This story depicts the reality of what one can achieve with vinayam and how a person falls down with ahankar. This is the story of Nahusha, the father of Yayaati. Nahusha, the son of Aayu, was raised by the great Rishi and Brahmarshi Vasishta. Nahusha, the name was given to him for his vinayam when he was not affected even slightly by happiness or sorrow when Devtas, the Goddesses praised him when he was a child. He was taught all puranas and saastras and sat on throne once he finished his education. He was an ideal man on earth for his good qualities and habits, for which he soon became famous and his name and fame spread quickly all over the kingdom.

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Indra killed a Rakshas named Vrutraasura, though, rakshas, he was a braahman so Indra was under the sin of Brahma Hathya pathakam. This made Nahusha the king of Indraloka, the position of Indra. Nahusha who was well known for his good soul, continued to be good. This fame and name made him a bit ahamkar, and he thought to think how great he is to be the king of 14 lokas(worlds) and this made him more proud. He bacame thoughtless, started utilising the power in ahankar. He wished SachiDevi, the wife of Indra and a great Pathivratha(loyal to husband), to be sat beside him on the throne. This very moment spoiled all his fame and name and his end was soon approaching him.

Sachi Devi sent a message stating that only if Nahusha comes to her place carried by Saptharishis in a pallaqi, she would accept his offer. Hearing this, out of ahankar and proud, Nahusha lost his senses, and never gave a thought to these words told by Pathivratha. He ordered the saptharishis to do so and since they are the great brahmarishis who conquered the anger carried him. Nahusha while being carried by these saptharishis, keeps saying “sarpa sarpa”(to go fast) to Agasthya Muni, the shortest of all. As he couldnt walk fast as others, and listening to the ahankara words of Nahusha, he says ” Sarpobhava” to nahusha to teach him a lesson. Immediately, Nahusha falls as ajagaram(a huge Python) into a thick forest on earth. He lost his throne and all powers and spent thousands and thousands of years regreting for all his mistakes. It was Yudhistara, the eledest of Pandavas, while doing the aranya vasam(living in forest for 12 years), who relieved him from his misery, by answering all his questions. Nahusha leaves his snake form and appears as a divya purusha carried to Urdhva Lokas in a divya vimaana.

Moral of the story:

Be humble
Do not let proud or ahankara enter your mind.
Yudhishtara showed that the elders must be respected.
It was the gnyaanam, the knowledge of all puranas ans saasthras that helped Yudhistara answer all the questions os Nahusha.
Sachi Devi showed that Pativratas power is greater than any other power and one must never wish for a para kaantha means other women. To be pathivratha, wife should always respect and treat her husband as a god to her and comfort him in every possible way.

Tags: ahankar, hindu stories, humble, indra, proud, respect, sachi devi