Devibhagavatapurana 6.9.38

6.9.38

tena te tejaso vṛddhiṃ vāñchāmyahamatandritā |
vyāsa uvāca |
tasyāstadvacanaṃ śrutvā prahasya jñānadurbalaḥ ||

Vyasa said:-- O King! Hearing S'achî's words, Nahusa, weak in intellect, laughed and beguiled by the Mâyâ of Bhagavatî began to praise her and said at once:-- “O Beautiful One! Truly you have made a nice suggestion of my vehicle. O One having luxuriant hairs! I will soon carry out your words. O Sweet-smiling One! Whoever is effeminate and of weak virility, he is never able to engage the Munis as his carriers; no doubt, my unbounded strength will be rendered manifest when I come to you on a vehicle carried by the Munis. What wonder is there that the seven Risis (the seven stars of the constellation Great Bear) and all the Devarsis would carry me, knowing me as the most capable and superior in all the three worlds by virtue of my sheer asceticism?” Vyâsa said:-- O King! The King Nahusa became very pleased and dismissed S'achî Devî. He, then, with a heart flamed with passion, called the Munis and said: --“O Munis! I am now become Indra and endowed with all powers thereof; therefore you all do my work without being at all surprised. I have got the seat of Indra but Indrânî is not coming to me. I called her to my presence and when I informed her of my desire, She had spoken to me with affection the following words:-- O Indra of the Devas! O Giver of one's honour! Better come to me on a vehicle carried by the Munis and do thus the one thing for me that I like. O Maharsis! To carry out this task is, indeed, difficult for me; therefore do you all unite and, out of mercy, do this for me in all its completeness. My heart is being always burnt, as I am very much attached to the wife of Indra; so I take refuge unto you to do this wonderful work for me.” Though this request was very indecent and greatly humiliating yet the Munis agreed to it, out of pity, and also impelled, as it were, by the great Fate. When the Great Seers, the Munis consented to this proposal, the King, whose heart was very much attached to the daughter of Pulomâ, became very glad and getting on the beautiful vehicle carried by the Munis, told them, move on quickly (Sarpa, Sarpa). Then the King Nahusa, getting very much impassioned, touched with his feet the heads of the Munis, and, being as it were smitten by the arrows of cupid, began to whip frequently the Risi Agastya, the best of the ascetics, who devoured the Râksasa Vâtâpi, who was the husband of Lopâmudrâ and who drank out the ocean, saying move on, move on (Sarpa, Sarpa another meaning of which is Snake). The Muni, then, became very angry, on being thus whipped, and cursed him saying:-- “'O Wicked One! As you are whipping me, saying Sarpa, Sarpa, so go and remain in the dense forest as a huge snake. When many years will elapse and when you will crawl on your own limb and suffer intense troubles, after that you will again come to heaven. You will be free from the curse when you will see the King Yudhisthira and hear from him the answers to several questions.”