01.084
yayātir uvāca॥
Yayati said.
ahaṁ yayātir nahiṣasya putraḥ; pūroḥ pitā sarvabhūtāvamānāt। prabhraṁśitaḥ surasiddharṣilokāt parityutaḥ prapatāmy alpapuṇyaḥ ॥01-84-1॥
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)
ahaṃ hi pūrvo vayasā bhavadbhya; stenābhivādaṃ bhavatāṃ na prayuñje. yo vidyayā tapasā janmanā vā; vṛddhaḥ sa pūjyo bhavati dvijānām ॥01-84-2॥
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)
aṣṭaka uvāca॥
Aṣṭaka said.
avādīś ced vayasā yaḥ sa vṛddha; iti rājan nābhyavadaḥ kathaṃcit. yo vai vidvān vayasā san sma vṛddhaḥ; sa eva pūjyo bhavati dvijānām ॥01-84-3॥
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)
yayātiruvāca॥
Yayati said.
pratikūlaṃ karmaṇāṃ pāpam āhu; tad vartate 'pravāṇe pāpalokyam। santo 'satāṃ nānuvartanti cait; yathā ātma eṣām anukūlavādī ॥01-84-4॥
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)
abhūd dhanaṁ me vipulaṁ mahad vai; viceṣṭamāno nādhigantā tad asmi. evaṁ pradhāryātma-hite niviṣṭaḥ; yaḥ vartate sa vijānāti jīvan ॥01-84-5॥
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)
nānābhāvā bahavo jīvaloke; daivādhīnā naṣṭaceṣṭādhikārāḥ। tattatprāpya na vihanyeta dhīro; diṣṭaṃ balīya iti matvātmabuddhyā॥01-84-6॥
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)
sukhaṁ hi jantur yadi vā api duḥkhaṁ; daivādhīnaṁ vindati na ātmaśaktyā. tasmād diṣṭaṁ balavat manyamānaḥ; na sañjvaret nā api hṛṣyet kadācit ॥01-84-7॥
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)
duḥkhe na tapyen na sukhena hṛṣye; samena varteta sadaiva dhīraḥ। diṣṭaṁ balīya iti manyamānaḥ; na sañjvaren nāpi hṛṣyet kadācit ॥01-84-8॥
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)
bhaye na muhyāmy aṣṭakāhaṃ kadā cit; santāpo me mānaso nāsti kaścit. dhātā yathā māṃ vidadhāti loke; dhruvaṃ tathāhaṃ bhaviteti matvā ॥01-84-9॥
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)
saṁsvedajā aṇḍajā udbhidaś ca; sarīsṛpāḥ kṛmayo 'thāpsu matsyāḥ. tathā aśmānaḥ tṛṇa-kāṣṭhaṁ ca sarvaṁ; diṣṭa-kṣaye svāṁ prakṛtiṁ bhajante ॥01-84-10॥
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)
anityatāṃ sukha-duḥkhasya buddhvā; kasmāt santāpam aṣṭakāhaṃ bhajeyam. kiṃ kuryāṃ vai kiṃ ca kṛtvā na tapye; tasmāt santāpaṃ varjayāmyapramattaḥ ॥01-84-11॥
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)
aṣṭaka uvāca॥
Aṣṭaka said.
ye ye lokāḥ pārthivendra pradhānā; stvayā bhuktā yaṃ ca kālaṃ yathā ca। tanme rājanbrūhi sarvaṃ yathāva; t-kṣetrajñavadbhāṣase tvaṃ hi dharmān॥01-84-12॥
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)
yayātir uvāca॥
King Yayāti said.
rājāhamāsamiha sārvabhauma; stato lokān mahato ajayaṃ vai. tatrāvasaṃ varṣasahasramātraṃ; tato lokaṃ param asmy abhyupetaḥ ॥01-84-13॥
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)
tataḥ purīṃ puruhūtasya ramyāṃ; sahasradhvārāṃ śatayojanāyatām. adhyāvasaṃ varṣasahasramātraṃ; tato lokaṃ paramasmyabhyupetaḥ ॥01-84-14॥
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)
tato divyam ajaraṃ prāpya lokaṃ; prajāpater lokapater durāpam। tatrāvasaṃ varṣa-sahasra-mātraṃ; tato lokaṃ param asmy abhyupetaḥ ॥01-84-15॥
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)
devasya devasya niveśane ca; vijitya lokān avasaṁ yatheṣṭam। sampūjyamānas tridaśaiḥ samastaiḥ; tulyaprabhāva-dyutir īśvarāṇām ॥01-84-16॥
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)
tathāvaṁsaṁ nandane kāmarūpī; saṁvatsarāṇāmayutaṁ śatānām। sahāpsarobhirviharanpuṇyagandhā; npaśyannagānpuṣpitāṁścārurūpān ॥01-84-17॥
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)
tatrasthaṃ māṃ deva-sukheṣu saktaṃ; kāle'tīte mahati tato'timātram. dūto devānām abravīd ugrarūpo; dhvaṃsety uccaistṛḥ plutena svareṇa ॥01-84-18॥
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)
etāvan me viditaṁ rājasimha; tato bhraṣṭo'ham nandanāt kṣīṇapuṇyaḥ. vāco'śrauṣaṁ cāntarikṣe surāṇām; anukrośāt śocatāṁ mānavendra ॥01-84-19॥
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)
aho kaṣṭaṃ kṣīṇapuṇyo yayātiḥ; patatyasau puṇyakṛtpuṇyakīrtiḥ. tān abruvaṃ patamānas tato'haṃ; satāṃ madhye nipateyaṃ kathaṃ nu ॥01-84-20॥
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)
tair ākhyātā bhavatāṁ yajñabhūmiḥ; samīkṣya ca enāṁ tvaritam upāgataḥ asmi. havirgandhaṁ deśikaṁ yajñabhūme; rdhūmāpāṅgaṁ pratigṛhya pratītaḥ ॥01-84-21॥
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)
