on whatever creature, I fixed them, I instantly destroyed his power.  Thousands of Brahmarshis used to draw my chariot.  The delinquency, O king, was the cause of my fall from my high prosperity.  Among them, Agastya was one day drawing my conveyance, and my feet came in contact with his body; Agastya then pronounced (this curse) on me, in anger, ‘Ruin seize thee, do thou become a snake.’  So, losing my glory, I fell down from that excellent car and while falling, I beheld myself turned into a snake, with head downwards.  I thus implored that Brahmana, ’May this curse be extinguished, O adorable one!  You ought to forgive one who has been so foolish from infatuation.’  Then he kindly told me this, as I was being hurled down (from heaven), “The virtuous king Yudhishthira will save thee from this curse, and when, O king, horrible sin of pride will be extinguished in thee; thou shalt attain salvation.’  And I was struck with wonder on seeing (this) power of his austere virtues; and therefore, have I questioned thee about the attributes of the Supreme Spirit and of Brahmanas.  Truth, charity, self-restraint, penance, abstention from doing injury to any creature, and constancy in virtue, these, O king, and not his race of family connections, are the means, by which a man must always secure salvation.  May this brother of thine, the mighty Bhimasena, meet with good luck and may happiness abide with thee!  I must go to Heaven again.’”

Vaisampayana continued, “So saying, that king, Nahusha, quitted his serpentine form, and assuming his celestial shape he went back to Heaven.  The glorious and pious Yudhishthira, too, returned to his hermitage with Dhaumya and his brother Bhima.  Then the virtuous Yudhishthira narrated all that, in detail, to the Brahmanas who had assembled (there).  On hearing that, his three brothers and all the Brahmanas and the renowned Draupadi too were covered with shame.  And all those excellent Brahmanas desiring the welfare of the Pandavas, admonished Bhima for his foolhardiness, telling him not to attempt such things again, and the Pandavas too were greatly pleased at seeing the mighty Bhima out of danger, and continued to live there pleasantly.”

SECTION CLXXXI

(Markandeya-Samasya Parva)

Vaisampayana said, “While they were dwelling at that place, there set in the season of the rains, the season that puts an end to the hot weather and is delightful to all animated beings.  Then the black clouds, rumbling loudly, and covering the heavens and the cardinal points, ceaselessly rained during day and night.  These clouds, counted by hundreds and by thousands, looked like domes in the rainy season.  From the earth disappeared the effulgence of the sun; its place was taken by the stainless lustre of the lightning; the earth became delightful to all, being overgrown with grass, with gnats and reptiles in their joy; it was bathed with rain and possessed with calm.