विचारश्च समुत्पन्नो निरीक्ष्य नहुषात्मजम् । कोऽन्वयं कस्य वा राज्ञः कथं वा स्वर्गमागतः
A deliberation arose, observing the son of Nahusha: 'Who is this? Of which king is he? How did he come to heaven?'
कर्मणा केनसिद्धोऽयं क्व वाऽनेन तपश्चितम्। कथं वा ज्ञायते स्वर्गे केन वा ज्ञायतेऽप्युत
By what deed has he attained this? Where did he perform austerities? How is he recognized in heaven, and by whom is he known?'
एवं विचास्यन्तस्ते राजानं स्वर्गवासिनः । दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छुरन्योन्यं ययातिं नृपतिं प्रति
While they were thus deliberating, the kings who dwell in heaven, seeing the king, began to question one another about Yayati.
विमानपालाः शतशः स्वर्गद्वाराभिरक्षिणः । पृष्टा आसनपालाश्च न जानीमेत्यथाऽब्रुवन्
Hundreds of guardians of the celestial mansions, protectors of heaven's gates, and those in charge of the seats were asked, but they replied, 'We do not know.'
सर्वे ते ह्यावृतज्ञाना नाभ्यजानन्त तं नृपम् । स मुहूर्तादथ नृपो हतौजाश्चाभवत्तदा
All of them, their knowledge veiled, did not recognize that king; and in a moment, the king became bereft of his power.
अथ प्रचलितः स्थानादासनाच्च परिच्युतः। कम्पितेनेव मनसा धर्षितः शेकवाह्निना
Then, shaken from his place and cast down from his seat, with a mind agitated as if struck by a fierce wind, he was overcome.
म्लानस्रग्भ्रष्टविज्ञानः प्रभ्रष्टमुकुटाङ्गदः । विघूर्णन्स्रस्तसर्वाङ्गः प्रभ्रष्टाभरणाम्बरः
His garland faded, his understanding lost, his crown and armlets fallen, reeling, his limbs slack, his ornaments and garments slipping away.
अदृश्यमानस्तान्पश्यन्नपश्यंश्च पुनः पुनः । शून्यः शून्येन मनसा प्रपतिष्यन्महीतलम्
Invisible, yet seeing them, and again not seeing, empty, with a vacant mind, he began to fall toward the earth.
किं मया मनसा ध्यातमशुभं धर्मदूषणम् । येनाहं चलितः स्थानादिति राजा व्यचिन्तयत्
What impure or unrighteous thought have I harbored in my mind, by which I have been shaken from my place?—so the king pondered.
ते तु तत्रैव राजानः सिद्धाश्चाप्सरसस्तथा । अपश्यन्त निरालम्बं तं ययातिं परिच्युतम्
But the kings, the perfected beings, and the celestial nymphs there saw Yayati, unsupported, cast down.
अथैत्य पुरुषः कश्चित्क्षीणपुण्यनिपातकः । ययातिमब्रवीद्राजन्द्रेवराजस्य शासनात्
Then a certain man, fallen through loss of merit, approached and spoke to King Yayati at the command of Indra, king of the gods.
अतीव मदमत्तस्त्वं न कंचिन्नावमन्यसे । मानेन भ्रष्टः स्वर्गस्ते नार्हस्त्वं पार्थिवात्मज
You are exceedingly intoxicated with pride, you show contempt for no one; by your arrogance, your place in heaven is lost—you are not worthy, son of a king.
न च प्रज्ञायसे गच्छ पतस्वेति तमब्रवीत् । पतेयं सत्स्विति वचस्त्रिरुत्त्का नहुषात्मजः
Nor do you realize it; go, fall!—he said to him. The son of Nahusha replied, 'Let me fall, if there are good people.'
पतिष्यंन्तयामास गतिं गतिमतां वरः। एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु नैमिषे पार्थिवर्षभान्
The best among the swift resolved to fall; and at that very moment, in Naimisha, among the royal sages—
चतुरोऽपश्यत नृपस्तेषां मध्ये पपात ह । प्रतर्दनो वसुमनाः शिबिरौशीनरोऽष्टकः
The king saw four of them, and fell among them: Pratardana, Vasumanas, Sibi, the Ushinara, and Ashtaka.
वाजपेयेन यज्ञेन तर्पयन्ति सुरेश्वरम् । तेषामध्वरजं धूमं स्वर्गद्वारमुपस्थितम्
With the Vajapeya sacrifice, they were satisfying the lord of the gods; the smoke of their sacrifice had reached the gate of heaven.
ययातिरुपजिघ्रन्वै निपपात महीं प्रति । भूमौ स्वर्गे च संबद्धां नदीं धूममयीमिव । गङ्गां गामिव गच्छन्तीमालम्ब्य जगतीपतिः
Yayati, inhaling it, fell toward the earth; on the ground and in heaven, he grasped a river made of smoke, like the Ganges flowing between earth and sky.
श्रीमत्स्ववभृथाग्र्येषु चतुर्षु प्रतिबन्धुषु । मध्ये निपतितो राजा लोकपालोपमेषु सः
Among the four, resplendent at the foremost avabhritha, surrounded by his kin, the king fell in their midst, equal to the guardians of the worlds.
चतुर्षु हुतकल्पेषु राजसिंहमहाग्निषु । पपात मध्ये राजर्षिर्ययातिः पुण्यसङ्क्षये
Among the four ritual fires, blazing like royal lions, the royal sage Yayati fell in their midst, his merit exhausted.
तमाहुः पार्थिवाः सर्वे दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया । को भवान्कस्य वा बन्धुर्देशस्य नगरस्य वा
All the kings said to him, shining as if ablaze with splendor: 'Who are you? Whose kin are you? Of what land or city?'
यक्षो वाऽप्यथवा देवो गन्धर्वो राक्षसोऽपि वा । न हि मानुषरूपोसि कोवार्थः काङ्क्ष्यते त्वया
Whether you are a Yaksha, a god, a Gandharva, or even a Rakshasa, you do not appear in human form; so what purpose do you seek here?
ययातिरस्मि राजर्षिः क्षीणपुण्यश्च्युतो दिवः। पतेयं सत्स्विति ध्यायन्भवत्सु पतितस्ततः
I am Yayati, the royal sage, fallen from heaven after my merit was exhausted; as I reflected on falling among the virtuous, I fell among them.
सत्यमेतद्भवतु ते काङ्क्षितं पुरुषर्षभ । सर्वेषां नः क्रतुफलं धर्मश्च प्रतिगृह्यताम्
Let what you desire come true, best of men; let the fruit of our sacrifices and our righteousness be accepted.
नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियोऽह्यहम्। न च मे प्रवणा बुद्धिः परपुण्यविनाशने
I am not a Brahmin living on gifts, but a Kshatriya; nor is my mind inclined to destroy the merit of others.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगचर्याक्रमागताम्। माधवीं प्रेक्ष्य राजानस्तेऽभिवाद्येदमब्रुवन्
At that very moment, seeing Madhavi, who had come there in the course of her forest wandering, the kings greeted her and spoke these words.
किमागमनकृत्यं ते किं कुर्मः शासनं तव। आज्ञाप्या हि वयं सर्वे तव पुत्रास्तपोधने
What is the reason for your coming? What shall we do at your command? For we are all your sons, rich in asceticism, ready to obey you.
तेषां तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा माधवी परया मुदा। पितरं समुपागच्छद्ययातिं सा ववन्द च
Hearing their words, Madhavi, filled with great joy, approached her father Yayati and bowed to him.
स्पृष्ट्वा मूर्धनि तान्पुत्रांस्तापसी वाक्यमब्रवीत् । दौहित्रास्तव राजेन्द्र मम पुत्रा न ते पराः
Touching the heads of her sons, the ascetic woman spoke: 'O king, these are your grandsons; they are my sons, not others.'
इमे त्वां तारयिष्यन्ति दिष्टमेतत्पुरातनम् । अहं ते दुहिता राजन्माधवी मृगचारिणी
These will deliver you—this is the ancient decree; I am your daughter, O king, Madhavi, the wanderer of the forest.
मयाऽप्युपचितो धर्मस्ततोऽर्धं प्रतिगृह्यताम् । यस्माद्राजन्नराः सर्वे अपत्यफलभागिनः
By me too has righteousness been accumulated; let half of it be accepted, for, O king, all men partake of the fruit of offspring.