Shloka 22
Nahūṣa’s Fall Explained: Agastya’s Account to Indra (Śalya-narrated)
उपागम्याब्रुवन् सर्वे दिष्ट्या वर्धसि शरत्रुहन् । हतश्च नहुषः पापो दिष्ट्यागस्त्येन धीमता । दिष्ट्या पापसमाचार: कृत: सर्पो महीतले,वे सब लोग इन्द्रके पास आकर बोले--“शत्रुहन! आपका अभ्युदय हो रहा है, यह सौभाग्यकी बात है। बुद्धिमान् अगस्त्यजीने पापी नहुषको मार डाला और उस पापाचारीको पृथ्वीपर सर्प बना दिया, यह भी हमारे लिये बड़े हर्ष तथा सौभाग्यकी बात है”
upāgamyābruvan sarve diṣṭyā vardhasi śatrūhan | hataś ca nahuṣaḥ pāpo diṣṭyāgastyena dhīmatā | diṣṭyā pāpasamācāraḥ kṛtaḥ sarpo mahītale ||
उपागम्याब्रुवन् सर्वे—दिष्ट्या वर्धसि शत्रुहन्। हतश्च नहुषः पापो दिष्ट्यागस्त्येन धीमता। दिष्ट्या पापसमाचारः कृतः सर्पो महीतले॥
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that immoral conduct (pāpa-samācāra) leads to downfall and transformation into a degraded state, while the correction of wrongdoing by a wise authority (Agastya) is celebrated as the restoration of dharma and social-cosmic order.
A group approaches Indra and congratulates him, rejoicing that the sinful Nahuṣa has been subdued by the sage Agastya and reduced to the condition of a serpent on earth—an event presented as a fortunate turning point.