05017001a atha saJMcintayAnasya devarAjasya dhImataH 'Now when the great indra, the intelligent chief of the gods, was deliberating
05017001c nahuSasya vadhopAyaM lokapAlaisH sahaiva taiH with the guardians of the world and other deities upon the means of slaying Nahusha,
05017001e tapasvI tatra bhagavAn agastyaH pratyadRzyata there appeared at that spot the venerable ascetic agastya.
05017002a so 'bravId arcya devendranM diSTyA vai vardhate bhavAn And Agastya honoured the lord of the gods and said, 'How fortunate that thou art flourishing
05017002c vizvarUpavinAzena vRtrAsuravadhena ca after the destruction of that being of universal form, as also that of vRtra.
05017003a diSTyA ca nahuSo bhraSTo devarAjyAt puranMdara And how fortunate. O Purandara, Nahusha hath been hurled from the throne of heaven.
05017003c diSTyA hatArimM pazyAmi bhavantamM balasUdana How fortunate, O slayer of Vala, that I behold thee with all thy enemies killed.'
05017004 indra uvAca 'indra said,
05017004a svAgatanM te maharSe 'stu prIto 'hanM darzanAt tava 'Hath thy journey hither been pleasant, O great saint, I am delighted to see thee.
05017004c pAdyam AcamanIyaJM ca gAm arghyaJM ca pratIccha me Accept from me water for washing thy feet and face, as also the arghya and the cow.'
05017005 zalya uvAca 'zalya continued,
05017005a pUjitaJM copaviSTanM tam Asane munisattamam
05017005c paryapRcchata devezaH prahRSTo brAhmaNarSabham 'indra, well-pleased, began to question that best of saints and greatest of brAhmaNas when he was seated on a seat after receiving due honours,
05017006a etad icchAmi bhagavan kathyamAnanM dvijottama thus, O revered saint, O best of brAhmaNas, I wish to have it recited by thee
05017006c paribhraSTaH kathaM svargAn nahuSaH pApanizcayaH how Nahusha of vicious soul was hurled from heaven.'
05017007 agastya uvAca 'Agastya said,
05017007a zRNu zakra priyaM vAkyaM yathA rAjA durAtmavAn 'Listen, O indra, to the pleasant narrative how the wicked and vicious Nahusha,
05017007c svargAd bhraSTo durAcAro nahuSo baladarpitaH intoxicated with pride of strength, had been hurled from heaven.
05017008a zramArtAs tu vahantas tanM nahuSamM pApakAriNam
05017008c devarSayo mahAbhAgAs tathA brahmarSayo 'malAH The pure-spirited brAhmaNas and celestial saints, while carrying him, weary with toil,
05017008e papracchusH saMzayanM deva nahuSaJM jayatAM vara questioned that vicious one, O best of victors, saying,
05017009a ya ime brahmaNA proktA mantrA vai prokSaNe gavAm 'O indra, there are certain hymns in the Vedas, directed to be recited while sprinkling the cows.
05017009c ete pramANamM bhavata utAho neti vAsava Are they authentic or not?
05017009e nahuSo neti tAn Aha tamasA mUDhacetanaH Nahusha, who had lost his senses by the operation of the Tamas, told them that they were not authentic.'
05017010 RSaya UcuH The saints then said,
05017010a adharme samMpravRttas tvanM dharmanM na pratipadyase 'Thou art tending towards unrighteousness; thou takest not to the righteous path.
05017010c pramANam etad asmAkamM pUrvamM proktamM maharSibhiH The greatest saints have formerly said they are authentic, O indra.'
05017011 agastya uvAca 'Agastya said,
05017011a tato vivadamAnasH sa munibhisH saha vAsava
05017011c atha mAm aspRzan mUrdhni pAdenAdharmapIDitaH And incited by Untruth, he touched me on my head with his foot.
05017012a tenAbhUd dhatatejAsH sa nizHzrIkaz ca zacIpate At this, O lord of Sachi, he became divested of power and of good looks.
05017012c tatas tam aham Avignam avocamM bhayapIDitam Then, as he was agitated and overpowered with fear, I told him --
05017013a yasmAt pUrvaiH kRtaM brahma brahmarSibhir anuSThitam 'Since thou hast pronounced as spurious the unexceptionable hymns of the Veda which have been recited by Brahmarsis (brAhmaNa saints),
05017013c aduSTanM dUSayasi vai yac ca mUrdhny aspRzaH padA and since thou hast touched my head with thy foot,
05017014a yac cApi tvam RSIn mUDha brahmakalpAn durAsadAn and since thou, O ignorant wretch, hast turned these unapproachable saints, equal to brahmA,
05017014c vAhAn kRtvA vAhayasi tena svargAd dhataprabhaH into animals for carrying thee, therefore, O wretch, be divested of thy lustre,
05017015a dhvaMsa pApa paribhraSTaH kSINapuNyo mahItalam and being hurled headlong, fall thou from heaven, the effect of all thy good deeds being exhausted.
05017015c daza varSasahasrANi sarparUpadharo mahAn For ten thousand years, thou shalt, in the form of an enormous snake, roam over the earth.
05017015e vicariSyasi pUrNeSu punasH svargam avApsyasi When that period is full, thou mayst come back to heaven.
05017016a evamM bhraSTo durAtmA sa devarAjyAd arinMdama Thus hath that wretch been hurled from the throne of heaven, O repressor of foes.'
05017016c diSTyA vardhAmahe zakra hato brAhmaNakaNTakaH How fortunate, O indra, that we are flourishing now. That thorn of the brAhmaNas hath been killed.
05017017a triviSTapamM prapadyasva pAhi lokAJ zacIpate O husband of Sachi, repair thou to heaven, protect the worlds,
05017017c jitendriyo jitAmitrasH stUyamAno maharSibhiH subdue thy senses, subdue thy foes, and be glorified by the great saints.'
05017018 zalya uvAca 'zalya continued,
05017018a tato devA bhRzanM tuSTA maharSigaNasaMvRtAH 'Then, O ruler of men, the gods, and the bands of great saints were exceedingly pleased.
05017018c pitaraz caiva yakSAz ca bhujagA rAkSasAs tathA And so also were the pitRs, the yakSas, the Snakes, the rAkSasas,
05017019a gandharvA devakanyAz ca sarve cApsarasAGM gaNAH the gandharvas, and all the bands of celestial nymphs.
05017019c sarAMsi saritazH zailAsH sAgarAz ca vizAmM pate And the tanks, the rivers, the mountains, and the seas also were highly pleased.
05017020a upagamyAbruvan sarve diSTyA vardhasi zatruhan And all came up and said, 'How fortunate, O slayer of foes, that thou art flourishing!
05017020c hataz ca nahuSaH pApo diSTyAgastyena dhImatA How fortunate, that the intelligent Agastya hath killed the vicious Nahusha!
05017020e diSTyA pApasamAcAraH kRtaH sarpo mahItale How fortunate that the vile individual hath been turned into a snake to roam over the earth!''
