SENODYOGA PARVA: Chapter 17

Agastya's news to Indra

शल्य उवाच अथ संचिन्तयानस्य देवराजस्य धीमतः। नहुषस्य वधोपायं लोकपालैः सदैवतैः॥ तपस्वी तत्र भगवानगस्त्यः प्रत्यदृश्यत। सोऽब्रवीदर्घ्य देवेन्द्रं दिष्ट्या वै वर्धते भवान्॥ विश्वरूपविनाशेन वृत्रासुरवधेन च। दिष्ट्याद्य नहुषो भ्रष्टो देवराज्यात् पुरंदर। दिष्ट्या हतारिं पश्यामि भवन्तं बलसूदन॥
Shalya said While the wise king of the gods was fixing on means of killing Nahusha, along with the ruler of the worlds and the gods, the ascetic, who had the six attributes of a godly being, Agastya, appeared there and having delay greeted the king of the gods, said-It is fortunate that you are gaining in strength, having already killed the great Aşura who had assumed a universal form; it is fortunate, O Purandara the Nahusha is this day ousted from the kingdom of heaven; it is fortunate, O slayer of Bala, that I see you with all your enemies, killed.

इन्द्र उवाच स्वागतं ते महर्षेऽस्तु प्रीतोऽहं दर्शनात् तव। पाद्यमाचमनीयं च गामर्थ्य च प्रतीच्छ मे॥
Indra said Welcome to you, O great Rishi; I am pleased at seeing you; be so good as to accept from me water for washing your feet and your face and also the things suitable for your worship and a cow.

शल्य उवाच पूजितं चोपविष्टं तमासने मुनिसत्तमम्। पर्यपृच्छत देवेशः प्रहृष्टो ब्राह्मणर्षमम्॥
Shalya said That best among the Rishis being duly worshipped and seated on a seat, the chief of the gods, well pleased, asked that best among the Brahmanas.

एतदिच्छामि भगवन् कथ्यमानं द्विजोत्तम। परिभ्रष्टः कथं स्वर्गान्नहुषः पापनिश्चयः॥
O you best among the twice born, having the six attributes, narrate how Nahusha of vicious purpose came to be ousted from heaven. I want to hear that.

अगस्त्य उवाच शृणु शक्र प्रियं वाक्यं यथा राजा दुरात्मवान्। स्वर्गाद् भ्रष्टो दुराचारो नहुषो बलदर्पितः॥
Agastya said Listen, O Shakra, to this story as to how the vicious-souled Nahusha, of bad habits, vain of his strength, has been ousted from heaven.

श्रमाश्चि वहन्तस्तं नहुषं पापकारिणम्। देवर्षयो महाभागास्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमला:॥ पप्रच्छुर्नहुषं देव संशयं जयतां वर। य इमे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्ता मन्त्रा वै प्रोक्षणे गवाम्॥ एते प्रमाणं भवत उताहो नेति वासव। नहुषो नेति तानाह तमसा मूढचेतनः॥
The Devarshis of great attributes and the Brahmarshis of spotless fame wearied with bearing Nahusha, the doer of vicious deeds, asked him (Nahusha), O best of victors, if the hymns prescribed to be chanted by Brahma, at the time of sprinkling the cows, were authentic. And also if he believed in their authenticity, told them that it was not authentic.

ऋषय ऊचुः अधर्मे सम्प्रवृत्तस्त्वं धर्मं न प्रतिपद्यसे। प्रमाणमेतदस्माकं पूर्वं प्रोक्तं महर्षिभिः॥
The Rishis said You are going along the path of vice; you do not act virtuously. “That they are authentic" has before been said by our great Rishis.

अगस्त्य उवाच ततो विवदमानः स मुनिभिः सह वासव। अथ मामस्पृशन्मूर्ध्नि पादेनाधर्मपीडितः॥
Agastya said Then, O Vasava, he began quarreling with the Rishis and then the one, ruled by vice, touched my head with his feet.

तेनाभूद्धततेजाश्च नि:श्रीकश्च महीपतिः। ततस्तं तमसाऽऽविग्नमवोचं भृशपीडितम्॥
By that act did the king lose his strength and became shorn of prosperity; and then as he was agitated and oppressed with fear and had lost the power of speech, I said-

यस्मात् पूर्वैः कृतं राजन् ब्रह्मर्षिभिरनुष्ठितम्। अदुष्टं दूषयसि मे यच्च मूर्ध्यस्पृशः पदा॥ यच्चापि त्वमृषीन् मूढ ब्रह्मकल्पान् दुरासदान्॥ वाहान् कृत्वा वाहयसि तेन स्वर्गाद्धतप्रभः। ध्वसं पाप परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणपुण्यो महीतले॥
Since, O king, you call into question, the hymns authorized by our ancestors and chanted by Brahmarshis and since you have touched me with your feet and since, O fool, you have your conveyance carried by Rishis equal to Brahma and unapproachable, whom you have made your bearers, therefore be shorn of your power. O Vice, be destroyed and turned out of heaven, go you to the earth where there is little virtue.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि सर्परूपधरो महान्। विचरिष्यसि पूर्णेषु पुनः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि॥
For ten thousand years, assuming the form of a large snake, shall you roam about and at the completion of that period shall you again get into heaven.

एवं भ्रष्टो दुरात्मा स देवराज्यादरिंदम। दिष्ट्या वर्धामहे शक्र हतो ब्राह्मणकण्टकः॥
The wicked-souled one was thus turned out of the kingdom of the gods, O you subduer of foes. It is lucky, O Shakra, that we are now on the ascendant and that thorn, of the Brahmanas, has been killed.

त्रिविष्टपं प्रपद्यस्व पाहि लोकाञ्छचीपते। जितेन्द्रियो जितामित्रः स्तयूमानो महर्षिभिः॥
O you lord of Sachi, go you to heaven and rule over the world, after conquering your senses and subduing your enemies and being propitiated by the great Rishis.

शल्य उवाच ततो देवा भृशं तुष्टा महर्षिगणसंवृताः। पितरश्चैव यक्षाच भुजगा राक्षसास्तथा॥ गन्धर्वा देवकन्याच सर्वे चाप्सरसां गणाः। सरांसि सरितः शैलाः सागराश्च विशाम्पते॥
Shalya said Then the gods were highly pleased, along with the great Rishis and the Pitris and the Yakshas and the Rakshasas and the Gandharvas and the celestial nymphs and all the fairies; and all the tanks and the lakes and the mountains and the rivers rejoiced.

उपागम्याब्रुवन् सर्वे दिष्ट्या वर्धसि शत्रुहन्। हतश्च नहुषः पापो दिष्ट्यागस्त्येन धीमता। दिष्ट्या पापसमाचारः कृतः सर्पो महीतले॥
They all coming there said-it is fortunate, Oslayer of enemies, that you are on the ascendant; it is fortunate that the vicious Nahusha has been killed by the wise Agastya; it is fortunate that being of vicious habits has been turned into a snake in the earth.