05.119

nārada uvāca॥

Nārada said:

atha pracalitaḥ sthānādāsanācca paricyutaḥ। kampitēnaiva manasā dharṣitaḥ śōkavahninā ॥5-119-1॥

Then, having moved from his place and fallen from his seat, his heart trembling, afflicted by the fire of sorrow… (5-119-1)

mlānasragbhraṣṭavijñānaḥ prabhraṣṭamukuṭāṅgadaḥ। vighūrṇansrastasarvāṅgaḥ prabhraṣṭābharaṇāmbaraḥ ॥5-119-2॥

His garlands wilted, his consciousness lost, crown and armlets fallen, reeling, all his limbs slackened, his ornaments and garments falling off... (5-119-2)

adr̥śyamānastānpaśyannapaśyaṁśca punaḥ punaḥ। śūnyaḥ śūnyēna manasā prapatiṣyanmahītalam ॥5-119-3॥

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)

kiṁ mayā manasā dhyātamaśubhaṁ dharmadūṣaṇam। yēnāhaṁ calitaḥ sthānāditi rājā vyacintayat ॥5-119-4॥

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)

tē tu tatraiva rājānaḥ siddhāścāpsarasastathā। apaśyanta nirālambaṁ yayātiṁ taṁ paricyutam ॥5-119-5॥

But right there, the kings, siddhas, and apsarases saw Yayati, fallen and unsupported. (5-119-5)

athaitya puruṣaḥ kaścitkṣīṇapuṇyanipātakaḥ। yayātimabravīdrājandēvarājasya śāsanāt ॥5-119-6॥

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)

atīva madamattastvaṁ na kañcinnāvamanyasē। mānēna bhraṣṭaḥ svargastē nārhastvaṁ pārthivātmaja । na ca prajñāyasē gaccha patasvēti tamabravīt ॥5-119-7॥

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)

patēyaṁ satsviti vacastriruktvā nahuṣātmajaḥ। patiṣyaṁścintayāmāsa gatiṁ gatimatāṁ varaḥ ॥5-119-8॥

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)

ētasminnēva kālē tu naimiṣē pārthivarṣabhān। caturō’paśyata nr̥pastēṣāṁ madhyē papāta saḥ ॥5-119-9॥

Just at that very moment, the king saw four foremost kings at Naimisha, and he fell among them. (5-119-9)

pratardanō vasumanāḥ śibirauśīnarō’ṣṭakaḥ। vājapēyēna yajñēna tarpayanti surēśvaram ॥5-119-10॥

Pratardana, Vasumanas, Shibi, Ushinara, and Ashtaka honor the lord of the gods with the Vajapeya sacrifice. (5-119-10)

tēṣāmadhvarajaṁ dhūmaṁ svargadvāramupasthitam। yayātirupajighranvai nipapāta mahīṁ prati ॥5-119-11॥

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)

bhūmau svargē ca sambaddhāṁ nadīṁ dhūmamayīṁ nr̥paḥ। sa gaṅgāmiva gacchantīmālambya jagatīpatiḥ ॥5-119-12॥

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)

śrīmatsvavabhr̥thāgryēṣu caturṣu pratibandhuṣu। madhyē nipatitō rājā lōkapālōpamēṣu ca ॥5-119-13॥

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)

caturṣu hutakalpēṣu rājasiṁhamahāgniṣu। papāta madhyē rājarṣiryayātiḥ puṇyasaṅkṣayē ॥5-119-14॥

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)

tamāhuḥ pārthivāḥ sarvē pratimānamiva śriyaḥ। kō bhavānkasya vā bandhurdēśasya nagarasya vā ॥5-119-15॥

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)

yakṣō vāpyatha vā dēvō gandharvō rākṣasō’pi vā। na hi mānuṣarūpō’si kō vārthaḥ kāṅkṣitastvayā ॥5-119-16॥

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)

yayātiruvāca॥

Yayāti said:

yayātirasmi rājarṣiḥ kṣīṇapuṇyaścyutō divaḥ। patēyaṁ satsviti dhyāyanbhavatsu patitastataḥ ॥5-119-17॥

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)

rājāna ūcuḥ॥

The kings said:

satyamētadbhavatu tē kāṅkṣitaṁ puruṣarṣabha। sarvēṣāṁ naḥ kratuphalaṁ dharmaśca pratigr̥hyatām ॥5-119-18॥

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)

yayātiruvāca॥

Yayāti said:

nāhaṁ pratigrahadhanō brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyō hyaham। na ca mē pravaṇā buddhiḥ parapuṇyavināśanē ॥5-119-19॥

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)

nārada uvāca॥

Nārada said:

ētasminnēva kālē tu mr̥gacaryākramāgatām। mādhavīṁ prēkṣya rājānastē’bhivādyēdamabruvan ॥5-119-20॥

At that very moment, seeing Mādhavī return from hunting, those kings greeted her and said this: (5-119-20)

kimāgamanakr̥tyaṁ tē kiṁ kurvaḥ śāsanaṁ tava। ājñāpyā hi vayaṁ sarvē tava putrāstapōdhanē ॥5-119-21॥

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)

tēṣāṁ tadbhāṣitaṁ śrutvā mādhavī parayā mudā। pitaraṁ samupāgacchadyayātiṁ sā vavanda ca ॥5-119-22॥

Hearing those words of theirs, Madhavi, filled with great joy, approached her father Yayati and bowed to him. (5-119-22)

dr̥ṣṭvā mūrdhnā natānputrāṁstāpasī vākyamabravīt। dauhitrāstava rājēndra mama putrā na tē parāḥ । imē tvāṁ tārayiṣyanti diṣṭamētatpurātanam ॥5-119-23॥

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)

ahaṁ tē duhitā rājanmādhavī mr̥gacāriṇī। mayāpyupacitō dharmastatō’rdhaṁ pratigr̥hyatām ॥5-119-24॥

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)

yasmādrājannarāḥ sarvē apatyaphalabhāginaḥ। tasmādicchanti dauhitrānyathā tvaṁ vasudhādhipa ॥5-119-25॥

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)

tatastē pārthivāḥ sarvē śirasā jananīṁ tadā। abhivādya namaskr̥tya mātāmahamathābruvan ॥5-119-26॥

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)

uccairanupamaiḥ snigdhaiḥ svarairāpūrya mēdinīm। mātāmahaṁ nr̥patayastārayantō divaścyutam ॥5-119-27॥

With loud, matchless, affectionate voices filling the earth, the kings raised up their grandfather, who had fallen from heaven. (5-119-27)

atha tasmādupagatō gālavō’pyāha pārthivam। tapasō mē’ṣṭabhāgēna svargamārōhatāṁ bhavān ॥5-119-28॥

Then, having come there, Gālava also said to the king, "With one-eighth of my austerity, may you ascend to heaven." (5-119-28)