Sachi lay in a stupor, sad and depressed, awaiting the return of her husband, Lord Indra. He had gone to do penance to atone for the sin of killing a Brahmin, Vritrasura, even though he deserved to be killed. 

Yes, I understand his need to do the penance. But how could he just up and leave, without telling anyone, even me? As his wife, don’t I have a say in his decisions? I would’ve supported him, and quite possibly joined him, too? 

Her angry thoughts refused to go away. Add to the pain of separation from her beloved husband was the horrible King Nahusha, pestering, nay, stalking her no end. He believed that now, as the Lord of Devaloka, everything and everyone was his. He now lusted after her, too.

Indraloka Abandoned

When Indra went to do his penance, there was chaos and confusion in Indraloka. Without a head, no one had any sense of direction. And so, the devas conferred together and decided to ask King Nahusha, an eminent, honourable, and powerful king on Earth, to become the Lord of Indraloka until Indra’s return.

Initially, King Nahusha refused to accept the offer. He thought he was unfit to rule over Indra’s domain. After all, he was just a human reigning over a small kingdom on Earth.

But the devas convinced him. “The size of your kingdom does not matter. What matters is your wisdom, humility, and sense of justice. You can be a good ruler of Indraloka. Moreover, we are all here to help you. But, without a leader, we are lost, and we need you.”

Power Corrupts Even the Noblest of Kings

Finally, after some persuasion, King Nahusha agreed. Initially, he was a just, kind, and compassionate ruler. As time passed and he enjoyed the power of the throne of Indraloka, his vanity and ego grew steadily. He changed into a tyrant and lorded over everyone. His arrogance and greed reached monstrous intensity, and he craved more luxury and power. 

Nahusha saw Sachi once and was smitten by her. He believed that she belonged to him now that he was in her husband’s position as the king of the devas. She, initially, laughed off his advances. But when he persisted, her emotions changed from mere annoyance to helpless rage. 

She didn’t know how to put him off anymore. The more she resisted, the more his insistence on marrying her grew. She had to find a way out of this dilemma. Further, the devas were also becoming tired of their new king’s bloated sense of self-importance. They needed him to go. But dethroning the king of Indraloka was not easy. King Nahusha now wielded a lot of power, and they had to be careful. 

Brihaspati’s Plan

Brihaspati, the preceptor of the Devas, the wise and clever guru, decided to help them. He devised a plan to eliminate Nahusha from Indraloka. The Queen of the Devas called Nahusha to her chamber. “Oh, King, I am impressed with your persistence in wooing me. I think I am ready to forget Indra and become your wife.” Nahusha was beyond thrilled. His loins stirred with desire, and his ego bloated even further.

If Sachi accepts me as her husband, then there is no going back to Earth. I shall remain here forever, whether Indra returns or not.

“I knew it was only a matter of time, dear devi. I am going crazy for you. Come, let us be married right away.”

“Hold your horses, my dear King. We have to find the right muhurat for the wedding day. Moreover, I have a wish, weird as it may seem to you.”

“Your wish will be my command. Ask for anything, and it shall be yours.” Vanity oozed from Nahusha’s voice.

“I want you to come to my house in a grand palanquin carried by seven sages.”

“Is that all? It shall be done,” replied Nahusha immediately. 

Nahusha’s Downfall

Everything was arranged. The grand palanguin was made ready, and the seven sages, including Sage Agastya, agreed to carry Nahusha.

On the D-day, Nahusha sat in the palanquin. His vanity drove his impatience, which, in turn, drove his lustful desire for another’s wife. He thought the old sages were walking too slowly for his liking. He kept goading them.

“Sarpa! Sarpa! Sarpa!” He meant to say that they should not be crawling like a snake, and should move faster. 

The sages kept moving forward at what Nahusha believed was an annoyingly slow pace. He got up from his seat when he saw his future wife’s house. He saw her looking at him from the terrace, and his desire for her peaked. 

In frustration at the slowness of pace, he kicked Sage Agastya, who was (cleverly orchestrated by Brihaspati), closest to the king’s right leg. 

Sage Agastya moved just a wee bit, missing the kick well. But King Nahusha lost his balance and fell from the palanquin. He lay sprawled on the ground, his clothes in disarray, his wedding jewels strewn all over. The devas walking along tried hard to suppress their giggles at the funny sight.

But one person was not laughing or giggling. Sage Agastya. He was livid at almost being kicked. In an instant, he cursed King Nahusha, “May you become a python since you kept repeating Sarpa! Sarpa!”

Suddenly, the veil of arrogance lifted from King Nahusha’s mind, and he realised how haughty and egoistic he had become. He realised how easy it was to be corrupted by power. He fell at the Sage Agastya’s feet, begging for forgiveness. 

“You will have to bear the consequences of your actions. However, your curse will be released in the Dwapara Yuga when you meet with a son of Lord Dharma.”

King Nahusha fell to Earth in the form of an ugly python. He could do nothing but wait for Dharmaputra to come to Earth to lift his curse. 

Author’s Note:

The story of Nahusha and Sachi appears in the Mahabharata. Nahusha himself narrates his story to the Pandavas after Yudhisthira releases him from Sage Agastya’s curse. Interestingly, according to the Bhagavata Purana, Sachi, extremely beautiful and talented, is the daughter of Puloman, an Asura chief. So, marriages between asuras and devas were not unusual. 

This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

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