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अजगरपर्वन् (ajagaraparvan)

 
Mahabharata
English
Ajagaraparvan (“the section relating to the Boa”
the 40th of the minor parvans of Mhbhr.). § 448: The Pāṇḍavas spent four years with Arjuna in the gardens of Kubera, which added to the preceding six make ten years of exile. In the eleventh year Yudhishṭhira, advised by Bhīma, took leave of those regions, determining again to practise austerities on the mountain, when he had regained his kingdom
and after Lomaśa had returned to the abode of the gods, they with the brahmans proceeded along that very road, carried by Ghaṭotkaca and his followers, and advised also by Ārshṭisheṇa (III, 176).--§ 449: Having crossed Kailāsa, they passed one night in the hermitage of king Vṛshaparvan (b), then one month at Badarī, seeing Kubera's (c) favourite lake (nalinīm), then crossing the land of Cīna, Tushāra, Darada, and all the regions of Kulinda, and the difficult Himālaya regions, they reached the city of the Kirāta king Subāhu, where they met with their charioteers Viśoka, etc., and their servants Mahendrasena, etc., the cooks and servants of the kitchen. After having stayed there one night, they, dismissing Ghaṭotkaca and his followers, with the charioteers and chariots reached “the king of mountains” near Yamunā (Yāmunam adrirājam, i.e. Yamunodgamam, Nīl.
“name of a mountain, ” BR.), where they dwelt for one year, occupied with hunting, in the forest Viśākhayūpa. There in a cavern Bhīma was seized by a snake and rescued by Yudhishṭhira. In the twelfth year of their exile they repaired thence to the borders of the desert, and desirous of dwelling by the Sarasvatī (d), they went there, and thence reached the lake of Dvaitavana (III, 177).--§ 450: At the request of Janamejaya, Vaiśampāyana detailed how Bhīma, when they had come from the rājarshi Vṛshaparvan's hermitage, was hunting with unpoisoned (śuddhair) arrows on some spots of Himavat (b), was seized by a huge snake, and on account of a boon that had been granted to the serpent was quite unable to extricate himself (III, 178). The serpent said that he was the rājarshi Nahusha, the son of Āyu, whom Agastya had cursed to become a serpent, out of compassion, however, adding to his curse that the person who would be able to answer his questions would deliver him, and that even stronger beings would, when seized by him, lose their strength. He had retained his recollection of his former existence, and nobody who came within his reach at the sixth division of the day (? shashṭhe kāle: ashṭadhā vibhaktasyāhno bhāge, Nīl.) could escape him. Bhīma lamented. Now appeared dreadful omens to Yudhishṭhira there, and having learnt from Draupadī that Bhīma had long been out, he set out with Dhaumya, having directed Arjuna to protect Draupadī, and Nakula and Sahadeva to protect the brahmans
and in the east, following the tracks of Bhīma, he came to the spot (III, 179). The serpent told Yudhishṭhira who he was, refused other food instead of Bhīma, but promised to deliver him if Yudhishṭhira could answer his questions. The first question was about the characteristics of the brahman, etc. (III, 180). Yudhishṭhira asked the serpent some questions about the means of salvation, and some other moral and philosophical questions, about the difference between the mind (manas) and the intellect (buddhi), and what had caused Nahusha's fall. Nahusha told that in heaven he used to exact tribute from brahmarshis, gods, Rākshasas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Pannagas, etc.
and that such was the spell of his eyes, that on whatever creature he fixed them he instantly destroyed its power
Agastya had foretold that Yudhishṭhira would save him from his curse. He delivered Bhīma unhurt, and, assuming his celestial shape, went back to heaven. Yudhishṭhira returned with Dhaumya and Bhīma, and narrated all that to the brahmans, who censured Bhīma, and warned him against attempting such things again (III, 181).