# नहुष (nahuṣa)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/nahusha

नहुष (nahuṣa) is a Sanskrit word meaning name of an ancient king, a name of Agni, a proper name, son of a Manu and author of a hymn in the Rig-veda, a serpent-demon, an epithet of a Marut. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them King Nahuṣa (became Indra, cursed), Nahuṣa as a Serpent/Nāga by Nature, Other Distinct Individuals Named Nahuṣa.

- **Etymology:** E. णह to bind, Uṇādi affix उषन — E. ṇaha to bind, Uṇādi affix uṣana
- **SLP1:** `nahuza`  **IAST:** nahuṣa  **Devanagari:** नहुष
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahusha
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/nahusha/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** नाहुष (nāhuṣa)

## Meanings by context

### King Nahuṣa (became Indra, cursed) (11 definitions)
- An ancient king who was the son of Ayus and father of Yayati, took possession of Indra's throne, and was later deposed and changed into a serpent.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an ancient king (son of Āyu or Āyus [ cf. Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 31, 11 ] and father of Yayāti; he took possession of Indra's throne but was afterwards deposed and changed into a serpent, Manu-smṛti (Title) vii, 41; Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) &c. ( cf. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 240 ); according to Rāmāyaṇa (Title) i, 72, 30 and ii, 119, 30 he is a son of Ambarīṣa and father of Nabhāga) [ ID=104864 ]
- Descent, race, or the name of a king who displaced Indra and was later transformed into a serpent.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 138-2 ] नहुष (nahuṣa) náh-uṣ-a, m. [connexion], descent, race; N., esp. of a king who displaced Indra, but was after wards transformed into a serpent. [ ID=10408 ]
- 1. A serpent or Naga. 2. A king of the lunar race.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 458 ] नहुष (nahuṣa) m. ( - षः (-ṣaḥ) ) 1 The name of a Nāga or serpent. 2 The name of a king, one of the lunar race, son of ĀYUS and grandson of PURŪRAVAS. E. णह (ṇaha) to bind, Uṇādi affix उषन (uṣana). [ ID=21288 ]
- 1. A serpent or Naga. 2. The name of a king who gained and lost Indra's heaven through pride.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 409-a ] नहुष (nahuṣa) ( षः ) ((ṣaḥ)) 1. m. The name of a Nāga or serpent; also of a king, who gained Indra's heaven and lost it by pride. [ ID=20773 ]
- 1. A serpent or naga. 2. A king of the lunar race.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 382-a ] नहुष (nahuṣa) m. ( - षः (-ṣaḥ) ) 1. The name of a Nāga or serpent. 2. The name of a king, one of the lunar race, son of AYUS and grandson of PURŪRAVAS. E. णह् (ṇah) to bind, Unādi affix उषन् (uṣan). [ ID=21274 ]
- 1. The name of an ancient king. 2. The name of a Naga.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 0463-b ] नहुष (nahuṣa) nahuṣa, m. The name of an ancient king, Man. 7, 41; of a Nāga, etc. [ ID=7284 ]
- 1. Race or lineage. 2. Name of an ancient king. 3. An epithet of Krishna-Vishnu.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 264 ] नहुष (nahuṣa) m. race, lineage; m. N. of an ancient king etc., E. of Kṛṣṇa-Viṣṇu. [ ID=16041 ]
- Nahusha, name of an ancient king  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 181-a ] náhuṣa, m. Nahusha, name of an ancient king. [perhaps ‘neighbor,’ from náhus, and in that case a transfer-form ( 1209b ).] [ ID=2267 ]
- 1. A man. 2. A son of Manu and author of a Rigveda hymn. 3. An ancient king of the lunar race who briefly took possession of Indra's throne before being changed into a serpent. 4. A son of Ambarisha and father of Nabhaga. 5. A serpent demon. 6. A Marut. 7. An epithet of Krishna-Vishnu.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 0474-b ] Nahuṣa, as, m., Ved. = nahus, a man; N. of a son of Manu and author of a Ṛg-veda hymn; N. of an ancient king, one of the lunar race, son of Āyus and grandson of Purū-ravas, father of Yayāti, who took possession of Indra's throne in heaven for a time, but was afterwards deposed and changed into a serpent; (according to others) a son of Ambarīṣa, father of Nābhāga; N. of a serpent-demon; N. of a Marut; an epithet of Kṛṣṇa-Viṣṇu; [cf. naghu- ṣa, nāhuṣa, nāhuṣi. ] —Nahuṣa-carita, am, n. ‘the life of Nahuṣa,’ N. of the 112th chapter of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the Padma-Purāṇa. —Na- huṣākhya (°ṣa-ākh°), am, n. the plant Taber- næmontana Coronaria (= tagara-puṣpa). —Na- huṣātmaja (°ṣa-āt°), as, m., N. of a king, the son of Nahuṣa, also called Yayāti. [ ID=24023 ]
- an ancient king, son of Ayus and father of Yayati, who for some time ruled as king of the gods before being cursed and transformed into a serpent  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Nahuṣa 2, an ancient king, son of Āyus and father of Yayāti, etc., for some time king of the gods, but cursed and born as a serpent ( ajagara ). § 141 (Purūravas): I, 75, 3150 (eldest son of Āyus and Svarbhānavī).—§ 142 (cf. Purūravas): N. protected the Pitṛs, gods, Ṛṣis, brahmans, Gandharvas, Uragas, Rākṣasas, etc.; having slain the Dasyus, he made the Ṛṣis pay tribute and carry him on their back like beasts of burden, and having conquered the gods, he became Indra : I, 75, 3151 ( Āyuṣaḥ putraḥ ), 3152.— § 143: N. had six sons: Yati, Yayāti, Saṃyāti, Ayāti, Ayati, and Dhruva. Yati betaking himself to asceticism, Yayāti became the successor of N. and begot with Devayānī, Yadu and Turvasu, and with Śārmiṣṭhā, Druhyu, Anu, and Pūru : I, 75, 3155.—§ 149 (Yayāti): I, 88, †3564 ( °sya putra, i.e. Yayāti), †3577 ( Yayātir N°sya putraḥ ); 93, †3684 ( Yayātiḥ…N°sya putraḥ ).—§ 156 (Pūruvaṃś.): I, 95, ††3760 (son of Āyus and father of Yayāti).—§ 267 (Yamasabhāv.): II, 8, 319 (in the palace of Yama).—§ 296 (Dyūtap.): II, 53, 1930.—§ 310 (Āraṇyakap.): III, 3, 141. —§ 384 (Agastyop.): III, 103, 8777 (had oppressed the gods who were rescued by Agastya, cf. § 555).—§ 450 (Ājagarap.): III, 179, 12408 ( rājarṣiḥ ), 180, 12453 (do.); 12460 ( rājā ); 181, 12533 ( nṛpatiḥ, cursed by Agastya (cf. § 555), N. became a serpent ( ajagara ), but was liberated by Yudhiṣṭhira).—§ 516 (Duryodhanayajña): III, 257, 15329 (had performed the Vaiṣṇava sacrifice).—§ 552 (Goharaṇap.): IV, 56 ζ, 1768 (came to see the encounter).— § 555 (Indravijaya): V, 11, 342, 344, 354, 357, 361, 366, 367; 12, 368, 379, 380, 382, 392, 393, 397, 398, 399, 400; 13, 401 ( Devarāj ), 402, 404 ( Devarājaṃ ), 406, (407), 408, 415, 421; 14, 441, 444; 15, 446, 448, 450, 451, 461, 470, 472; 16, 505, 506, †508, †509, †510, †513, †514, †515, †516; 17, 520, 522, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 542 ( N. became the king of the gods, but cursed by Agastya he fell down and became a serpent for 10,000 years).—§ 555 (Sainyodyogap.): V, 17, 556.—§ 562 (Bhagavadyānap.): V, 90 ν, 3146 (worshipped Kṛṣṇa).—§ 576 (Bhagavadgītāp.): VI, 17 β, 645.—§ 599 e (Śini): VII, 144, 6029 (son of Āyus and father of Yayāti).—§ 621 (Rājadh.): XII, 8, 211 (a sentence of his is quoted), (θ), 238 (the earth had belonged to N.).— Page495-a+ 61 § 656 (Khaḍgotpattik.): XII, 166, 6193, 6194 (received the sword from Āyus, from N. it passed over to Yayāti).—§ 680 b (Tulādhāra-Jājalisaṃv.): XII, 263, 9388, 9389, 9390 ( N. had slain a cow and a bull and was rebuked by the ṛṣis, who however distributed the sin incurred among the creatures in the form of diseases).—§ 684 (Mokṣadh): XII, 269, 9601 ( āmnāyam anupaśyan hi purāṇaṃ śāśvataṃ dhruvaṃ | N°ḥ pūrvam ālebhe Tvaṣṭur gāṃ, cf. § 680 b ).—§ 717 b (Nārāyaṇīya): XII, 343, VII), ††13214 ( Āyuṣaḥ putraṃ ), ††13216 (repetition from § 555).—§ 745 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 50, 2642 ( °sya saṃvādaṃ maharṣeś Cyavanasya ca ).— § 745 b (Cyavanop.): XIII, 50, 2667; 51, 2668, (2671), (2673), (2675), (2677), (2679), 2681, 2682, (2685), 2688, 2690, (2692), 2708, 2710, 2713 (how Cyavana was purchased by N. at the price of a cow).—§ 746 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 81 λ, 3806 (had made gifts of kine).—§ 751 b (Śapathavidhi): XIII, 94 α, 4551, (4574).—§ 755 b (Nahuṣop.): XIII, 99, 4745 ( °sya ca saṃvādam Agastyasya Bhṛgos tathā ), 4746, 4747, 4757 ( Devendrasya ), 4764, 4770; 100, 4782, 4790, 4792, 4795, 4797, 4803, 4804, 4805, 4809, 4810 (the story of N.'s becoming the king of the gods and falling from that place (somewhat different from the narration § 555) and allusion to § 450).—§ 761 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 115 γ, 5662 (abstained from meat during the month of Kārttika).— § 768 b (Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva): XIII, 147, 6832 (son of Āyus and father of Yayāti).—§ 775 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 166 η, 7674 (enumeration). Cf. also the following synonyms:— Devarāj (“king of the gods”): V, 401; XIII, 4765, 4788, 4793. Devarāja (do.): V, 354 ( N° ), 369, 371, 380 ( N° ), 404 ( N° ), 455. Devarājan (do.): V, 368. Devendra (do.): V, 356; XIII, 4757 ( N° ), 4767 ( ku° ), 4775 (do.). Jagatpati, q.v. Nāga, Nāgendra, v. Nāga, pl. Surādhipa (“lord of the gods”): V, 372, 454, 457; XIII, 4790. Surapati (do.): XIII, 4789. Sureśvara (do.), q.v. Surendra (do.): V, 461; XIII, 4782 ( °tvaṃ ), 4784. [ ID=7485 ]
- 1. The first son of Ayu and Prabha. 2. A king who ruled heaven during Indra's absence and was later cursed to become a serpent.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 2-216 ] Nahuṣa (I) — the first of the five sons of Āyu (Svarbhānu) and Prabhā; married Virajā, a mind-born daughter of the Ājyapapitrs; had by her six (seven M. P. ) sons, comparable to Indra in effulgence namely, Yati, Yayāti, Samyāti, Āyāti and two others; ruled heaven in the absence of Indra in the Mānasa lake; due to an offence he gave to Indrāṇi on account his own overweening pride he lost his place, fell down and was condemned to be an ajāgara (serpent); 1 was succeeded by Yayāti; 2 divisions of more territory on earth. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. IX. 17. 1; 18. 1-2; VI. 13. 16; X. 73. 20; Br. II. 27. 24; III. 6. 24; 10. 95; 67. 2; 68. 11; M. 15. 23; 24. 34, 49; Vā. 68. 24; 73. 46. 92. 2; 93. 12-3. Vi. IV. 8. 3; 9. 28; 10. 1.] [ Footnote: 2) Bhā. IX. 18. 3.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. XII. 3. 9.] [ ID=6987 ]

### Nahuṣa as a Serpent/Nāga by Nature (3 definitions)
- a serpent-demon  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a serpent-demon, Mahābhārata (Title); Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=104865 ]
- a serpent  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > नहुष (nahuṣa) [Printed book page 494-2 ] Nahuṣa 1, a serpent. § 47 (Sarpanāmak.): I, 35, 1554 (enumeration).—§ 564 (Mātalīyop.): V, 103 γ, 3625 (do.).— § 606 (Tripurākhyāna): VIII, 34, 1483 (among the serpents who became the vālabandhanāḥ of the horses of Śiva). Cf. Nahuṣa 2. [ ID=7484 ]
- a serpent of the Kadru race  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-217 ] Nahuṣa (III) — a Kādraveya Nāga. Br. III. 7. 37; Vā. 69. 74. [ ID=6989 ]

### Other Distinct Individuals Named Nahuṣa (3 definitions)
- a proper name  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( prob. ) N. of a man, viii, 46, 27 [ ID=104862 ]
- a son of Aurvashaya  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Nahuṣa (II) — a son of Aurvaśaya. Br. I. 2. 24; Vā. 2. 24. [ ID=6988 ]
- a son of Yadu of the lunar line  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Nahuṣa (V) — a son of Yadu of the lunar line. Vi. IV. 6. 4; 11. 5. [ ID=6991 ]

### Nahuṣa as an Epithet of Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa (2 definitions)
- an epithet of Vishnu-Krishna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=104867 ]
- Krishna  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > [Printed book page 495-1 ] Nahuṣa 3 = Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu): XII, 1511; XIII, 6983 (Viṣṇu's 1000 names). [ ID=7486 ]

### Nahuṣa, Son of Manu (and Vedic Author) (2 definitions)
- son of a Manu and author of a hymn in the Rig-veda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Manu and author of Ṛg-veda (Title) ix, 101; Anukramaṇikās (Literary category) [ ID=104863 ]
- one of the nine sons of Manu  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Nahuṣa (IV) — one of the nine sons of Manu. Vā. 85. 4. [ ID=6990 ]

### Nahuṣa identified with Vedic 'Nahus' (1 definition)
- 1. Name of an ancient king. 2. A name of Agni.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 532,2] नहुष (nahuṣa) m. = नहुस् (nahus), Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 31, 11; v, 12, 6 [ ID=104861 ]

### Nahuṣa, a Marut (1 definition)
- an epithet of a Marut  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Marut, Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=104866 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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