d 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!"

"'Vrihaspati said, "My resolution is this, I shall not abandon one that
hath sought my protection. O thou of unblamable life, I shall not abandon
thee, virtuous as thou art and of a truthful disposition! I do not desire
to do an improper act, specially as I am a Brahmana knowing what
righteousness is, having a regard for truth, and aware also of the
precepts of virtue. I shall never do it. Go your ways, ye best of gods.
Hear what hath formerly been sung by Brahma with regard to the matter at
hand. He that delivereth up to a foe of a person terrified and asking for
protection obtaineth no protection when he himself is in need of it. His
seed doth not grow at seed-time and rain doth not come to him in the
season of rains. He that delivereth up to a foe a person terrified and
asking for protection never succeedeth in anything that he undertaketh;
senseless as he is, he droppeth paralysed from heaven; the gods refuse
offerings made by him. His