The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 1.3.136

1.3.136

so'paśyatpathi nagnaṃ śramaṇamāgacchantaṃ muhurmuhurdṛśyamānamadṛśyamānaṃ ca |
athottaṅkaste kuṇḍale bhūmau nikṣipyodakārthaṃ pracakrame || 136 ||

"On the road Utanka perceived coming towards him a naked idle beggar sometimes coming in view and sometimes disappearing. And Utanka put the ear-rings on the ground and went for water. In the meantime the beggar came quickly to the spot and taking up the ear-rings ran away. And Utanka having completed his ablutions in water and purified himself and having also reverently bowed down to the gods and his spiritual masters pursued the thief with the utmost speed. And having with great difficulty overtaken him, he seized him by force. But at that instant the person seized, quitting the form of a beggar and assuming his real form, viz., that of Takshaka, speedily entered a large hole open in the ground. And having got in, Takshaka proceeded to his own abode, the region of the serpents.