As the tale unfolds, a gathering of virtuous souls stands before a noble king. He addresses them with humility, his voice resonant with sincerity: “Grant me only what I am truly worthy of, O you who delight in truth. I do not recall any deed of mine that would entitle me to such honor.” Before him, five radiant golden chariots appear, their brilliance blazing like tongues of fire. The king wonders aloud, “For whom do these chariots shine? Mounting them, a man aspires to reach the eternal worlds.” The assembled sages reply, “These five golden chariots are for you; they gleam high and bright, ready to carry you to the heavens.” At that time, the great Aśvamedha sacrifice is being performed, according to the ancient ordinance of the Self-born. Every limb of the sacrificial horse is gathered and offered in due order. The officiating priests—the Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, Udgātṛ, Brahman, and all sixteen assistants—duly pour oblations into the sacred fire. Such is the purifying power of this sacrifice that even the most sinful who inhale the scent of its smoke are instantly freed from their sins. Meanwhile, Mādhavī, a woman of great austerity, has wrapped herself in a deerskin and wanders among the deer in the forest. Living as they do, she enters the sacrificial enclosure with the herd, astonished by all she beholds. Smelling the sacred smoke, she roams the grounds and comes upon her sons, now defeated and humbled. Witnessing the grandeur of the sacrifice, joy fills Mādhavī’s heart. She sees Yayāti, son of Nahusha, elevated above the earth, untouched by its dust, and realizes he has attained the heavens. With reverence, Mādhavī bows to her father. Then, turning to her mother, she asks, “Mother, whose feet have you just worshipped here? Who is this king, equal to the gods, whom you have greeted? Please, tell me.” Her mother gathers her sons and addresses them: “Listen, my children. This is Nahusha, my father. Yayāti, whom you see, is your maternal grandfather. After installing my brother Pūru on the throne, Yayāti ascended to heaven. But for what reason has this illustrious one returned here?” Hearing these words, Mādhavī’s mother explains, “He has fallen from heaven.” Mādhavī is deeply troubled by this revelation. Surrounded by her grandsons, she turns to her father and says, “By my austerities, I have conquered many worlds—please, accept them from me.” She continues, “Just as wealth earned by sons is inherited by their grandsons through righteousness, so say the sages who know dharma. Therefore, by our gifts and austerities, may you ascend to heaven through us.” Yayāti, moved by her words, replies, “If this is indeed the excellent fruit of righteousness, then I have been carried across by my daughter and grandsons, who are truly great-souled.” He proclaims, “From this day forward, the relationship with a daughter’s son is pure in ancestral matters. In the śrāddha, three things are pure: the daughter’s son, the kutapa time, and sesame seeds.” He teaches further: “Here, three virtues are praised—purity, absence of anger, and absence of haste. Those who eat, those who serve, and those who recite are all purifiers. When the sun is in the eighth part of the day, its light is subdued; that time is called kutapa, and what is given then to the ancestors is imperishable. Sesame seeds protect from evil spirits, darbha grass wards off demons, and learned Brahmins uphold the lineage; what is eaten by ascetics is imperishable. One should give to a worthy recipient—learned, Veda-versed, of good vows, and pure—at the proper time; no other time is considered right.” Having imparted these teachings, the wise Yayāti urges, “Now, having completed the concluding bath, let us hasten out of respect for the sacred task. Mount your chariot, O King, and ascend to the sky; we too shall follow when our time comes. Now, we must all go together—having won heaven, we see before us the stainless path leading to the abode of the gods.” Thus, Aṣṭaka, Śibi, Kāśeya, Pratardana—all four kings of the Ikṣvāku line, along with Vasumanas—having bathed after the sacrifice, ascend together to heaven, shining with nobility. They mount their chariots and depart, those best of kings, filling earth and sky with the radiance of righteousness as they rise to the celestial realms. Yet, one among them reflects, “I thought I alone would go first, and that my friend Indra, the great soul, would surely be with me. But why did Śibi, king of the Uśīnaras, surpass us all, urging his steeds with such vigor?” The answer is clear: “Śibi gave to all who asked, as much wealth as he could find. This son of Uśīnara is therefore the best among you.” For in Śibi’s incomparable mind were established immeasurable virtues: generosity, austerity, truth, righteousness, modesty, prosperity, forgiveness, gentleness, and the desire to act. Because he embodied these qualities and was devoted to modesty, Śibi surpassed the others, riding his chariot ahead. Yayāti then asks, “Tell me truly, O King: from where are you, who are you, and whose son? What you have accomplished—no other kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa in the world has done.” The reply comes: “I am Yayāti, son of Nahusha, father of Pūru, lord of all the earth. I reveal this secret openly—I am your maternal grandfather. I conquered this entire earth and, having given it to the brāhmaṇas, I set out for the forest. I gave a hundred excellent, pure-bred horses, and the blessed gods became recipients of merit. I gave the whole earth, filled and entire, to the brāhmaṇas, with conveyances, cows, gold, and foremost treasures; then I gave a hundred million cows.” He continues, “By my truthfulness, both heaven and earth, and the fire among men, are upheld. No word of mine is ever spoken in vain, for the virtuous always honor truth. Whatever I declare here, O Aṣṭaka, is truth—so also to Pratardana and Uśadaśvi. All the worlds, sages, and gods are honored by truth—this is my conviction. Whoever among us, the conquerors of heaven, would speak otherwise to the foremost brāhmaṇas, without envy, he would not attain our world.” Thus, that great-souled king, Yayāti, carried across to heaven by the merit of his daughter and grandsons, having renounced the earth and performed supremely noble deeds, ascended to the heavenly realms, having filled the earth with his righteous actions.