Skandapurana 1.3.13: adhyāyaḥ 15

The ṛṣis said: / You have told us that the lord of the gods obtained the kingdom without his guru; / yet his fall from kingship occurred through disrespect toward his guru.

Impelled by whom did Indra sit on his throne for a long time? / Tell us all that quickly, for great is our curiosity.

Lomaśa said: / Even without his guru, that husband of Śacī ruled his kingdom; / by the procedure proclaimed by Viśvarūpa, great Indra remained in his rule.

O brahmins, the son of Viśvakarman was Viśvarūpa, a great king; / he then became the domestic priest and the sacrificing priest of Śakra.

In that sacrifice, with oblations and rites, the three-headed one [offered] to the Asuras, gods, / and men, out of the sight of Śacī's husband.

He gave to the gods with loud declaration, but he offered to the Daityas silently; / to men he gave with an impartial portion; thus did that twice-born offer the libations every day.

Once, however, prompted by Mahendra due to the lightness [of his regard] for his guru, / his design was perceived though he was unobserved:

“For the accomplishment of the Daityas’ ends he offers the oblation; / this priest of ours grants the fruit to our enemies!”

Thinking thus, Śakra then severed his heads / with his hundred-jointed vajra; in that instant his death occurred.

From the head with which he drank Soma, kapiñjala birds were born; / from the other, from drinking liquor, sparrows arose from the mouth;

from the other mouth were born the partridges of diverse forms. / Thus was Viśvarūpa slain by unfortunate Śakra.

Then arose [the sin of] brahmin-slaughter, irresistible and terrifying, / unassailable, hideous-faced, wicked, and smeared with the menstrual blood of an outcaste.

Slaying a brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, and union with the guru's wife— / even for those who commit these sins, this alone is the expiation:

the uttering of Viṣṇu’s name, for the mind becomes fixed on him. / Having three heads and smoke-colored hands, she approached to swallow Śakra.

Then, out of great fear, he took to flight. / Seeing him fleeing, that terrifying woman pursued him.

Wherever he ran, she ran; wherever he stood, she stood close behind him, / like a shadow clinging to a body. As she came hastily to encompass Śakra, / Indra plunged into the waters,

as swiftly, O brahmins, as an ancient aquatic creature.

In this way, as Śacī’s husband dwelt in sorrow / for a full one hundred divine years, and likewise two hundred, / the surface of heaven then became kingless and terrifying.

Then the gods and ascetic ṛṣis were filled with anxiety, / and the three worlds were seized by misfortune, O twice-born.

In whatever realm even a single slayer of a brahmin dwells without fear, / untimely death befalls the virtuous there.

In whatever realm a sinful king dwells, / famine, death, and afflictions occur there, O twice-born.

Many calamities occur bringing destruction to the subjects; / therefore, a king must surely perform dharma with supreme faith.

The king's subjects are established in accordance with his purity; / by the sin committed by Indra, O twice-born, / the world became plagued with diverse great afflictions.

Śaunaka said: / By a hundred horse-sacrifices alone, the supreme sovereignty / over all the gods was attained; why, O Sūta, did an obstacle arise / for Śakra? Tell us properly, O highly fortunate one.

Sūta said: / For gods, demons, and especially for men, / action alone is the cause of pleasures and pains, without doubt.

A great, repulsive deed was committed by Indra, O brahmins: / disrespect was shown to the guru, and the slaying of Viśvarūpa was committed.

The wife of the guru Gautama was violated; / the fruit of that, for which there is no remedy, was obtained by Mahendra for a long time.

Those who commit evil deeds and perform no expiation / meet with a miserable plight, just like Indra, who performed a hundred sacrifices.

Therefore, an expiation for what has been acquired through an evil deed / must be performed instantly and according to the rules, O brahmins, for the appeasement of all sins.

[An unexpiated] minor sin becomes transformed into a major sin.

Furthermore, the sin of those men who always abide in their own dharma / is destroyed in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.

They reach the highest world; no deliberation is needed here. / Therefore, that ill-behaved one indeed received the fruit of his deed.

Having deliberated thus, all the guardians of the quarters, full of haste, / approached Bṛhaspati, and composedly told everything / that weighed upon their minds to Indra's guru.

Hearing the words spoken by the gods, O brahmins, / the wise Bṛhaspati pondered the kingless state that had arisen:

“What is to be done now? How will there be welfare / today for the gods, the worlds, and the contemplative ṛṣis?”

Deliberating in his mind all that should and should not be done, / the highly renowned one quickly went with the gods to Śakra.

He arrived at that pool where Purandara indeed sat, / on the bank of which the murder [of a brahmin] stood, fearful like an outcaste woman.

All those gods accompanied by the groups of ṛṣis sat down there, / and Śakra was summoned by the guru himself.

Śakra then rose up and saw his own guru; / with his face filled with tears, he addressed Bṛhaspati.

Having bowed down to those present there, with folded hands he spoke; / then, having become dejected in face and reflecting in his mind:

“By myself alone a great deed characterized by ignorance was committed previously; / tell me, O Lord, what ought to be done by me right now?”

Smiling, the noble-minded, venerable Bṛhaspati said: / “This is the fruit of that deed which was done by you in the past.

And in regard to me, O Indra, its destruction comes only through experiencing it; / indeed, no expiation for murder has been seen by the authors of the legal texts.

A remedy has been declared by the knowers of the treatises on dharma / for a sin committed through ignorance, but none exists for intentional [sin].

A sin committed intentionally does not become unintentional; / expiation is prescribed according to the distinction between these two cases.

A rite ending in death must be performed for what was committed intentionally; / expiation is prescribed for a sin produced by ignorance.

Therefore, regarding what was done by you—a brahmin was slain by yourself, / one who was your family priest and learned—there is no remedy for it.

Remain still in the waters until death approaches.

That fruit of yours known as [the reward of] a hundred horse-sacrifices, O foolish one, / perished at that very instant when the brahmin was slain.

Just as not even a drop of water remains in a jar full of holes, / even so good merit is depleted in the face of sin.

Therefore, whatever heaven and the like is attained by those through the conjunction of destiny / becomes as stated for those who are righteous, without doubt.”

Hearing this speech of his, Śakra spoke these words: / “This has been obtained through my own evil deed, there is no doubt.

Go quickly to Amarāvatī along with the divine ṛṣis; / for the sake of the accomplishment of the tasks of the worlds and of the gods, O Bṛhaspati, / make an Indra, O highly fortunate one, whomever your mind pleases.

As one dead, so indeed am I, great though I was, surrounded by the murder of a brahmin; / I am overwhelmed by the sin arising from passion and hatred.

Therefore, full of haste, quickly make a king of gods, / permitted by me; I tell you the truth.”

Addressed thus, all of them led by Bṛhaspati / went quickly to Amarāvatī and, composed, told Śacī / everything about Purandara's deed just as it happened,

deliberating among one another: “What should be done for the sake of the kingdom?”

While the gods were deliberating thus, the divine ṛṣi Nārada, / of boundless splendor, arrived there by chance.

Worshipped [by them], he said to the gods: “Why are you distraught?” / Asked by him, they recounted all of Śakra's conduct.

And Indra’s lordship over the gods was lost due to supreme sin. / Then the celestial seer Nārada spoke [these] words to the gods:

“You gods are all-knowing through austerity and valour. / Therefore, Nahuṣa, born of the lunar dynasty, must be made Indra.

O immortals, he must be established in this realm immediately! / Ninety-nine horse-sacrifices have been performed / by that great-souled sacrificer Nahuṣa, O fortunate ones!”

And that statement issuing from the mouth of Nārada was heard by Śacī. / Undistracted, she went to the inner quarters with her eyes filled with tears.

Having heard the words of Nārada, all the gods approved.

When they [decided] with one voice that Nahuṣa should ascend the throne, / then King Nahuṣa was indeed brought to Amarāvatī.

The kingdom of Mahendra was given [to him] by all the gods and great seers; / then Agastya and all the others attended upon Nahuṣa.

Gandharvas, apsarases, yakṣas, vidyādharas, great serpents, / yakṣas, suparṇas, birds, and whatever other dwellers of heaven [there were]—

then a continuous great festival took place in the city of the gods. / Conches, clarions, mṛdaṅga drums, and kettledrums sounded together.

And singers sang there, and instrumentalists [played] instruments; / dancers danced there in that great festival of kingship.

He was then consecrated there by those headed by Bṛhaspati,

honoured with divine hymns, and duly performed the worship of the planets / through the learned seers of purified souls.

And thus worshipfully honoured by all, the great king of the gods, Nahuṣa, then, / equal in form to Indra on Indra’s throne, was praised with supreme splendour.

Endowed with fragrant lamps and fine garments, his limbs adorned with ornaments and luxuries, / Nahuṣa shone then, praised by the foremost sages and likewise by the lords of the immortals.

Thus endowed with supreme elegance, honoured by the hosts of gods and foremost sages, / that excellent king Nahuṣa became afflicted in his heart by intense desire.

Nahuṣa said: / “Why does Indrāṇī not come to my presence this very day? / Summon her quickly! Ho, you must not delay!”

Hearing the words of Nahuṣa, the noble-minded Bṛhaspati, / having reached the residence of Śacī, spoke in detail:

“Owing to the misfortune of Śakra, Nahuṣa has indeed been brought here. / For the sake of the kingdom, O radiant lady, share his throne!”

Śacī laughed and said to the faultless Bṛhaspati: / “He, seated upon Śakra’s throne, is indeed not fulfilled with sacrifices; / a hundred horse-sacrifices minus one have been performed by him.

Therefore he is not fit […] / He, seated upon Śakra’s throne, is not fulfilled with sacrifices; / only by coming here upon a mount not to be ridden may he obtain me.”

Saying “So be it,” Bṛhaspati went quickly and told Nahuṣa, / who was burning with desire, exactly what had been spoken by Śacī.

Thinking “So be it,” that king Nahuṣa, infatuated by desire, / reflected with superior intellect: “What is praised as not to be ridden?”

Having reflected long with his intellect: “Brāhmaṇas and ascetics / are not to be ridden; therefore, I shall have myself carried [by them]—

by two [of them] in order to obtain her; this is what is in my heart.” / Infatuated by desire, he gave a palanquin to two twice-borns.

Sitting then attentively in that palanquin, / he urged them on with the words: “Move, move!”

Then Agastya, bearer of the palanquin, became enraged and cursed the king: / “You scorner of brāhmaṇas! Become an intoxicated python!”

From the mere utterance of the curse, the king fell before the brāhmaṇa, / turning into a python right there; a brāhmaṇa’s curse is insurmountable.

Just as Nahuṣa became, so all who are like him / fall into an impure hell through disrespect toward brāhmaṇas.

Therefore, having attained a station, wise and heedful / men should make every effort to attain [good] here and in the hereafter.

Just so, Nahuṣa became a serpent in a very dreadful forest. / And thus there was kinglessness in the realm of the gods.

Likewise, all those gods, their minds overcome with astonishment, [said]: / “Alas, what great misery has indeed been attained by this king!

Neither the mortal world nor heaven remains for this wicked soul; / through disrespect of the virtuous, his good deeds are instantly burnt up!”

“Let another performer of sacrifices in the world be mentioned, O great sage!” / Then the glorious Nārada, the best of sages, said:

“Bring Yayāti with haste, O fortunate ones!” / Then the divine messengers swiftly brought Yayāti in haste.

Mounting the aerial chariot, the great-souled one then went to heaven accompanied by the divine messengers, / honoured then by the foremost gods, and likewise by serpents, yakṣas, gandharvas, and siddhas.

Arriving at Amarāvatī, he was gratified by the thirty [gods]; / and seated upon Indra’s throne, he spoke promptly.

Addressed thus by Nārada: “You are indeed a sacrifice-performing king; / Nahuṣa met the condition of a serpent through disrespect of the virtuous.

Those righteous ones who attain the supreme station through past destiny, / deluded, do not perceive the auspicious and the inauspicious;

arrogant, they fall into a dreadful hell; of this there is no doubt.”

Yayāti said: / “An obstacle arises for those by whom merit is done / in small measure, O divine seer; know all of mine to be supreme!

Great gifts have been given, along with gifts of food, / many gifts of cows, along with gifts of land.

Likewise, all the highest gifts that have been proclaimed by the wise— / all of these were given by me at the right time, according to the great rites.”

Sacrifices were offered by me: Vājapeyas, Atirātras, Jyotiṣṭomas, and Rājasūyas, / and with the horse sacrifices prescribed by sacred lore, this earth was adorned on all sides with sacrificial posts. (15.102)

The god of gods, the lord of the universe, was worshiped through manifold sacrifices. / In ancient times, this maiden Mādhavī was given to Gālava, (15.103)

and then she was given to four [kings] as their wife, O sage, / for the sake of Gālava's preceptor, the wise Viśvāmitra. (15.104)

Many such great and virtuous deeds were done by me in the past; / indeed, they are so numerous that it is impossible to recount them. (15.105)

The king was questioned again by all the gods: 'Whatever was done secretly, in truth, / we wish to know accurately; we all desire to hear, O Yayāti.' (15.106)

Hearing the words of the gods, Yayāti of boundless splendor / recounted all the remainder of his merit in its true measure. (15.107)

When all this had been told completely, just as Vyāsa [tells it], / Yayāti fell to the earth solely through reciting his own merits. (15.108)

At that very moment, before the eyes of all the gods watching there, / the realm became completely kingless, without any protector. (15.109)

'No other sacrificer is seen in the world who can be consecrated on the throne of Indra'— / listen indeed to this, O best of brahmins! (15.110)

All the gods, the seers, the great serpent kings, gandharvas, yakṣas, birds, cāraṇas, and kiṃnaras, / the vidyādharas, the hosts of gods, and the troops of apsarases, as well as mortal men, became filled with anxiety. (15.111)

Thus ends the fifteenth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Curse of Nahuṣa and the Account of Yayāti's [Fall], in the Story of the Sovereign Consecration of the Lord of Gods, when the Lord of Gods was Beset by the Murder of a Brahmin,' in the treatise on Śiva, within the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandamahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses. (15)