As King Yayati spoke, his grandson Ashtaka, ever eager for wisdom, addressed him once again: “Grandfather, you who are adorned with every virtue, I ask you truly—tell me, how did you dwell in the world of heaven? Describe in detail all the principal worlds you enjoyed, the times and manner in which you experienced them. Speak to me of these, O king, for you are one who knows the field and speaks of dharma.” Yayati replied, his memory reaching back over ages: “Here on earth, I was once a universal monarch. From there, I attained great worlds and dwelled in them for a thousand years. After that, I ascended to even higher realms. I lived in the splendid city of Puruhuta, a city of a thousand gates stretching a hundred yojanas, and there too I remained for a thousand years. Yet even from there, I rose higher still. “Then I reached the divine, ageless world of the Lord of Creatures—a realm difficult to attain even for the greatest of beings—and I dwelled there for a thousand years. Beyond even that, I was lifted to higher worlds. In the abode of the god of gods, having conquered the worlds, I lived as I wished, honored by all the gods, my splendor and power equal to theirs. “In Nandana, the celestial garden, I dwelled for a hundred thousand years, able to assume forms at will. I moved among the Apsarases, delighting in fragrant breezes and beholding beautiful, blossoming trees. There, attached to the pleasures of the gods, I remained for a long time. But then, a fierce messenger of the gods approached and called out to me three times in a loud voice, ‘Be destroyed!’ “This, O lion among kings, is what I know. When my merit was exhausted, I fell from Nandana. As I fell, I heard the voices of the gods in the sky, lamenting my fate with compassion. Suddenly, I, Yayati—once famed for virtue and meritorious deeds—was cast down. As I plummeted, I cried out, ‘How can I, among the virtuous, fall so?’ “They told me of your sacrificial ground. Guided by the scent of offerings and the sight of smoke rising up, I found my way here.” Ashtaka, still seeking deeper understanding, pressed further: “While you dwelled in Nandana for a hundred thousand years, able to take any form, why, O foremost one of the Krita age, did you abandon that heavenly joy and descend to earth?” Yayati answered with the wisdom of experience: “Just as, when wealth is depleted, relatives, friends, and even one’s own people abandon a person here among humans, so too, when merit is exhausted, the hosts of gods in heaven immediately forsake a soul. This is the way of things. “How does merit become depleted there?” Ashtaka wondered aloud. “Who is distinguished, and where do they go? Please reveal this, for I see you as the master of the field.” Yayati explained, “They fall into this earthly hell, O king of men, lamenting as they go. For the sake of carrion, jackals, and crows, they undergo many increases in suffering on earth. Therefore, wicked and blameworthy actions in this world must be avoided. All this I have explained, O ruler. If you wish to hear more, tell me what you would know.” Ashtaka asked, “When birds, vultures, owls, and insects attack them, how does this happen? How do they become so? From you I hear about this earthly hell.” Yayati continued, “After leaving the body, as the effects of actions unfold, souls wander visibly upon the earth. They fall into this earthly hell, losing all sense of time as countless years pass. Sixty thousand fall in the sky, and likewise eighty thousand years; those who are falling are driven by fierce earthly demons with sharp fangs. “When these fearsome demons attack them as they fall, what is their state? How do they become embryos?” He explained, “Blood, semen, and pollen combine, following what is produced by a man. By the force of passion, it enters, and thus, becoming an embryo, it arrives there. Souls enter trees, herbs, waters, air, earth, and space, as well as four-footed and two-footed beings; all become embryos in this way.” Ashtaka asked, “Does the embryo acquire another body, or does it enter by its own desire? When it is about to enter a human womb, tell me, for I am in doubt.” Yayati replied, “The wind carries the embryo into the womb at the proper time, along with semen and pollen. There, the subtle elements establish themselves and gradually nourish the embryo. When it is born, consciousness arises; then the person perceives sound with the ears, sees form with the eyes, smells with the nose, tastes with the tongue, feels touch with the skin, and attains awareness with the mind. Know that all these eight faculties are gathered in the body of the great-souled, life-bearing being. “When that person is established, whether burned, buried, or cast away, having become non-existent, he attains destruction. By what does he perceive himself thereafter? Having left his vital breaths, like one asleep, after considering his good and evil deeds, he abandons the body and, according to his merit or demerit, enters another womb. “Those who perform good deeds enter a good womb; those who perform evil deeds enter an evil womb. Worms and insects are born from evil—I do not wish to speak further, O great one. Four-footed creatures, two-footed beings, and birds—all these come into being in the womb. This has been fully declared. What more do you ask, O lion among kings?” Ashtaka then asked, “By what action does a mortal attain the highest awareness—by austerity or by knowledge? Tell me everything, so one may reach the auspicious worlds in due order.” Yayati answered, “Austerity, charity, tranquility, self-control, modesty, straightforwardness, and compassion for all beings—these seven great doors to the heavenly world are declared by the wise. All these are rooted in austerity, but if tainted by arrogance, they perish, overcome by darkness—so the wise always say. “One who, considering himself learned, destroys another’s reputation through knowledge—such a person’s worlds are finite, and he does not obtain the fruit of Brahman. There are four actions that bring fear if performed improperly: sacrifice tainted by pride, silence tainted by pride, study tainted by pride, and charity tainted by pride. “One who is honored should not become elated, nor should he be distressed by dishonor. The virtuous honor the virtuous in this world; the wicked do not attain the mind of the good. ‘Give,’ ‘sacrifice,’ ‘study,’ and ‘listen’—these are said to be free from fear and should always be practiced without exception. “That ancient refuge which the wise perceive in the mind, accompanied by honor—by uniting with that supreme good, they attain the highest peace here and hereafter.” At last, Ashtaka inquired, “How does a householder attain the gods? How does a mendicant? How does one engaged in the teacher’s duties, or a forest-dweller established on the right path? Many now inquire about these matters.” Thus, the dialogue between Yayati and Ashtaka continued, illuminating the mysteries of karma, rebirth, and the path to higher worlds, with wisdom flowing from grandfather to grandson, guiding all who would listen on the way of dharma.