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.
प्राप्तवानस्मि यल्लोके क्षत्रवंशोद्भवं यशः । वीरशब्दफलं चैव तेन संयुज्यतां भवान् । यथा धर्मे रतिर्नित्यं तेन सत्येन खं व्रज
I have attained in this world the fame born of the Kshatriya lineage, and the reward of being called a hero; may you be joined with that. As my attachment to righteousness is constant, by that truth ascend to heaven.
शिबिरौशीनरो धीमानुवाच मधुरां गिरम्। यथा बालेषु नारीषु वैवाह्येषु तथैव च
Shibi, the wise king of Ushinara, spoke sweet words: As among children, women, and in marriages, so too—
सङ्गरेषु निपातेषु तथा तद्व्यसनेषु च । अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे तेन सत्येन खं व्रज
In battles, in calamities, and in misfortunes, I have never spoken falsehood; by that truth ascend to heaven.
यथा प्राणांश्च राज्यं च राजन्कामसुखानि च। त्यजेयं न पुनः सत्यं तेन सत्येन खं व्रज
Just as I would abandon my life, kingdom, and pleasures of desire, but never abandon truth; by that truth ascend to heaven.
यथा सत्येन मे धर्मो यथा सत्येन पावकः । प्रीतः शतक्रतुश्चैव तेन सत्येन खं व्रज
As by truth my righteousness stands, as by truth the fire is satisfied, and Indra is pleased; by that truth ascend to heaven.
अष्टकस्त्वथ राजर्षिः कौशिको माधवीसुतः। अनेकशतयज्वानं नाहुषं प्राह धर्मवित्
Then Ashtaka, the royal sage, son of Madhavi and descendant of Kausika, who knew righteousness, spoke to Nahusha, performer of many hundreds of sacrifices.
शतशः पुण्डरीका मे गोसवाश्चरिताः प्रभो । क्रतवो वाजपेयाश्च तेषां फलमवाप्नुहि
Hundreds of lotus sacrifices and cow-sacrifices have been performed by me, O lord, as well as Vājapeya rituals; may you obtain their fruit.
न मे रत्नानि न धनं न तथाऽन्ये परिच्छदा । क्रतुष्वनुपयुक्तानि तेन सत्येन खं व्रज
Neither jewels nor wealth nor other possessions were used in my sacrifices; by that truth ascend to heaven.
यथायथा हि जल्पन्ति दौहित्रास्तं नराधिपम् । तथतथा वसुमतीं त्यक्त्वा राजा दिवं ययौ
As the grandsons spoke thus to that king, so, leaving the earth, the king ascended to heaven.
एवं सर्वे समस्तैस्ते राजानः सुकृतैस्तदा । ययातिं स्वर्गतो भ्रष्टं तारयामासुरञ्जसा
Thus, all those kings together, by their virtuous deeds, swiftly rescued Yayati, who had fallen from heaven.