01.083
इन्द्र उवाच॥
Indra said.
सर्वाणि कर्माणि समाप्य राज; न्गृहान्परित्यज्य वनं गतोऽसि। तत्त्वां पृच्छामि नहुषस्य पुत्र; केनासि तुल्यस्तपसा ययाते ॥०१-८३-१॥
O king, having fulfilled all your duties and having renounced household life, you have gone to the forest. Therefore, O son of Nahusha, O Yayati, I ask you: by what penance are you your equal? (01-83-1)
ययातिरुवाच॥
King Yayāti said;
नाहं देवमनुष्येषु न गन्धर्वमहर्षिषु। आत्मनस्तपसा तुल्यं कञ्चित्पश्यामि वासव ॥०१-८३-२॥
O Indra, I do not see anyone among gods and men, nor among gandharvas and great sages, who is equal to myself in austerity. (01-83-2)
इन्द्र उवाच॥
Indra said.
यदावमंस्थाः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च; पापीयसश्चाविदितप्रभावः। तस्माल्लोका अन्तवन्तस्तवेमे; क्षीणे पुण्ये पतितास्यद्य राजन् ॥०१-८३-३॥
When you disregarded your equals, superiors, and even those inferior whose greatness was unknown, therefore these your worlds, having an end, have fallen today as your merit is exhausted, O king. (01-83-3)
ययातिरुवाच॥
King Yayāti said;
सुरर्षिगन्धर्वनरावमाना; त्क्षयं गता मे यदि शक्र लोकाः। इच्छेयं वै सुरलोकाद्विहीनः; सतां मध्ये पतितुं देवराज ॥०१-८३-४॥
O king of the gods, if, because I have insulted gods, seers, gandharvas, and men, the worlds of Śakra are lost to me, then deprived of the heavenly world, I would indeed wish to fall among the virtuous. (01-83-4)
इन्द्र उवाच॥
Indra said.
सतां सकाशे पतितासि राजं; श्च्युतः प्रतिष्ठां यत्र लब्धासि भूयः। एवं विदित्वा तु पुनर्ययाते; न तेऽवमान्याः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च ॥०१-८३-५॥
O king, having fallen in the presence of the virtuous and lost your standing, where you have now again regained your position—knowing this, O Yayati, do not despise your equals and those who are noble. (01-83-5)
वैषम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiṣampāyana said.
ततः प्रहायामरराजजुष्टा; न्पुण्याँल्लोकान्पतमानं ययातिम्। सम्प्रेक्ष्य राजर्षिवरोऽष्टकस्त; मुवाच सद्धर्मविधानगोप्ता ॥०१-८३-६॥
Then, as Yayati was falling after leaving the meritorious worlds enjoyed by the king of the immortals, the eminent royal sage Ashtaka, protector of true dharma, saw him and spoke.
कस्त्वं युवा वासवतुल्यरूपः; स्वतेजसा दीप्यमानो यथाग्निः। पतस्युदीर्णाम्बुधरान्धकारा; त्खात्खेचराणां प्रवरो यथार्कः ॥०१-८३-७॥
Who are you, young man, having a form equal to Indra? You shine with your own radiance like fire. As you move, dispersing the darkness of lofty clouds, you outshine all who move in the sky like the sun. (01-83-7)
दृष्ट्वा च त्वां सूर्यपथात्पतन्तं; वैश्वानरार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम्। किं नु स्विदेतत्पततीति सर्वे; वितर्कयन्तः परिमोहिताः स्मः ॥०१-८३-८॥
Having seen you falling down from the sun’s path, possessing an immeasurable brightness like that of fire and the sun, all of us, pondering what indeed this could be that is falling, were completely bewildered. (01-83-8)
दृष्ट्वा च त्वां विष्ठितं देवमार्गे; शक्रार्कविष्णुप्रतिमप्रभावम्। अभ्युद्गतास्त्वां वयमद्य सर्वे; तत्त्वं पाते तव जिज्ञासमानाः ॥०१-८३-९॥
Seeing you standing on the path of the gods, possessing majesty equal to Indra, the Sun, and Viṣṇu, we have all come here today to you, wishing to learn the truth about your downfall. (01-83-9)
न चापि त्वां धृष्णुमः प्रष्टुमग्रे; न च त्वमस्मान्पृच्छसि ये वयं स्मः। तत्त्वां पृच्छामः स्पृहणीयरूपं; कस्य त्वं वा किंनिमित्तं त्वमागाः ॥०१-८३-१०॥
We did not have the courage to question you at first; nor do you ask us who we are. Therefore, you with your attractive form, we ask: whose are you, and for what purpose have you come? (01-83-10)
भयं तु ते व्येतु विषादमोहौ; त्यजाशु देवेन्द्रसमानरूप। त्वां वर्तमानं हि सतां सकाशे; नालं प्रसोढुं बलहापि शक्रः ॥०१-८३-११॥
Let your fears and the confusion of dejection depart; quickly abandon them, you who are like Indra in form. Even Indra himself, the destroyer of force, would not be able to endure you when you are here among the virtuous. (01-83-11)
सन्तः प्रतिष्ठा हि सुखच्युतानां; सतां सदैवामरराजकल्प। ते सङ्गताः स्थावरजङ्गमेशाः; प्रतिष्ठितस्त्वं सदृशेषु सत्सु ॥०१-८३-१२॥
Good people are truly the support of the unhappy; among the virtuous, they are ever like Indra himself. By their association, they become rulers over all things mobile and immobile; you are firmly established among your peers, among the good. (01-83-12)
प्रभुरग्निः प्रतपने भूमिरावपने प्रभुः। प्रभुः सूर्यः प्रकाशित्वे सतां चाभ्यागतः प्रभुः ॥०१-८३-१३॥
Fire is powerful in burning, the earth is powerful in containing, the sun is powerful in shining, and among the virtuous, he who approaches is powerful. (01-83-13)
