were scattered trees pulled down by the wind caused
by the thighs of that hero endued with the speed of
the wind as he rushed after the deer. And proceeding,
guided by those marks, to a spot filled with dry winds
and abounding in leafless vegetables, brackish and
devoid of water, covered with thorny plants and scattered
over with gravel, stumps and shrubs and difficult
of access and uneven and dangerous, he saw in a mountain
cavern his younger brother motionless, caught in the
folds of that foremost of snakes.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Yudhishthira, finding
his beloved brother coiled by the body of the serpent,
said these words: ’O son of Kunti, how hast
thou come by this misfortune! And who is this
best of serpents having a body like unto a mountain
mass?’ Bhimasena said, ’O worshipful one,
this mighty being hath caught me for food. He
is the royal sage Nahusha living in the form of a
serpent.’ Yudhishthira said, ’O longlived
one, do thou free my brother of immeasurable prowess;
we will give thee some other food which will appease
thy hunger.’ The serpent said, ’I
have got for diet even this son of a king, come to
my mouth of himself. Do thou go away. Thou
shouldst not stay here. (If thou remainest here) thou
too shall be my fare to-morrow. O mighty-armed
one, this is ordained in respect of me, that he that
cometh unto my place, becometh my food and thou too
art in my quarter. After a long time have I got
thy younger brother as my food; I will not let him
off; neither do I like to have any other food.’
Thereat Yudhishthira said, ’O serpent, whether
thou art a god, or a demon, or an Uraga, do thou tell
me truly, it is Yudhishthira that asketh thee, wherefore,
O snake, hast thou taken Bhimasena? By obtaining
which, or by knowing what wilt thou receive satisfaction,
O snake, and what food shall I give thee? And
how mayst thou free him.’ The serpent said,
’O sinless one, I was thy ancestor, the son of
Ayu and fifth in descent from the Moon. And I
was a king celebrated under the name of Nahusha.
And by sacrifices and asceticism and study of the Vedas
and self-restraint and prowess I had acquired a permanent
dominion over the three worlds. And when I had
obtained such dominion, haughtiness possessed me.
And thousands of Brahmanas were engaged in carrying
my chair. And intoxicated by supremacy, I insulted
those Brahmanas. And, O lord of the earth, by
Agastya have I been reduced to this pass! Yet,
O Pandava, to this day the memory (of my former birth)
hath not forsaken me! And, O king, even by the
favour of that high-souled Agastya, during the sixth
division of the day have I got for meal thy younger
brother. Neither will I set him free, nor do
I wish for any other food. But if to-day thou
answerest the questions put by me, then, I shall deliver
Vrikodara!” At this Yudhishthira said, ’O
serpent, ask whatever thou listest! I shall,
if I can, answer thy questions with the view of gratifying
thee, O snake! Thou knowest fully what should
be known by Brahmanas. Therefore, O king of snakes,
hearing (thee) I shall answer thy queries!’
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