The Python

The rise and fall of Nahusha

On the lower slopes of Himalayas, close to where the Pandavas and Droupadi had moved to, lay an enormous python.

Aeons ago, when Indra killed Vrutrasura, he felt the need to go away to cleanse himself of his sin. Amaravathi was without a ruler. At such a time, Nahusha, an ancestor of the Pandavas, was a noble king. He had been granted the boon of being able to absorb the strength and the power of penance of anyone he stared at. He was made the king of Devas temporarily.

Nahusha wielding the thunderbolt, riding Airavata and ruling Amaravathi let his newfound power overcome his better senses. He expressed his desire to Shachi devi, the consort of Indra, to become his. This was unpalatable to Shachi. She instructed Nahusha to come to her in a palanquin held by the divine sages or the Saptarishis, knowing that the conceited Nahusha would bring about his own ruin.

An impatient Nahusha kicked the head of Agastya in order to hasten his pace. At that moment Bramha entered sage Bhrigu who had remained concealed in Agastya’s matted locks and cursed Nahusha to fall to the earth as a python.

He told Nahusha that during a certain period of time, the python would become capable of holding someone more powerful than itself in its coils. He also predicted that when such a person fully capable of releasing himself chooses not to, then all the excess power that he had absorbed as Nahusha would be transferred to his captive.

Bheema and Nahusha

Bheema, alone on a hunting expedition, came across the huge python that was Nahusha. He willingly came under the python’s grasp (enabled by the time of the day as per Bhrigu’s curse). When Nahusha asked Bheema questions which would allow his release, Bheema refused to do so.

In the future too, Bheema refuses to answer the Yaksha’s questions as Bheema considered it against dharma to use the power of his knowledge as a trade- off for liberty.

As predicted by Bhrigu, Nahusha’s power became Bheema’s. And Nahusha’s strength decreased.

Nahusha’s redemption

Noticing Bheema’s absence, Yudhishtira set forth to find him. And when he came across Bheema in the coils of a python, and became aware of the entire situation, Nahusha appealed to him to answer his question. Understanding that his answer would not only release Bheema but rid his forefather of his misery, Yudhishtira answered the question posed by Nahusha about who was a true Brahmin. He too enquired about the ways of living a righteous life and sought answers from Nahusha.

Releasing Bheema from his coils Nahusha shed the body of a python and assuming a divine form flew heavenwards, but not before blessing them both.