Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam: 26. NAHUSHA ON INDRA’S THRONE

 

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam:

26. NAHUSHA ON INDRA’S THRONE

 Indra and Vritra met several times and exchanged sweet words. But while taking walks in the gardens or along the sea, Indra waited for his chance to kill the demon.

Twastu was surprised to hear that Vritra was freely mixing with Indra. He went to Vritra and told him, “How can you trust Indra? He can go to any extent to get rid of you. None but a crazy demon can befriend Indra!”

Twastu’s warning did not seem to produce any result.

One evening Vritra and Indra were enjoying a walk on the seashore. Vritra had received a boon to the effect that he cannot be killed either during the day or at night. The evening was neither day nor night.

Indra prayed to Yogamaya for help. By then Vritra’s crimes and arrogance had reached a degree when consequences were inevitable.

Indra raised his thunder. By the illusion created by Yogamaya, Vritra mistook it to be the foamy wave of the sea.

The thunder fell on Vritra. He was crushed to death.

Indra returned to Amaravati. He made a temple in the Nandan Kanan–the celestial garden–for the Divine Mother. He also expressed his deep gratitude to Vishnu.

However, Indra suffered from a guilty conscience. After all he had been treacherous to a demon who took him for his friend.

On hearing of his son’s death, Twastu grew furious with Indra. He cursed Indra saying that Indra must undergo hellish sufferings for his mean conduct.

Indeed, Indra could not escape the consequences of his action. He grew pale. The gods, no doubt, benefited immensely from Vritra’s death, but they too lost much of their respect for Indra. The sages looked down upon him.

No wonder Indra was disheartened. He felt no enthusiasm for any work. Depressed and gloomy, he kept indoors most of the time.

“What worries you, now that you have no foe to fear?” asked his consort, Shachi Devi.

“I’m beset with a sense of guilt. Nothing can make me happy. I find no joy in dance and music. There is no peace in my heart,” said Indra.

One day he slipped away from his palace, hiding from all. He took shelter in the great lake, the Manasarovar. Like a serpent he crept into the stem of a lotus and passed his time there.

There was disorder everywhere because of Indra’s disappearance. Since Indra was missing for long, the gods and the sages began looking for a suitable person to sit on the throne of heaven.

King Nahusha was their choice. He was famous for his nobility and ability, though a human being.

Unfortunately, once on Indra’s throne, King Nahusha lost his balance of mind. Power made him proud–so much so he demanded that Shachi Devi should now be his queen! The gods found the situation quite embarrassing. They sought the advice of their guru Brihaspati.

As advised by Brihaspati, Shachi Devi informed Nahusha that she proposed to perform a Yajna, wishing her husband’s return. If the rite showed no result, she would of course become Nahusha’s queen!

Nahasha agreed to wait.

The Yajna was duly performed. But there was no sign of Indra coming back.

Shachi Devi prayed to Yogamaya for help. Yogamaya took her to Indra’s hiding place. Indra told her what she should do.

Shachi Devi sent a message to Nahusha asking him to come to her in a palanquin borne by sages–if he wished to marry her.

Nausha summoned eight sages and ordered them to carry him in a palanquin to Shachi Devi’s palace. The sages were obliged to do as ordered.

Among them was Agastya, who proved slow. The impatient Nahusha kicked him and said, “Sarpa!” The word meant, “Go fast!”

Agastya lost his temper. “Become Sarpa!” He said. By “Sarpa” he meant serpent.

At once Nahusha turned into a serpent and came crashing down to the earth.

Long before the reign of Lord Rama, there was a king called Trisanku of the Sun dynasty. His guru, Viswamitra, had promised him a place in heaven. But he could not succeed in securing it for him. He took his failure as a challenge and created a new heaven for Trisanku by his spiritual power.

King Trisanku had a son named Harishchandra. Harishchandra remained childless for long. One day he prayed to God Varuna: “Please give me a son. I won’t mind sacrificing him to you.”

A son was born to the king. The kingdom went festive.

Varuna took the form of a brahmin and met the king and said, “When are you going to perform a Yajna in my honour and sacrifice your son to me?”

The king got a jolt. “The child is still an infant. Where is the question of sacrificing it now? Should you not wait at least for a month?”

Varuna went back, but returned after a month. The king feigned innocence about the purpose of the god’s visit and said, “How can I serve you, O luminous Varuna?”

“How can you serve me? Why, have you clean forgotten your promise to sacrifice your child to me?” asked Varuna, a bit annoyed.