05.119
नारद उवाच॥
Nārada said:
अथ प्रचलितः स्थानादासनाच्च परिच्युतः। कम्पितेनैव मनसा धर्षितः शोकवह्निना ॥५-११९-१॥
Then, having moved from his place and fallen from his seat, his heart trembling, afflicted by the fire of sorrow… (5-119-1)
म्लानस्रग्भ्रष्टविज्ञानः प्रभ्रष्टमुकुटाङ्गदः। विघूर्णन्स्रस्तसर्वाङ्गः प्रभ्रष्टाभरणाम्बरः ॥५-११९-२॥
His garlands wilted, his consciousness lost, crown and armlets fallen, reeling, all his limbs slackened, his ornaments and garments falling off... (5-119-2)
अदृश्यमानस्तान्पश्यन्नपश्यंश्च पुनः पुनः। शून्यः शून्येन मनसा प्रपतिष्यन्महीतलम् ॥५-११९-३॥
While unable to see, yet seeing them and not seeing them again and again, empty, with an empty mind, he was about to fall to the ground. (5-119-3)
किं मया मनसा ध्यातमशुभं धर्मदूषणम्। येनाहं चलितः स्थानादिति राजा व्यचिन्तयत् ॥५-११९-४॥
What unlucky or dharma-defiling thing have I contemplated in my mind, by which I have fallen from my place?—so the king pondered. (5-119-4)
ते तु तत्रैव राजानः सिद्धाश्चाप्सरसस्तथा। अपश्यन्त निरालम्बं ययातिं तं परिच्युतम् ॥५-११९-५॥
But right there, the kings, siddhas, and apsarases saw Yayati, fallen and unsupported. (5-119-5)
अथैत्य पुरुषः कश्चित्क्षीणपुण्यनिपातकः। ययातिमब्रवीद्राजन्देवराजस्य शासनात् ॥५-११९-६॥
Then, a certain man, the agent who brings about the fall of those whose merit is exhausted, approached and addressed Yayati, O king, by the command of the king of the gods. (5-119-6)
अतीव मदमत्तस्त्वं न कञ्चिन्नावमन्यसे। मानेन भ्रष्टः स्वर्गस्ते नार्हस्त्वं पार्थिवात्मज । न च प्रज्ञायसे गच्छ पतस्वेति तमब्रवीत् ॥५-११९-७॥
You are excessively intoxicated with pride and respect no one. Because of your pride, heaven is lost to you—you do not deserve it, prince—nor do you comprehend this. Go, fall!—so he said to him. (5-119-7)
पतेयं सत्स्विति वचस्त्रिरुक्त्वा नहुषात्मजः। पतिष्यंश्चिन्तयामास गतिं गतिमतां वरः ॥५-११९-८॥
Having uttered the words, 'I should fall in the presence of the virtuous,' three times, the son of Nahusha, as he was about to fall, thought of the highest destination of those who are accomplished. (5-119-8)
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु नैमिषे पार्थिवर्षभान्। चतुरोऽपश्यत नृपस्तेषां मध्ये पपात सः ॥५-११९-९॥
Just at that very moment, the king saw four foremost kings at Naimisha, and he fell among them. (5-119-9)
प्रतर्दनो वसुमनाः शिबिरौशीनरोऽष्टकः। वाजपेयेन यज्ञेन तर्पयन्ति सुरेश्वरम् ॥५-११९-१०॥
Pratardana, Vasumanas, Shibi, Ushinara, and Ashtaka honor the lord of the gods with the Vajapeya sacrifice. (5-119-10)
तेषामध्वरजं धूमं स्वर्गद्वारमुपस्थितम्। ययातिरुपजिघ्रन्वै निपपात महीं प्रति ॥५-११९-११॥
Yayati, as he tried to inhale the smoke that arose from their sacrifice—a smoke that had appeared as the gate to heaven—fell down to the earth. (5-119-11)
भूमौ स्वर्गे च सम्बद्धां नदीं धूममयीं नृपः। स गङ्गामिव गच्छन्तीमालम्ब्य जगतीपतिः ॥५-११९-१२॥
The king, grasping the river made of smoke that connected earth and heaven—going like the Ganga, the lord of the earth— (5-119-12)
श्रीमत्स्ववभृथाग्र्येषु चतुर्षु प्रतिबन्धुषु। मध्ये निपतितो राजा लोकपालोपमेषु च ॥५-११९-१३॥
Amid his four splendid foremost bathing ceremonies, surrounded by his kinsmen who were like guardians of the world, the king fell in their midst. (5-119-13)
चतुर्षु हुतकल्पेषु राजसिंहमहाग्निषु। पपात मध्ये राजर्षिर्ययातिः पुण्यसङ्क्षये ॥५-११९-१४॥
When his merit was exhausted, the royal sage Yayāti fell in the middle of the four great lion-like royal fires arrayed like sacrificial altars. (5-119-14)
तमाहुः पार्थिवाः सर्वे प्रतिमानमिव श्रियः। को भवान्कस्य वा बन्धुर्देशस्य नगरस्य वा ॥५-११९-१५॥
All the princes said to him, who looked like the very embodiment of fortune, 'Who are you? Whose kinsman are you, of which land or which city?' (5-119-15)
यक्षो वाप्यथ वा देवो गन्धर्वो राक्षसोऽपि वा। न हि मानुषरूपोऽसि को वार्थः काङ्क्षितस्त्वया ॥५-११९-१६॥
Are you a yakṣa, or perhaps a god, a gandharva, or even a rākṣasa? For you surely are not in a human form. What purpose do you seek here? (5-119-16)
ययातिरुवाच॥
Yayāti said:
ययातिरस्मि राजर्षिः क्षीणपुण्यश्च्युतो दिवः। पतेयं सत्स्विति ध्यायन्भवत्सु पतितस्ततः ॥५-११९-१७॥
I am Yayāti, a royal sage. My merit exhausted, I fell from heaven. Wishing to fall among the virtuous, thinking thus, I have therefore fallen among you. (5-119-17)
राजान ऊचुः॥
The kings said:
सत्यमेतद्भवतु ते काङ्क्षितं पुरुषर्षभ। सर्वेषां नः क्रतुफलं धर्मश्च प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥५-११९-१८॥
Truly, O best of men, may this which you desire be fulfilled; let the reward of our sacrifice and our religious merit be accepted. (5-119-18)
ययातिरुवाच॥
Yayāti said:
नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो ह्यहम्। न च मे प्रवणा बुद्धिः परपुण्यविनाशने ॥५-११९-१९॥
I am not a Brāhmaṇa who lives on gifts; indeed, I am a Kṣatriya. And my mind is not inclined toward destroying another's merit. (5-119-19)
नारद उवाच॥
Nārada said:
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगचर्याक्रमागताम्। माधवीं प्रेक्ष्य राजानस्तेऽभिवाद्येदमब्रुवन् ॥५-११९-२०॥
At that very moment, seeing Mādhavī return from hunting, those kings greeted her and said this: (5-119-20)
किमागमनकृत्यं ते किं कुर्वः शासनं तव। आज्ञाप्या हि वयं सर्वे तव पुत्रास्तपोधने ॥५-११९-२१॥
What is the reason for your coming? What command of yours shall we carry out? We are indeed all your sons, O ascetic sage, and to be commanded by you. (5-119-21)
तेषां तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा माधवी परया मुदा। पितरं समुपागच्छद्ययातिं सा ववन्द च ॥५-११९-२२॥
Hearing those words of theirs, Madhavi, filled with great joy, approached her father Yayati and bowed to him. (5-119-22)
दृष्ट्वा मूर्ध्ना नतान्पुत्रांस्तापसी वाक्यमब्रवीत्। दौहित्रास्तव राजेन्द्र मम पुत्रा न ते पराः । इमे त्वां तारयिष्यन्ति दिष्टमेतत्पुरातनम् ॥५-११९-२३॥
Seeing her sons bowing with their heads, the female ascetic spoke these words: "O king, these grandsons of yours are my sons, not others—they will save you from this ancient fate." (5-119-23)
अहं ते दुहिता राजन्माधवी मृगचारिणी। मयाप्युपचितो धर्मस्ततोऽर्धं प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥५-११९-२४॥
I am your daughter, O king—Madhavi, a forest-dweller. Righteous merit has also been accumulated by me; therefore, let half be accepted. (5-119-24)
यस्माद्राजन्नराः सर्वे अपत्यफलभागिनः। तस्मादिच्छन्ति दौहित्रान्यथा त्वं वसुधाधिप ॥५-११९-२५॥
O king, because all men share in the fruit of their children, therefore they desire grandsons through their daughters, just as you do, O lord of the earth. (5-119-25)
ततस्ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे शिरसा जननीं तदा। अभिवाद्य नमस्कृत्य मातामहमथाब्रुवन् ॥५-११९-२६॥
Then all the kings, having bowed their heads to their mother and paid her respect, next greeted their maternal grandfather and spoke to him. (5-119-26)
उच्चैरनुपमैः स्निग्धैः स्वरैरापूर्य मेदिनीम्। मातामहं नृपतयस्तारयन्तो दिवश्च्युतम् ॥५-११९-२७॥
With loud, matchless, affectionate voices filling the earth, the kings raised up their grandfather, who had fallen from heaven. (5-119-27)
अथ तस्मादुपगतो गालवोऽप्याह पार्थिवम्। तपसो मेऽष्टभागेन स्वर्गमारोहतां भवान् ॥५-११९-२८॥
Then, having come there, Gālava also said to the king, "With one-eighth of my austerity, may you ascend to heaven." (5-119-28)