all and you performed such wonderful deeds and you
lived in heaven. How could then illusion overpower you? Great is my
doubt on this point.' The snake replied, 'Prosperity intoxicates even
the wise and valiant men. Those who live in luxury, (soon) lose their
reason. So, I too, O Yudhishthira, overpowered by the infatuation of
prosperity, have fallen from my high state and having recovered my
self-consciousness, am enlightening thee thus! O victorious king, thou
hast done me a good turn. By conversing with thy pious self, my painful
curse has been expiated. In days of yore, while I used to sojourn in
heaven in a celestial chariot, reveling in my pride, I did not think of
anything else, I used to exact tribute from _Brahmarshis, Devas,
Yakshas, Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Pannagas_ and all other dwellers of the
three worlds. O lord of earth, such was the spell of my eyes, that on
whatever creature, I fixed them, I instantly destroyed his power.
Thousands of _Brahmarshis_ used to draw my chariot. The delinquency, O
king, was the cause of my fall from my high prosperity. Among them,
Agastya was one day drawing my conveyance, and my feet came in contact
with his body; Agastya then pronounced (this curse) on me, in anger,
"Ruin seize thee, do thou become a snake." So, losing my glory, I fell
down from that excellent car and while falling, I beheld myself turned
into a snake, with head downwards. I thus implored that Brahmana, "May
this curse be extinguished, O adorable one! You ought to forgive one who
has been so foolish from infatuation." Then he kindly told me this, as I
was being hurled down (from heaven), "The virtuous king Yudhishthira
will save thee from this curse, and when, O king, horrible sin of pride
will be extinguished in thee, thou shalt attain salvation." And I was
struck with wonder on seeing (this) power of his austere virtues; and
therefore, have I questioned thee about the attributes of the Supreme
Spirit and of _Brahmanas_. Truth, charity, self-restraint, penance,
abstention from doing injury to any creature, and constancy in virtue,
these, O king, and not his race of family connections, are the means, by
which a man must always secure salvation. May this brother of thine, the
mighty Bhimasena, meet with good luck and may happiness abide with thee!
I must go to Heaven again.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "So saying, that king, Nahusha, quitted his
serpentine form, and assuming his celestial shape he went back to