वां कदाचन
Whoever abandons one who has sought refuge and is afflicted, that vile man goes to hell until the dissolution of creation. Be at ease, broad-hipped one; I will never forsake you.
इन्द्राण्या शक्रदर्शनम् व्यास उवाच नहुषस्त्वथ तां श्रुत्वा गुरोस्तु शरणं गताम् । चुक्रोध स्मरबाणार्तस्तमाङ्गिरसमाशु वै
Indrāṇī’s meeting with Śakra Vyāsa said: Then Nahusha, hearing that she had sought refuge with her guru, became angry, afflicted by the arrows of love, and swiftly approached the descendant of Aṅgiras.
देवानाहाङ्गिरासूनुर्हन्तव्योऽयं मया किल । इतीन्द्राणीं गृहे मूढो रक्षतीति मया श्रुतम्
The son of Aṅgiras said to the gods: He must be slain by me. I have heard that Indrāṇī is being guarded in her house.
इति तं कुपितं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः । अब्रुवन्नहुषं घोरं सामपूर्वं वचस्तदा
Seeing him enraged, the gods, led by the sages, spoke to Nahusha, the fierce one, with conciliatory words at that time.
क्रोधं संहर राजेन्द्र त्यज पापमतिं प्रभो । निन्दन्ति धर्मशास्त्रेषु परदाराभिमर्शनम्
Restrain your anger, O king; abandon sinful intent, O lord. The Dharma scriptures condemn the pursuit of another’s wife.