https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=NahushaNahusha - Revision history2026-08-18T04:36:39ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nahusha&diff=302980&oldid=prevImportMaster at 05:13, 11 January 20222022-01-11T05:13:34Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|King in Hindu mythology}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox deity<br />
| type = hindu<br />
| name = Nahusha<br />
| image = Fall of Nahusha from Heaven.jpg<br />
| alt = Nahusha<br />
| caption = Nahusha falls from (rath) heaven<br />
| spouse = Viraja or [[Ashokasundari]]<br />
| children = Yati and [[Yayati]] (sons)<br>100 daughters including Ayati, Samyati, Kriti and Viyati<br />
| texts = [[Mahabharata]]<br />
| affiliation = [[Characters in Mahabharata|Mahabharata person]],<br />
| abode = <br />
| father = [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Ayu|Āyu]]<br />
| mother = [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Prabha|Prabhā]]<br />
}}<br />
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'''Nahusha''' ({{lang-sa|नहुष}}) was a king of the [[Lunar dynasty|Aila dynasty]] ([[Lunar dynasty]]) at the 3,698,256th (position). He was the son of Āyu, the eldest son of [[Pururavas]], and [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Prabha|Prabha]], the daughter of [[Svarbhānu]]. Nahusha is also mentioned often in the [[Rigveda]], starting in Mandala 1. Nahusha reigned from [[Paithan|Pratishthana]]. He married Viraja, the daughter of the [[Pitrs]]. They had six or seven sons, according to different ''[[Puranas]]''. His eldest son Yati became a ''[[Rishi Muni|muni]]'' (ascetic). He was succeeded by his second son [[Yayati]].<ref>Pargiter, F.E. (1972). ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p.85-6.</ref> In another and more popular variation of his story, he is said to have married [[Ashokasundari]], the goddess who the daughter of [[Shiva]] and [[Parvati]] and she is said to have given birth to [[Yayati]]<ref>Bibek Debroy, Dipavali Debroy (2002). ''The holy Puranas''. p. 152. "''Nahusha and Ashokasundari had a son named Yayati''.”</ref> and a hundred daughters of Nahusha.<ref name="Williams2008">{{cite book|author=George M. Williams|title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA345|date=27 March 2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-533261-2|pages=217–8, 230}}</ref><ref name="Garg1992">{{cite book|author=Gaṅgā Rām Garg|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World Vol. 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGbXAAAAMAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-376-4|page=712}}</ref><br />
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[[Sister Nivedita]] also has mentioned the king Nahusha in one story "The Worth of Kine" in relation to the great sage [[Bharadwaja]] who was accidentally caught in a net along with fish by fishermen who were fishing in a river. The fishermen took the ''rishi'' [[Chyavana]] to king Nahusha and asked him to pay the price for the fish and the ''rishi'', with the king offering a cow in return for the sage.<ref name="Sister Nivedita">{{cite book|title=Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists|year=1967|publisher=Courier Corporation|url= https://archive.org/details/mythsofhindusbud0000nive |url-access=registration|author1=Margaret Elizabeth Noble |author2=Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy |author3=Sister Nivedita |isbn=978-0-48-621759-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mythsofhindusbud0000nive/page/371 371]–372}}</ref><br />
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== Legend ==<br />
===Birth and early life===<br />
Once Parvati and Shiva went to the Nandana grove. Parvati saw the Kalpavriksha (wish-giving tree) and wished that a daughter would be born. Instantly, a woman named [[Ashokasundari]] was born. Parvati said that Ashoksundari is destined to marry the son of Ayu. Once, when the Asura Hunda entered the grove, he was lustful and kidnapped Ashoksundari, who told him that she would only marry the son of Ayu. Ashoksundari cursed Hunda that the son of Ayu will kill him. Ashoksundari then started severe penance.<br />
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Meanwhile, Pururavas was the ancestor of all Chandravanshi dynasties and he ruled over the kingdom of Prayaga, with Pratishthana as his capital. After he retired from being a king and gave up his kingdom to his son and ascended to heaven, his eldest son Āyu became the king. Āyu was married to Prabha, the daughter of the ''Asura'' [[Rahu]]. However, he remained childless.<br />
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Āyu approached the seer [[Dattatreya]] and after propitiating him, he requested the sage to grant him a son who would be invincible and possess many virtuous qualities fit for a king. The sage obliged and a son was born to Āyu. Hunda was just waiting for the birth of Ayu's son because he was scared that Ashoksundari's curse would come true. So, the infant was kidnapped by the Asura Hunda and he ordered his minions to slay the child. However, the minions only abandoned the child at the hermitage of Sage [[Vashistha]]. Vashistha took the child and named him Nahusha "the fearless one". Nahusha grew into a youth, a disciple of Vashistha. Eventually, Vashistha revealed Nahusha's true parentage. Nahusha acquired weapons from the gods and killed Hunda in battle and returned to his parents. He then married Ashoksundari.<ref>{{Cite book|isbn=9788184821901|title=Nahusha|date=April 1971|publisher=Amar Chitra Katha Private limited|editor = Anant Pai}}</ref><br />
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===Ruling Svarga===<br />
Nahusha was made the king of [[Svarga]] after Indra's disappearance. He soon became arrogant and was later removed from his post. It was after this that Nahusha incurred his curse. Whilst hiding in a palanquin from Indra, upon trying to seduce his wife [[Indrani]], the sage [[Agastya]] noticed his hiding place and called to him "come out you snake", and immediately Nahusha fell from the palanquin in the form of a serpent. He would keep this form until his meeting with Yudhishthira.<br />
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In the [[Dvapara Yuga]], when the Pandavas were on their final journey in the Himalayas, Nahusha in his serpent form captures Bhima and decides to eat him. Despite Bhima's extraordinary strength, Nahusha is too powerful, as he had received a boon while falling, from Agastya, that taken by him, strong beings superior to him, shall immediately lose their strength.<br />
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Meanwhile, Yudhistira was looking for Bhima. He found him and saw what was happening to him. Nahusha reveals himself to be Yudhishthira's ancestor and tells him of his curse. Yudhishthira and Nahusha discourse with each other on their views of Dharma. Nahusha tells Yudhishthira of his mistakes and asks him to learn from them. Nahusha is relieved from his curse and goes to heaven. Bhima then receives his strength.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yudhishthira releases Nahusha from a curse – Vyasa Mahabharata|url=https://www.vyasaonline.com/2020/01/20/yudhishthira-releases-nahusha-from-a-curse/mahabharata/|access-date=2020-08-18|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
* [https://hindumythologysite.wordpress.com/ Hindu Mythology Stories, Facts, and Information]<br />
{{HinduMythology}}<br />
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[[Category:Characters in Hindu mythology]]<br />
[[Category: Characters in the Mahabharata]]</div>ImportMaster