Mahabharata Udyoga Parva Chapter 12

Mahabharata Udyoga Parva Chapter 12 Salya said, 'Seeing Nahusha enraged, the gods led by the saints spoke unto him, "Who was now their king of awful mien? O king of gods, quit thy wrath. When thou art in wrath, O lord, the Universe, with its Asuras and Gandharvas, its Kinnaras, and great snakes, quaketh. Quit this wrath, thou righteous being. Persons like thee do not put themselves out. That goddess is another person's wife. Be pacified, O lord of gods! Turn back thy inclination from the sin of outraging another's wife. Thou art the king of gods, prosperity to thee! Protect thy subjects in all righteousness." So addressed, he heeded not the saying rendered senseless by lust. And the king spoke to the gods, in allusion to Indra, "Ahalya of spotless fame, the wife of a saint, was outraged by Indra while her husband was alive. Why did ye not prevent him? Many were the deeds of inhumanity, of unrighteousness, of deceit, committed by Indra in former times. Why did ye not prevent him? Let the goddess do my pleasure; that would be her permanent good. And so the same will ever more rebound to your safety, ye gods! The gods said, "We shall bring to thee the queen of Indra even as thou hast laid the command, O lord of heaven! Quit this wrath, thou valiant soul! Be pacified, O lord of gods! Salya continued, 'Thus having spoken to him, the gods with the saint went to inform Vrihaspati and the queen of Indra of the sad news. And they said, "We know, O foremost of Brahmanas, that the queen of Indra hath betaken herself to thy house, for protection, and that thou hast promised her protection, O best of divine saints! But we, the gods and Gandharvas and saints, beseech thee, O thou of great lustre, to give up the queen of Indra to Nahusha. Nahusha, the king of gods, of great effulgence, is superior to Indra. Let her, that lady of choice figure and complexion, choose him as her lord!" Thus addressed, the goddess gave vent to tears; and sobbing audibly, she mourned in piteous accents. And she spoke to Vrihaspati, "O best of divine saints, I do not desire Nahusha to be my lord. I have betaken myself to thy protection, O Brahmana! Deliver me from this great peril!