Chapter 17
“Salya said, ‘Now when the great Indra, the intelligent chief of thegods, was deliberating with the guardians of the world and other deitiesupon the means of slaying Nahusha, there appeared at that spot thevenerable ascetic Agastya. And Agastya honoured the lord of the gods andsaid, ‘How fortunate that thou art flourishing after the destruction ofthat being of universal form, as also that of Vritra. And how fortunate.O Purandara, Nahusha hath been hurled from the throne of heaven. Howfortunate, O slayer of Vala, that I behold thee with all thy enemieskilled.’
“Indra said, ‘Hath thy journey hither been pleasant, O great saint, I amdelighted to see thee. Accept from me water for washing thy feet andface, as also the Arghya and the cow.’
“Salya continued, ‘Indra, well-pleased, began to question that best ofsaints and greatest of Brahmanas when he was seated on a seat afterreceiving due honours, thus, O revered saint, O best of Brahmanas, I wishto have it recited by thee how Nahusha of vicious soul was hurled fromheaven.’
“Agastya said, ‘Listen, O Indra, to the pleasant narrative how the wickedand vicious Nahusha, intoxicated with pride of strength, had been hurledfrom heaven. The pure-spirited Brahmanas and celestial saints, whilecarrying him, weary with toil, questioned that vicious one, O best ofvictors, saying, ‘O Indra, there are certain hymns in the Vedas, directedto be recited while sprinkling the cows. Are they authentic or not?Nahusha, who had lost his senses by the operation of the Tamas, told themthat they were not authentic.’ The saints then said, ‘Thou art tendingtowards unrighteousness; thou takest not to the righteous path. Thegreatest saints have formerly said they are authentic, O Indra.’ Andincited by Untruth, he touched me on my head with his foot. At this, Olord of Sachi, he became divested of power and of good looks. Then, as hewas agitated and overpowered with fear, I spoke to him, ‘Since thou hastpronounced as spurious the unexceptionable hymns of the Veda which havebeen recited by Brahmarsis (Brahmana saints), and since thou hast touchedmy head with thy foot, and since thou, O ignorant wretch, hast turnedthese unapproachable saints, equal to Brahma, into animals for carryingthee, therefore, O wretch, be divested of thy lustre, and being hurledheadlong, fall thou from heaven, the effect of all thy good deeds beingexhausted. For ten thousand years, thou shalt, in the form of an enormoussnake, roam over the earth. When that period is full, thou mayst comeback to heaven. Thus hath that wretch been hurled from the throne ofheaven, O repressor of foes.’ How fortunate, O Indra, that we areflourishing now. That thorn of the Brahmanas hath been killed. O lord ofSachi, repair thou to heaven, protect the worlds, subdue thy senses,subdue thy foes, and be glorified by the great saints.’
“Salya continued, ‘Then, O ruler of men, the gods, and the bands of greatsaints were exceedingly pleased. And so also were the Pitris, theYakshas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas, and all the bands ofcelestial nymphs. And the tanks, the rivers, the mountains, and the seasalso were highly pleased. And all came up and said, ‘How fortunate, Oslayer of foes, that thou art flourishing! How fortunate, that theintelligent Agastya hath killed the vicious Nahusha! How fortunate thatthe vile individual hath been turned into a snake to roam over theearth!'”
