In the midst of a profound conversation, the wise King Yayati spoke to Ashtaka about the nature of righteousness and destiny. He explained that to act against dharma is sinful, leading one to evil realms, and that the virtuous never follow the ways of the wicked; instead, they uphold what is proper for the good. Yayati reflected on his own life, saying, “Once I possessed immense wealth, but it has vanished. Despite my efforts, I cannot reclaim it. Thus, a person who steadfastly seeks his own welfare and acts accordingly truly understands the realities of life.” He continued, describing the path to heaven: “One who performs grand sacrifices with abundant wealth, whose mind is disciplined in all branches of knowledge, who studies the Vedas and dedicates his body to austerity—such a person, free from delusion, attains the heavenly realms.” Yayati emphasized the power of destiny, advising that one should act with understanding, recognizing that happiness and sorrow are experienced through fate, not merely by one’s own power. Therefore, he said, one should neither be overwhelmed by grief nor excessively rejoice, but remain even-minded, knowing destiny’s strength. Yayati assured Ashtaka, “I am never bewildered by fear nor troubled by mental distress. Whatever the Creator has ordained for me in this world, so I shall become.” He described the cycle of life, noting that all beings—those born from sweat, eggs, sprouts, reptiles, worms, fish, and even stones, grass, and wood—return to their own nature when their allotted time ends. Understanding the impermanence of happiness and suffering, Yayati asked, “Why should I be distressed? What action or inaction could bring me pain? Thus, I avoid sorrow and remain attentive.” As Yayati spoke thus, Ashtaka questioned him further: “Grandfather, endowed with all virtues, as you dwell in heaven, tell me truly—what worlds did you enjoy, and for how long?” Yayati replied, “I was once a universal monarch, and then I conquered great worlds, dwelling there for a thousand years before attaining a higher realm. I resided in Indra’s delightful city, with a thousand gates and spanning a hundred yojanas, for another thousand years, and then reached an even higher world. Eventually, I attained the divine, ageless world of the Lord of Creatures—a realm difficult to reach even for the ruler of the worlds—where I dwelt for a thousand years before ascending further.” Yayati described his time in the abode of the god of gods, where he enjoyed himself freely among the worlds, honored by all the gods, his splendor and power equal to theirs. In the celestial garden Nandana, able to assume any form at will, he delighted with the Apsarases for a hundred thousand years, surrounded by fragrant, blossoming trees. Yet, as he remained there, attached to pleasures, a fierce messenger of the gods eventually shouted to him in a thunderous voice: “Fall!” Yayati recalled, “My merit was exhausted, and I fell from Nandana. I heard the compassionate voices of the gods lamenting for me, saying, ‘Alas, how terrible! Yayati, whose deeds and fame were righteous, now falls, his merit spent.’ As I was falling, I wondered how I could fall among the virtuous.” The gods then directed him to Ashtaka’s sacrificial ground, and Yayati, perceiving the fragrance of the offerings and the smoke rising from the altar, arrived with certainty. Ashtaka pressed further: “When you dwelled in Nandana for a hundred thousand years, what caused you to abandon heaven and return to earth?” Yayati explained, “Just as a man is abandoned by relatives and friends when his wealth is lost here, so too, when merit is exhausted in heaven, the hosts of gods and their lord immediately abandon a person.” Ashtaka asked, “How does one become depleted of merit there? Who attains which realm, and by what distinction?” Yayati answered, “Those who fall into this earthly hell are tormented, seeking food from crows, jackals, and dogs. When their merit is exhausted, they wander in many forms. Therefore, wicked and blameworthy deeds must be avoided in this world. If you wish to hear more, ask me.” Ashtaka inquired about the suffering of those attacked by birds, vultures, crows, and insects, seeking to understand how such torment occurs. Yayati explained, “After death, as the effects of karma unfold, they wander visibly upon the earth, falling into this earthly hell and not escaping it for countless years. Sixty thousand fall through the sky, and for eighty years they wander, pierced by fearsome earthly demons with sharp fangs.” Ashtaka asked how these demons torment the fallen and how they become embodied as embryos. Yayati described that blood, semen, and substances mixed with flowers and fruits—created by a man—pursue the fallen and enter a woman’s womb, thus forming an embryo. The fallen enter trees, herbs, water, wind, earth, sky, and all four-footed and two-footed beings, becoming embodied as embryos in various forms. Ashtaka wondered whether one assumes a different body in the womb or enters with one’s own body, and how a human birth is attained. Yayati explained, “The wind raises up the embryo in the womb, and at death, the seed, accompanied by flower and fruit, departs. With authority over the subtle elements, it gradually develops the embryo. When born, the person assumes consciousness; with ears, he perceives sound; with eyes, he sees form; with nose, he smells fragrance; with tongue, he tastes flavor; with skin, he feels touch; and with mind, he perceives thought. Thus, the embodied soul is endowed with eight faculties.” Ashtaka asked what happens after the body is destroyed—burned, buried, or cast away—and how the self perceives itself thereafter. Yayati replied, “Having abandoned life, like one asleep, and leaving behind good or evil deeds, the soul follows the path of the wind, departing the body and entering another womb. Those who do good deeds attain a virtuous womb; those who do evil deeds attain an evil womb. The wicked become insects and moths. Creatures with four legs, two legs, and six legs are thus born in the womb. All this has been explained to you; what more do you wish to ask, O lion among kings?