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.
तस्मादिच्छन्ति दौहित्रान्यथा त्वं वसुधाधिप
Therefore, grandsons are desired, just as you, O lord of the earth.
अभिवाद्य नमस्कृत्य मातामहमथाब्रुवन् । उच्चैरनुपमैः स्निग्धैः स्वरैरापूर्य मेदिनीम् । मातामहं नृपतयस्तारयन्तो दिवश्च्युतम्
Having bowed and paid respects, they addressed their maternal grandfather, filling the earth with their loud, incomparable, gentle voices: 'Grandfather, we, the kings, will deliver you, fallen from heaven.'
राजधर्मगुणोपेताः सत्यधर्मगुणान्विताः। दौहित्रास्ते वयं राजन्दिवमारोह पार्थिव
Endowed with the virtues of royal duty and truth, we are your grandsons, O king; ascend to heaven, O ruler of the earth.
अथाकस्मादुपगतो गालवोऽप्याह पार्थिवम् । तपसो मेऽष्टभागेन स्वर्गमारोहतां भवान्
Then suddenly Galava also approached the king and said: 'By a portion—an eighth—of my ascetic merit, may you ascend to heaven.'
प्रत्यभिज्ञातमात्रोऽथ सद्भिस्तैर्नरपुङ्गवः। समारुरोह नृपतिरस्पृशन्वसुधातलम् । ययातिर्दिव्यसंस्थानो बभूव विगतज्वरः
Then, as soon as he was recognized by those noble ones, the king, best among men, ascended, not touching the earth; Yayati, assuming a divine form, became free from suffering.
दिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरो दिव्याभरणभूषितः। दिव्यगन्धगुणोपेतो न पृथ्वीमस्पृशत्पदा
Clad in divine garlands and garments, adorned with celestial ornaments, possessed of heavenly fragrance, he did not touch the earth with his feet.
ततो वसुमनाः पूर्वमुच्चैरुच्चारयन्वचः ।। ख्यातो दानपतिर्लोके व्याजहार नृपं तदा
Then Vasumanas, loudly proclaiming words as before, renowned as a lord of gifts in the world, addressed the king at that time.
प्राप्तवानस्मि यल्लोके सर्ववर्णेष्वगर्हया । तदप्यथ च दास्यामि तेन संयुज्यतां भवान्
Whatever I have obtained in this world among all castes without reproach, that too I shall give; let you be united with it.
यत्फलं दानशीलस्य क्षमाशीलस्य यत्फलम् । यच्च मे फलमाधाने तेन संयुज्यतां भवान्
Whatever fruit arises from the practice of giving and patience, and whatever fruit comes from my own offering, may you be united with that.
ततः प्रतर्दनोऽप्याह वाक्यं क्षत्रियपुङ्गवः । यथा धर्मरतिर्नित्यं नित्यं युद्धपरायणः
Then Pratardana, foremost among Kshatriyas, spoke these words: As my devotion to righteousness is constant, so too is my dedication to battle.