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The Story:  

The Story:  

Devendra killed Vṛttrāsura, an enemy of the gods. As Devendra had resorted to treachery for killing the enemy (see the word Vṛttrāsura) he incurred the sin of ‘Brahmahatyā’. Once indra went to the Mānasasaras, without the knowledge of anybody and hid himself in the petal of a lotus flower. The gods and especially Śacīdevī were much alarmed at the disappearance of Devendra. Heaven was without a King. Bad omens began to appear. indra, who had hidden in the lotus stalk in the shape of a water-snake, was not at all visible as the petals had closed over him. It was at this critical moment that King nahuṣa had completed hundred horse-sacrifices and became eligible for the throne of Devendra. At a great gathering of the Gods nahuṣa was elected as Devendra. Though nahuṣa got all the celestial maids at his disposal in the Nandanodyāna (nandana Garden) his passion for women was not satiated. So he began to have an eye on indrāṇī. She was in sorrow and misery at the disappearance of her husband indra, and did not at all look with favour on this new move on the part of the new indra. She sought the help of bṛhaspati, who agreed to protect her from nahuṣa. The newly-elected indra could not tolerate this disloyalty on the part of indrāṇī. He became furious and threatened bṛhaspati with death, if indrāṇī was not sent to him forthwith. All hermits gathered round nahuṣa and tried with their advice to dissuade him from this attempt, but he would not be dissuaded. nahuṣa belittled bṛhaspati and all the hermits and was rude to them. Finally the hermits, being afraid of nahuṣa, went to bṛhaspati to persuade him to send indrāṇī to nahuṣa. bṛhaspati suggested to indrāṇī a way of safety. Accordingly she came to nahuṣa and said to him “Lord, to become your wife, is a matter of great pleasure to me. But before that I must make sure if my husband is living anywhere. So allow me to make a search”. nahuṣa agreed to this and by the blessings of devī, indrāṇī found out her husband. But indra would not return to the court, with indrāṇī, who then complained about Nahuṣa's outrageous behaviour. indra advised her a new way to protect herself from Nahuṣa's onslaught.

Devendra killed Vṛttrāsura, an enemy of the gods. As Devendra had resorted to treachery for killing the enemy (see the word Vṛttrāsura) he incurred the sin of ‘Brahmahatyā’. Once indra went to the Mānasasaras, without the knowledge of anybody and hid himself in the petal of a lotus flower. The gods and especially Śacīdevī were much alarmed at the disappearance of Devendra. Heaven was without a King. Bad omens began to appear. indra, who had hidden in the lotus stalk in the shape of a water-snake, was not at all visible as the petals had closed over him. It was at this critical moment that King nahuṣa had completed hundred horse-sacrifices and became eligible for the throne of Devendra. At a great gathering of the Gods nahuṣa was elected as Devendra. Though nahuṣa got all the celestial maids at his disposal in the Nandanodyāna (nandana Garden) his passion for women was not satiated. So he began to have an eye on indrāṇī. She was in sorrow and misery at the disappearance of her husband indra, and did not at all look with favour on this new move on the part of the new indra. She sought the help of bṛhaspati, who agreed to protect her from nahuṣa. The newly-elected indra could not tolerate this disloyalty on the part of indrāṇī. He became furious and threatened bṛhaspati with death, if indrāṇī was not sent to him forthwith. All hermits gathered round nahuṣa and tried with their advice to dissuade him from this attempt, but he would not be dissuaded. nahuṣa belittled bṛhaspati and all the hermits and was rude to them. Finally the hermits, being afraid of nahuṣa, went to bṛhaspati to persuade him to send indrāṇī to nahuṣa. bṛhaspati suggested to indrāṇī a way of safety. Accordingly she came to nahuṣa and said to him “Lord, to become your wife, is a matter of great pleasure to me. But before that I must make sure if my husband is living anywhere. So allow me to make a search”. nahuṣa agreed to this and by the blessings of devī, indrāṇī found out her husband. But indra would not return to the court, with indrāṇī, who then complained about Nahuṣa's outrageous behaviour. indra advised her a new way to protect herself from Nahuṣa's onslaught.

indrāṇī returned to nahuṣa and told him “Lord, women generally love pomp and glory. I have a mania for vehicles. You should make a palanquin. Let the palanquin bearers be hermits. You must come to my house in that palanquin with hermits as your palanquin bearers and then I will accept you as my husband.” nahuṣa agreed. He employed agastya and such other hermits to bear his palanquin. He got into his palanquin and started for Indrāṇī's house. His desire to reach indrāṇī was such that he thought the hermits to be very slow. To make them quick enough he ordered “Sarpa, Sarpa” (walk quick, walk quick). The hermits began to run. Still nahuṣa was not satisfied. He kicked at the heads of the hermits and whipped the dwarfish agastya.

indrāṇī returned to nahuṣa and told him “Lord, women generally love pomp and glory. I have a mania for vehicles. You should make a palanquin. Let the palanquin bearers be hermits. You must come to my house in that palanquin with hermits as your palanquin bearers and then I will accept you as my husband.” nahuṣa agreed. He employed agastya and such other hermits to bear his palanquin. He got into his palanquin and started for Indrāṇī's house. His desire to reach indrāṇī was such that he thought the hermits to be very slow. To make them quick enough he ordered “Sarpa, Sarpa” (walk quick, walk quick). The hermits began to run. Still nahuṣa was not satisfied. He kicked at the heads of the hermits and whipped the dwarfish agastya.

agastya got angry and cursed nahuṣa thus: “Since you have whipped me saying ‘Sarpa Sarpa’, may you be transformed into a mahāsarpa (huge serpent) and fall into the great forest.”(** It is mentioned in the mahābhārata, anuśāsana parva, Chapter 100, that the person who cursed nahuṣa and turned him into a huge serpent, was the hermit bhṛgu, who had been hiding in the hair of agastya.)

agastya got angry and cursed nahuṣa thus: “Since you have whipped me saying ‘Sarpa Sarpa’, may you be transformed into a mahāsarpa (huge serpent) and fall into the great forest.”

The horror-stricken nahuṣa pleased agastya by praise. agastya said that nahuṣa would be freed from the curse and attain heaven when he happened to meet dharmaputra. nahuṣa instantly changed into a serpent of immense size and slided into a great forest in the Himālayās. (devībhāgavata, 8th sarga).

The horror-stricken nahuṣa pleased agastya by praise. agastya said that nahuṣa would be freed from the curse and attain heaven when he happened to meet dharmaputra. nahuṣa instantly changed into a serpent of immense size and slided into a great forest in the Himālayās. (devībhāgavata, 8th sarga).