Mahabharata 3.178.29-44

Devanāgarī

सर्वज्ञं त्वां कथं मोह आविशत् स्वर्गवासिनम् ॥
एवम् अद्भुतकर्माणम् इति मे संशयो महान् ॥
सर्प उवाच
सुप्रज्ञम् अपि चेच् छूरम् ऋद्धिर् मोहयते नरम् ॥
वर्तमानः सुखे सर्वो नावैतीति मतिर् मम ॥
सो ऽहम् ऐश्वर्यमोहेन मदाविष्टो युधिष्ठिर ॥
पतितः प्रतिसंबुद्धस् त्वां तु संबोधयाम्य् अहम् ॥
कृतं कार्यं महाराज त्वया मम परंतप ॥
क्षीणः शापः सुकृच्छ्रो मे त्वया संभाष्य साधुना ॥
अहं हि दिवि दिव्येन विमानेन चरन् पुरा ॥
अभिमानेन मत्तः सन् कं चिन् नान्यम् अचिन्तयम् ॥
ब्रह्मर्षिदेवगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षसकिंनराः ॥
करान् मम प्रयच्छन्ति सर्वे त्रैलोक्यवासिनः ॥
चक्षुषा यं प्रपश्यामि प्राणिनं पृथिवीपते ॥
तस्य तेजो हराम्य् आशु तद् धि दृष्टिबलं मम ॥
ब्रह्मर्षीणां सहस्रं हि उवाह शिबिकां मम ॥
स माम् अपनयो राजन् भ्रंशयाम् आस वै श्रियः ॥
तत्र ह्य् अगस्त्यः पादेन वहन् स्पृष्टो मया मुनिः ॥
अदृष्टेन ततो ऽस्म्य् उक्तो ध्वंस सर्पेति वै रुषा ॥
ततस् तस्माद् विमानाग्रात् प्रच्युतश् च्युतभूषणः ॥
प्रपतन् बुबुधे ऽऽत्मानं व्यालीभूतम् अधोमुखम् ॥
अयाचं तम् अहं विप्रं शापस्यान्तो भवेद् इति ॥
अज्ञानात् संप्रवृत्तस्य भगवन् क्षन्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
ततः स माम् उवाचेदं प्रपतन्तं कृपान्वितः ॥
युधिष्ठिरो धर्मराजः शापात् त्वां मोक्षयिष्यति ॥
अभिमानस्य घोरस्य बलस्य च नराधिप ॥
फले क्षीणे महाराज फलं पुण्यम् अवाप्स्यसि ॥
ततो मे विस्मयो जातस् तद् दृष्ट्वा तपसो बलम् ॥
ब्रह्म च ब्राह्मणत्वं च येन त्वाहम् अचूचुदम् ॥
सत्यं दमस् तपो योगम् अहिंसा दाननित्यता ॥
साधकानि सदा पुंसां न जातिर् न कुलं नृप ॥
अरिष्ट एष ते भ्राता भीमो मुक्तो महाभुजः ॥
स्वस्ति ते ऽस्तु महाराज गमिष्यामि दिवं पुनः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sarvajñaṃ tvāṃ kathaṃ moha āviśat svargavāsinam ||
evam adbhutakarmāṇam iti me saṃśayo mahān ||
sarpa uvāca
suprajñam api cec chūram ṛddhir mohayate naram ||
vartamānaḥ sukhe sarvo nāvaitīti matir mama ||
so 'ham aiśvaryamohena madāviṣṭo yudhiṣṭhira ||
patitaḥ pratisaṃbuddhas tvāṃ tu saṃbodhayāmy aham ||
kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ mahārāja tvayā mama paraṃtapa ||
kṣīṇaḥ śāpaḥ sukṛcchro me tvayā saṃbhāṣya sādhunā ||
ahaṃ hi divi divyena vimānena caran purā ||
abhimānena mattaḥ san kaṃ cin nānyam acintayam ||
brahmarṣidevagandharvayakṣarākṣasakiṃnarāḥ ||
karān mama prayacchanti sarve trailokyavāsinaḥ ||
cakṣuṣā yaṃ prapaśyāmi prāṇinaṃ pṛthivīpate ||
tasya tejo harāmy āśu tad dhi dṛṣṭibalaṃ mama ||
brahmarṣīṇāṃ sahasraṃ hi uvāha śibikāṃ mama ||
sa mām apanayo rājan bhraṃśayām āsa vai śriyaḥ ||
tatra hy agastyaḥ pādena vahan spṛṣṭo mayā muniḥ ||
adṛṣṭena tato 'smy ukto dhvaṃsa sarpeti vai ruṣā ||
tatas tasmād vimānāgrāt pracyutaś cyutabhūṣaṇaḥ ||
prapatan bubudhe ''tmānaṃ vyālībhūtam adhomukham ||
ayācaṃ tam ahaṃ vipraṃ śāpasyānto bhaved iti ||
ajñānāt saṃpravṛttasya bhagavan kṣantum arhasi ||
tataḥ sa mām uvācedaṃ prapatantaṃ kṛpānvitaḥ ||
yudhiṣṭhiro dharmarājaḥ śāpāt tvāṃ mokṣayiṣyati ||
abhimānasya ghorasya balasya ca narādhipa ||
phale kṣīṇe mahārāja phalaṃ puṇyam avāpsyasi ||
tato me vismayo jātas tad dṛṣṭvā tapaso balam ||
brahma ca brāhmaṇatvaṃ ca yena tvāham acūcudam ||
satyaṃ damas tapo yogam ahiṃsā dānanityatā ||
sādhakāni sadā puṃsāṃ na jātir na kulaṃ nṛpa ||
ariṣṭa eṣa te bhrātā bhīmo mukto mahābhujaḥ ||
svasti te 'stu mahārāja gamiṣyāmi divaṃ punaḥ ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

सर्वज्ञं त्वां कथं मोह आविशत् स्वर्गवासिनम् ॥ एवम् अद्भुतकर्माणम् इति मे संशयो महान् ॥ सर्प उवाच सुप्रज्ञम् अपि चेच् छूरम् ऋद्धिर् मोहयते नरम् ॥ वर्तमानः सुखे सर्वो नावैतीति मतिर् मम ॥ सो ऽहम् ऐश्वर्यमोहेन मदाविष्टो युधिष्ठिर ॥ पतितः प्रतिसंबुद्धस् त्वां तु संबोधयाम्य् अहम् ॥ कृतं कार्यं महाराज त्वया मम परंतप ॥ क्षीणः शापः सुकृच्छ्रो मे त्वया संभाष्य साधुना ॥ अहं हि दिवि दिव्येन विमानेन चरन् पुरा ॥ अभिमानेन मत्तः सन् कं चिन् नान्यम् अचिन्तयम् ॥ ब्रह्मर्षिदेवगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षसकिंनराः ॥ करान् मम प्रयच्छन्ति सर्वे त्रैलोक्यवासिनः ॥ चक्षुषा यं प्रपश्यामि प्राणिनं पृथिवीपते ॥ तस्य तेजो हराम्य् आशु तद् धि दृष्टिबलं मम ॥ ब्रह्मर्षीणां सहस्रं हि उवाह शिबिकां मम ॥ स माम् अपनयो राजन् भ्रंशयाम् आस वै श्रियः ॥ तत्र ह्य् अगस्त्यः पादेन वहन् स्पृष्टो मया मुनिः ॥ अदृष्टेन ततो ऽस्म्य् उक्तो ध्वंस सर्पेति वै रुषा ॥ ततस् तस्माद् विमानाग्रात् प्रच्युतश् च्युतभूषणः ॥ प्रपतन् बुबुधे ऽऽत्मानं व्यालीभूतम् अधोमुखम् ॥ अयाचं तम् अहं विप्रं शापस्यान्तो भवेद् इति ॥ अज्ञानात् संप्रवृत्तस्य भगवन् क्षन्तुम् अर्हसि ॥ ततः स माम् उवाचेदं प्रपतन्तं कृपान्वितः ॥ युधिष्ठिरो धर्मराजः शापात् त्वां मोक्षयिष्यति ॥ अभिमानस्य घोरस्य बलस्य च नराधिप ॥ फले क्षीणे महाराज फलं पुण्यम् अवाप्स्यसि ॥ ततो मे विस्मयो जातस् तद् दृष्ट्वा तपसो बलम् ॥ ब्रह्म च ब्राह्मणत्वं च येन त्वाहम् अचूचुदम् ॥ सत्यं दमस् तपो योगम् अहिंसा दाननित्यता ॥ साधकानि सदा पुंसां न जातिर् न कुलं नृप ॥ अरिष्ट एष ते भ्राता भीमो मुक्तो महाभुजः ॥ स्वस्ति ते ऽस्तु महाराज गमिष्यामि दिवं पुनः ॥sarvajñaṃ tvāṃ kathaṃ moha āviśat svargavāsinam || evam adbhutakarmāṇam iti me saṃśayo mahān || sarpa uvāca suprajñam api cec chūram ṛddhir mohayate naram || vartamānaḥ sukhe sarvo nāvaitīti matir mama || so 'ham aiśvaryamohena madāviṣṭo yudhiṣṭhira || patitaḥ pratisaṃbuddhas tvāṃ tu saṃbodhayāmy aham || kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ mahārāja tvayā mama paraṃtapa || kṣīṇaḥ śāpaḥ sukṛcchro me tvayā saṃbhāṣya sādhunā || ahaṃ hi divi divyena vimānena caran purā || abhimānena mattaḥ san kaṃ cin nānyam acintayam || brahmarṣidevagandharvayakṣarākṣasakiṃnarāḥ || karān mama prayacchanti sarve trailokyavāsinaḥ || cakṣuṣā yaṃ prapaśyāmi prāṇinaṃ pṛthivīpate || tasya tejo harāmy āśu tad dhi dṛṣṭibalaṃ mama || brahmarṣīṇāṃ sahasraṃ hi uvāha śibikāṃ mama || sa mām apanayo rājan bhraṃśayām āsa vai śriyaḥ || tatra hy agastyaḥ pādena vahan spṛṣṭo mayā muniḥ || adṛṣṭena tato 'smy ukto dhvaṃsa sarpeti vai ruṣā || tatas tasmād vimānāgrāt pracyutaś cyutabhūṣaṇaḥ || prapatan bubudhe ''tmānaṃ vyālībhūtam adhomukham || ayācaṃ tam ahaṃ vipraṃ śāpasyānto bhaved iti || ajñānāt saṃpravṛttasya bhagavan kṣantum arhasi || tataḥ sa mām uvācedaṃ prapatantaṃ kṛpānvitaḥ || yudhiṣṭhiro dharmarājaḥ śāpāt tvāṃ mokṣayiṣyati || abhimānasya ghorasya balasya ca narādhipa || phale kṣīṇe mahārāja phalaṃ puṇyam avāpsyasi || tato me vismayo jātas tad dṛṣṭvā tapaso balam || brahma ca brāhmaṇatvaṃ ca yena tvāham acūcudam || satyaṃ damas tapo yogam ahiṃsā dānanityatā || sādhakāni sadā puṃsāṃ na jātir na kulaṃ nṛpa || ariṣṭa eṣa te bhrātā bhīmo mukto mahābhujaḥ || svasti te 'stu mahārāja gamiṣyāmi divaṃ punaḥ ||Yudhishthira asks how delusion could have overtaken an all-knowing dweller in heaven; the serpent answers that even a wise and brave man is led astray by prosperity, for one abiding in happiness fails to understand; he himself was intoxicated with the pride of power, fell, and now, awakened, instructs Yudhishthira; Yudhishthira has accomplished his task, and his grievous curse was exhausted through conversation with a righteous man; Nahusha once flew in a heavenly chariot and, in his pride, thought of no one else; the dwellers of the three worlds — brahmarshis, gods, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, and kinnaras — paid him tribute; with his gaze he stole the strength of beings; a thousand brahmarshis bore his palanquin, and this evil conduct stripped him of his glory; when he touched with his foot Agastya, who was carrying him, the sage, unseen, angrily told him to fall as a serpent; falling from the chariot, stripped of his ornaments, he realized he had become a serpent, and begged the brahmin for the curse to end; Agastya, out of compassion, said that Yudhishthira the Dharma-king would free him; when the fruit of his terrible pride and strength was exhausted, he would attain a meritorious fruit; seeing the power of austerity, Nahusha came to understand the Absolute and brahminhood; truth, self-restraint, austerity, yoga, non-violence, and constant giving are always the true means for men, not birth or lineage; Bhima is unharmed and freed, and Nahusha returns to heaven.

Translation

Yudhishthira said: 'How could delusion have overtaken you, all-knowing, a dweller in heaven, one who performed such wondrous deeds? This is my great doubt.' The serpent said: 'Even a wise and brave man may be led astray by prosperity. Anyone abiding in happiness fails to understand — such is my thought. I was overtaken by the delusion of power, intoxicated with pride, Yudhishthira. I fell, and now, awakened, I instruct you. You have done the highest service for me, great king: my grievous curse has been exhausted through this conversation with you, a righteous man. Once I flew through the sky in a divine chariot, and, intoxicated with pride, thought of no one else. The brahmarshis, gods, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, and kinnaras — all the dwellers of the three worlds — paid me tribute. Whatever being I looked upon, lord of the earth, I swiftly stole its splendor — such was the power of my gaze. A thousand brahmarshis bore my palanquin, and this evil conduct, O king, stripped me of my glory. There, with my foot, I touched the sage Agastya, who was carrying me; then, unseen, he said to me in anger: "Fall, become a serpent." I plunged from the height of the chariot, my ornaments cast off, and, falling headlong, realized I had become a serpent. I begged that brahmin: "Let there be an end to the curse. O blessed one, forgive an act done in ignorance." Then he, filled with compassion, said to me as I fell: "Yudhishthira, the Dharma-king, will release you from the curse. When the fruit of your terrible pride and strength is exhausted, great king, you will attain a meritorious fruit." Then, seeing the power of austerity, I was struck with wonder; through it I came to understand the Absolute and brahminhood, which you moved me to speak of. Truth, self-restraint, austerity, yoga, non-violence, and constancy in giving are always the true means for men, O king — not birth, not lineage. This brother of yours, Bhima, mighty-armed, is unharmed; he is freed. May all be well with you, great king; I shall go once more to heaven.'

Commentary

Nahusha acknowledges the root of his fall: power blinds the sight. What frees him is conversation with a righteous man, because truth and humility return royal power to its source.

Version

5c41be61e795 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:45 PM UTC

Available inRUEN