Shloka 25
नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा
Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings
तस्मादाशु महीं गच्छ सर्पों भूत्वा सुदुर्मते । उनके मस्तकपर चोट होते ही जटाके भीतर बैठे हुए महर्षि भूगु अत्यन्त कुपित हो उठे और उन्होंने पापात्मा नहुषको इस प्रकार शाप दिया--'ओ दुर्मते! तुमने इन महामुनिके मस्तकमें क्रोधपूर्वक लात मारी है, इसलिये तू शीघ्र ही सर्प होकर पृथ्वीपर चला जा” ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | tasmād āśu mahīṃ gaccha sarpo bhūtvā sudurmate | ity uktaḥ sa tadā tena sarpo bhūtvā papāta ha ||
Bhishma said: “Therefore, O wicked-minded one, go quickly to the earth, becoming a serpent.” Thus addressed at that time, Nahusha—cursed for his arrogant violence toward a great sage—at once became a serpent and fell down. The episode warns that pride and disrespect toward the spiritually venerable bring swift downfall and degradation.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogance and violence toward the venerable—especially sages—constitute adharma and invite immediate, degrading consequences; true authority must be tempered by humility and reverence.
After Nahusha insults and harms the sage (Bhrigu) in anger, the sage pronounces a curse: Nahusha must quickly go to the earth as a serpent; the verse concludes that he immediately becomes a serpent and falls.