01.084
ययातिरुवाच॥
Yayati said.
अहं ययातिर्नहुषस्य पुत्रः; पूरोः पिता सर्वभूतावमानात्। प्रभ्रंशितः सुरसिद्धर्षिलोका; त्परिच्युतः प्रपताम्यल्पपुण्यः ॥०१-८४-१॥
I am Yayāti, son of Nahusha and father of Puru. Due to disrespect for all beings, fallen from the worlds of the gods, siddhas, and sages, deprived of them, I with little merit now fall. (01-84-1)
अहं हि पूर्वो वयसा भवद्भ्य; स्तेनाभिवादं भवतां न प्रयुञ्जे। यो विद्यया तपसा जन्मना वा; वृद्धः स पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम् ॥०१-८४-२॥
I am indeed elder to you by age; therefore, I do not offer you salutations. He who is elderly by knowledge, austerity, or birth is to be honored among the twice-born. (01-84-2)
अष्टक उवाच॥
Aṣṭaka said.
अवादीश्चेद्वयसा यः स वृद्ध; इति राजन्नाभ्यवदः कथञ्चित्। यो वै विद्वान्वयसा सन्स्म वृद्धः; स एव पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम् ॥०१-८४-३॥
If someone is merely old in age, O king, you did not address him at all. Only he who is learned and old in years is truly honored among the brāhmaṇas. (01-84-3)
ययातिरुवाच॥
Yayati said.
प्रतिकूलं कर्मणां पापमाहु; स्तद्वर्ततेऽप्रवणे पापलोक्यम्। सन्तोऽसतां नानुवर्तन्ति चैत; द्यथा आत्मैषामनुकूलवादी ॥०१-८४-४॥
They declare that whatever opposes right action is sin; this sin attaches itself to one who does not follow the proper path and brings a sinful world. The righteous do not follow the ways of the wicked; just as their own nature inclines them towards what is favorable. (01-84-4)
अभूद्धनं मे विपुलं महद्वै; विचेष्टमानो नाधिगन्ता तदस्मि। एवं प्रधार्यात्महिते निविष्टो; यो वर्तते स विजानाति जीवन् ॥०१-८४-५॥
My wealth has, indeed, become vast and great; yet, while making efforts, I am not one who attains that. Thus, having considered and settled in what is for one's own welfare, the one who acts accordingly understands (it) while living. (01-84-5)
नानाभावा बहवो जीवलोके; दैवाधीना नष्टचेष्टाधिकाराः। तत्तत्प्राप्य न विहन्येत धीरो; दिष्टं बलीय इति मत्वात्मबुद्ध्या ॥०१-८४-६॥
There are many various natures among living beings in the world; their power of action is lost, being subject to fate. Whenever such things are obtained, a steadfast person should not be distressed, thinking with his own intelligence that "destiny is stronger." (01-84-6)
सुखं हि जन्तुर्यदि वापि दुःखं; दैवाधीनं विन्दति नात्मशक्त्या। तस्माद्दिष्टं बलवन्मन्यमानो; न सञ्ज्वरेन्नापि हृष्येत्कदाचित् ॥०१-८४-७॥
Truly, a being attains either happiness or sorrow according to fate, not by personal power. Hence, considering destiny as most powerful, one should neither grieve nor ever exult. (01-84-7)
दुःखे न तप्येन्न सुखेन हृष्ये; त्समेन वर्तेत सदैव धीरः। दिष्टं बलीय इति मन्यमानो; न सञ्ज्वरेन्नापि हृष्येत्कदाचित् ॥०१-८४-८॥
A steadfast person should not be tormented by suffering nor elated by pleasure; he should always remain calm. Thinking that destiny is powerful, he should neither grieve nor rejoice at any time. (01-84-8)
भये न मुह्याम्यष्टकाहं कदा चित्; सन्तापो मे मानसो नास्ति कश्चित्। धाता यथा मां विदधाति लोके; ध्रुवं तथाहं भवितेति मत्वा ॥०१-८४-९॥
O Aṣṭaka, I am never confused by fear, nor do I experience any mental distress. As the Creator arranges for me in this world, so certainly shall I become—thus I think. (01-84-9)
संस्वेदजा अण्डजा उद्भिदाश्च; सरीसृपाः कृमयोऽथाप्सु मत्स्याः। तथाश्मानस्तृणकाष्ठं च सर्वं; दिष्टक्षये स्वां प्रकृतिं भजन्ते ॥०१-८४-१०॥
All beings born from sweat, eggs, and shoots—reptiles, worms, and fishes in the waters—as well as stones, grass, and wood, all, when their destined time is over, return to their own original nature. (01-84-10)
अनित्यतां सुखदुःखस्य बुद्ध्वा; कस्मात्सन्तापमष्टकाहं भजेयम्। किं कुर्यां वै किं च कृत्वा न तप्ये; तस्मात्सन्तापं वर्जयाम्यप्रमत्तः ॥०१-८४-११॥
Having understood the impermanence of pleasure and pain, why should I ever accept affliction? What should I do, or what should I do so that I do not grieve? Therefore, being vigilant, I cast away affliction. (01-84-11)
अष्टक उवाच॥
Aṣṭaka said.
ये ये लोकाः पार्थिवेन्द्र प्रधाना; स्त्वया भुक्ता यं च कालं यथा च। तन्मे राजन्ब्रूहि सर्वं यथाव; त्क्षेत्रज्ञवद्भाषसे त्वं हि धर्मान् ॥०१-८४-१२॥
O king of kings, tell me fully which chief worlds you have enjoyed, for how long and how, since you speak of dharmas as one knowledgeable of the field. (01-84-12)
ययातिरुवाच॥
King Yayāti said.
राजाहमासमिह सार्वभौम; स्ततो लोकान्महतो अजयं वै। तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः ॥०१-८४-१३॥
I was a king here, a universal ruler; then I indeed conquered great worlds. There I lived for a thousand years; afterwards, I attained the supreme world. (01-84-13)
ततः पुरीं पुरुहूतस्य रम्यां; सहस्रद्वारां शतयोजनायताम्। अध्यावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः ॥०१-८४-१४॥
Then I dwelt for a thousand years in the beautiful city of Indra, which had a thousand gates and stretched a hundred yojanas. Thereafter, I reached the supreme world. (01-84-14)
ततो दिव्यमजरं प्राप्य लोकं; प्रजापतेर्लोकपतेर्दुरापम्। तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः ॥०१-८४-१५॥
Then, having reached the divine and undecaying world, difficult to obtain and belonging to Prajāpati, the lord of the world, there I dwelled for just a thousand years; from there I attained an even higher world. (01-84-15)
देवस्य देवस्य निवेशने च; विजित्य लोकानवसं यथेष्टम्। सम्पूज्यमानस्त्रिदशैः समस्तै; स्तुल्यप्रभावद्युतिरीश्वराणाम् ॥०१-८४-१६॥
In the abode of the god, having conquered the worlds and dwelling as he wished, he was worshiped by all the thirty gods, being equal in majesty and splendor among the lords. (01-84-16)
तथावसं नन्दने कामरूपी; संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम्। सहाप्सरोभिर्विहरन्पुण्यगन्धा; न्पश्यन्नगान्पुष्पितांश्चारुरूपान् ॥०१-८४-१७॥
Thus, he remained in the Nandana garden, capable of assuming forms at will, for hundreds of thousands of years, enjoying with apsarases of holy fragrance, seeing mountains adorned with blossoms and possessing beautiful forms. (01-84-17)
तत्रस्थं मां देवसुखेषु सक्तं; कालेऽतीते महति ततोऽतिमात्रम्। दूतो देवानामब्रवीदुग्ररूपो; ध्वंसेत्युच्चैस्त्रिः प्लुतेन स्वरेण ॥०१-८४-१८॥
While I was residing there, absorbed in the pleasures of the gods, after a great and excessive span of time had passed, a messenger of the gods, of fierce appearance, proclaimed loudly with his voice, three times in an elongated tone: "destroy!" (01-84-18)
एतावन्मे विदितं राजसिंह; ततो भ्रष्टोऽहं नन्दनात्क्षीणपुण्यः। वाचोऽश्रौषं चान्तरिक्षे सुराणा; मनुक्रोशाच्छोचतां मानवेन्द्र ॥०१-८४-१९॥
This much I know, O king among men; then, when my merit was exhausted, I fell from Nandana. I also heard the voices of the gods in the sky, lamenting out of compassion, O best of men. (01-84-19)
अहो कष्टं क्षीणपुण्यो ययातिः; पतत्यसौ पुण्यकृत्पुण्यकीर्तिः। तानब्रुवं पतमानस्ततोऽहं; सतां मध्ये निपतेयं कथं नु ॥०१-८४-२०॥
Alas, how terrible that Yayati, whose merit is exhausted, the renowned doer of virtuous deeds, is falling! To them I spoke as I was falling from there: 'How indeed could I fall among the virtuous?' (01-84-20)
तैराख्याता भवतां यज्ञभूमिः; समीक्ष्य चैनां त्वरितमुपागतोऽस्मि। हविर्गन्धं देशिकं यज्ञभूमे; र्धूमापाङ्गं प्रतिगृह्य प्रतीतः ॥०१-८४-२१॥
The sacrificial ground was declared by them to you; having observed this, I have arrived quickly. Perceiving the fragrance of the offerings, O sacrificial ground, and detecting the side glance of the smoke, I have become aware. (01-84-21)
