दिष्ट्या त्वं क्षुधितस्याद्य देवैर् भक्षो महाभुज ॥
दिष्ट्या कालस्य महतः प्रियाः प्राणा हि देहिनाम् ॥
यथा त्व् इदं मया प्राप्तं भुजंगत्वम् अरिंदम ॥
तद् अवश्यं मया ख्याप्यं तवाद्य शृणु सत्तम ॥
इमाम् अवस्थां संप्राप्तो ह्य् अहं कोपान् मनीषिणाम् ॥
शापस्यान्तं परिप्रेप्सुः सर्पस्य कथयामि तत् ॥
नहुषो नाम राजर्षिर् व्यक्तं ते श्रोत्रम् आगतः ॥
तवैव पूर्वः पूर्वेषाम् आयोर् वंशकरः सुतः ॥
सो ऽहं शापाद् अगस्त्यस्य ब्राह्मणान् अवमन्य च ॥
इमाम् अवस्थाम् आपन्नः पश्य दैवम् इदं मम ॥
त्वां चेद् अवध्यम् आयान्तम् अतीव प्रियदर्शनम् ॥
अहम् अद्योपयोक्ष्यामि विधानं पश्य यादृशम् ॥
न हि मे मुच्यते कश् चित् कथं चिद् ग्रहणं गतः ॥
गजो वा महिषो वापि षष्ठे काले नरोत्तम ॥
नासि केवलसर्पेण तिर्यग्योनिषु वर्तता ॥
गृहीतः कौरवश्रेष्ठ वरदानम् इदं मम ॥
पतता हि विमानाग्रान् मया शक्रासनाद् द्रुतम् ॥
कुरु शापान्तम् इत्य् उक्तो भगवान् मुनिसत्तमः ॥
स माम् उवाच तेजस्वी कृपयाभिपरिप्लुतः ॥
मोक्षस् ते भविता राजन् कस्माच् चित् कालपर्ययात् ॥
ततो ऽस्मि पतितो भूमौ न च माम् अजहात् स्मृतिः ॥
स्मार्तम् अस्ति पुराणं मे यथैवाधिगतं तथा ॥
यस् तु ते व्याहृतान् प्रश्नान् प्रतिब्रूयाद् विशेषवित् ॥
स त्वां मोक्षयिता शापाद् इति माम् अब्रवीद् ऋषिः ॥
गृहीतस्य त्वया राजन् प्राणिनो ऽपि बलीयसः ॥
सत्त्वभ्रंशो ऽधिकस्यापि सर्वस्याशु भविष्यति ॥
इति चाप्य् अहम् अश्रौषं वचस् तेषां दयावताम् ॥
मयि संजातहार्दानाम् अथ ते ऽन्तर्हिता द्विजाः ॥
सो ऽहं परमदुष्कर्मा वसामि निरये ऽशुचौ ॥
सर्पयोनिम् इमां प्राप्य कालाकाङ्क्षी महाद्युते ॥
diṣṭyā tvaṃ kṣudhitasyādya devair bhakṣo mahābhuja ||
diṣṭyā kālasya mahataḥ priyāḥ prāṇā hi dehinām ||
yathā tv idaṃ mayā prāptaṃ bhujaṃgatvam ariṃdama ||
tad avaśyaṃ mayā khyāpyaṃ tavādya śṛṇu sattama ||
imām avasthāṃ saṃprāpto hy ahaṃ kopān manīṣiṇām ||
śāpasyāntaṃ pariprepsuḥ sarpasya kathayāmi tat ||
nahuṣo nāma rājarṣir vyaktaṃ te śrotram āgataḥ ||
tavaiva pūrvaḥ pūrveṣām āyor vaṃśakaraḥ sutaḥ ||
so 'haṃ śāpād agastyasya brāhmaṇān avamanya ca ||
imām avasthām āpannaḥ paśya daivam idaṃ mama ||
tvāṃ ced avadhyam āyāntam atīva priyadarśanam ||
aham adyopayokṣyāmi vidhānaṃ paśya yādṛśam ||
na hi me mucyate kaś cit kathaṃ cid grahaṇaṃ gataḥ ||
gajo vā mahiṣo vāpi ṣaṣṭhe kāle narottama ||
nāsi kevalasarpeṇa tiryagyoniṣu vartatā ||
gṛhītaḥ kauravaśreṣṭha varadānam idaṃ mama ||
patatā hi vimānāgrān mayā śakrāsanād drutam ||
kuru śāpāntam ity ukto bhagavān munisattamaḥ ||
sa mām uvāca tejasvī kṛpayābhipariplutaḥ ||
mokṣas te bhavitā rājan kasmāc cit kālaparyayāt ||
tato 'smi patito bhūmau na ca mām ajahāt smṛtiḥ ||
smārtam asti purāṇaṃ me yathaivādhigataṃ tathā ||
yas tu te vyāhṛtān praśnān pratibrūyād viśeṣavit ||
sa tvāṃ mokṣayitā śāpād iti mām abravīd ṛṣiḥ ||
gṛhītasya tvayā rājan prāṇino 'pi balīyasaḥ ||
sattvabhraṃśo 'dhikasyāpi sarvasyāśu bhaviṣyati ||
iti cāpy aham aśrauṣaṃ vacas teṣāṃ dayāvatām ||
mayi saṃjātahārdānām atha te 'ntarhitā dvijāḥ ||
so 'haṃ paramaduṣkarmā vasāmi niraye 'śucau ||
sarpayonim imāṃ prāpya kālākāṅkṣī mahādyute ||
The serpent said: 'It is fortunate, mighty-armed one, that today by the will of the gods you have become food for me, who am hungry. Life is dear to embodied beings, even before great Time. But how I came to this serpent state, subduer of foes, I must tell you today; listen, best of beings. I came to this condition through the anger of sages, and wishing for the end of the curse, I tell the story of the serpent. You have surely heard of the royal sage named Nahusha: he is your ancestor, son of Ayu, continuer of the line of the ancients. Through the curse of Agastya, and because I disdained brahmins, I came to this state; see what fate is. But to this very day wisdom has not left me -- by the grace of that same magnanimous Agastya. In the sixth watch, this younger brother of yours became my food; I will not release him, nor do I wish for another. No one who falls into my grip is ever released -- neither elephant nor buffalo, best of men. You have been seized not by a mere serpent living in an animal birth, best of the Kurus: such is my boon. When I was falling swiftly from the high celestial chariot, from Shakra's seat, I said to the blessed, best of sages: "Put an end to the curse." Radiant, overflowing with compassion, he said: "King, release will come to you after some time. Whoever, as a knower of subtle distinctions, answers the questions you utter, will free you from the curse." I fell to the ground, but memory did not leave me: the ancient knowledge remained with me just as I had gained it. "Every being seized by you, king, even one more powerful, will quickly lose its vigor" -- thus I heard the words of those compassionate twice-born ones who felt tenderness toward me. Then they vanished. So I, a great sinner, live in this impure hell, having obtained this serpent birth, awaiting the time, greatly radiant one.'
ee62ea10bd4f · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC
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Nahusha shows that a fall does not always erase memory. The sage's grace preserves knowledge even in a serpent's body, so that through the meeting with Yudhishthira it may become a path to release.