Shloka 17
नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा
Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings
भगुः स सुमहातेजा: पातनाय नृपस्य च । ततः स देवराट प्राप्तस्तमृषिं वाहनाय वै
bhṛguḥ sa sumahātejāḥ pātanāya nṛpasya ca | tataḥ sa devarāṭ prāptas tam ṛṣiṁ vāhanāya vai | “mune! āpāṁ nayanāni mūṁda len, ahaṁ tava jaṭāsu praviśāmi” iti | maharṣir agastyo nayanāni mūṁditvā kāṣṭhavat sthiro ’bhavat | svamaryādācyuto na bhūtvā mahātejā bhṛgur agastyasya jaṭāsu praviśya rājānaṁ svargād avapātayitum ārabdhavān | etasminn eva kāle devarājo nahuṣo ’pi tam ṛṣiṁ vāhanaṁ kartum upacakrame |
毗湿摩说道：大心而极其炽耀的婆利古，为使国王坠落，遂即行事。正当其时，那胡沙王如同诸天之主般来到那位仙人跟前，意欲令其为己作负载者。婆利古说道：“圣者，合上双目；我将进入你盘结的发髻。”大圣阿迦斯底耶闭目而立，宛如木石。婆利古威光赫奕，却不逾礼法之界，入阿迦斯底耶结发之中，为要将国王自天界摔落；而就在此刻，那胡沙到来，强迫仙人牵引其车——这是王者傲慢膨胀、背离达摩而将遭倾覆的征兆。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and status must remain within maryādā (ethical bounds). When a ruler’s pride leads him to disrespect sages and treat them as instruments, he undermines dharma and invites a fall—often enacted through the moral force (tapas) of the ṛṣis.
Bhrigu, using ascetic potency, enters Agastya’s matted locks to bring down a king from heaven. At the same moment, Nahusha—acting as lord of the gods—approaches Agastya intending to make the sage his bearer, setting up the confrontation where Nahusha’s overreach becomes the cause of his downfall.