नहुषnahuṣaN. of a king of the lunar race, son of Āyus and grandson of Purūravas and father of Yayāti. [He was a very…
Name of a king of the lunar race, son of Āyus and grandson of Purūravas and father of Yayāti. [He was a very wise and powerful king, and when Indra lay concealed under waters to expiate the sin of having killed the demon Vṛitra, a Brāhmaṇa, he was asked to occupy his seat. While there he thought of winning the love of Indrāṇī and caused the seven sages to convey him in a palanquin to her house. On his way he asked each of them to be quick using the words 'sarpa', 'sarpa', (move on, move on), when one of the sages (Agastya ?) cursed him to be a 'sarpa' (serpent). He fell down from the sky, and remained in that wretched state till he was relieved from it by Yudhiṣttod;hira.]
