Shloka 54
(नहुषस्य शापमोक्षनिमित्तं देवैषिभिश्न याच्यमानोडगस्त्य: प्राह । यावत् स्वकुलज: श्रीमान् धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । कथयित्वा स्वकान् प्रश्नान् भीम॑ तं च विमोक्ष्यते ।।) उधर नहुषको शापसे छुटकारा दिलानेके लिये देवताओं और ऋषियोंके प्रार्थना करनेपर अगस्त्यने कहा--“जब नहुषके कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए श्रीमान् धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर उनके प्रश्नोंका उत्तर देकर भीमसेनको उनके बन्धनसे छुड़ा देंगे, तब नहुषको भी वे शापसे मुक्त कर देंगे” ।। आकाशगड्ढगतश्न पुरा भरद्वाजोी महर्षिरुपास्पृशत् त्रीन् क्रमान् क्रमता विष्णुना भ्यासादित: स भरद्वाजेन ससलिलेन पाणिनोरसि ताडित: सलक्षणोरस्क: संवृत्त:,प्राचीन कालमें महर्षि भरद्वाज आकाश-गंगाके जलमें खड़े हो आचमन कर रहे थे। उस समय तीन पगसे त्रिलोकीको नापते हुए भगवान् विष्णु उनके पासतक आ पहुँचे। तब भरद्वाजने जलसहित हाथसे उनकी छातीमें प्रहार किया। इससे उनकी छातीमें एक चिह्न बन गया
yāvat svakulajaḥ śrīmān dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | kathayitvā svakān praśnān bhīmaṃ taṃ ca vimokṣyate ||
Agastya, entreated by the gods and sages to secure Nahusha’s release from his curse, declared: “When the illustrious Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira—born in Nahusha’s own lineage—has posed his questions and received their answers, and then frees Bhīmasena from that bondage, at that very time he will also deliver Nahusha from the curse.” The passage frames liberation as contingent upon truthful inquiry, right understanding, and righteous action: release is not granted by mere pleading, but through dharmic discernment and the restoration of proper order.
तामिन्द्र उवाच गच्छ नहुषस्त्वया वाच्योथ<पूर्वेण मामृषियुक्तेन यानेन त्वमधिरूढ
Educational Q&A
Relief from suffering (here, a curse) is tied to dharmic process: sincere questioning, truthful answers, and righteous action. The text emphasizes that moral order is restored through discernment and duty, not merely through requests or favoritism.
The gods and sages ask Agastya to help free Nahusha from his curse. Agastya states that the turning point will come when Yudhiṣṭhira, a descendant in Nahusha’s line, engages in a question-and-answer exchange and then frees Bhīma from bondage; at that time Nahusha too will be released from the curse.