Yayati's Austerities and Ascent to Heaven

Verse 1 (1.80.1)

एवं स नाहुषो राजा ययातिः पुत्रमीप्सितम् । राज्येऽभिषिच्य मुदितो वानप्रस्थोऽभवन्मुनिः ॥

evaṃ sa nāhuṣo rājā yayātiḥ putramīpsitam | rājye'bhiṣicya mudito vānaprastho'bhavanmuniḥ

Thus King Yayati, son of Nahusha, having consecrated in the kingdom the son he wished for, joyfully became a forest-dwelling hermit.

Verse 2 (1.80.2)

उषित्वा च वने वासं ब्राह्मणैः संशितव्रतः । फलमूलाशनो दान्तस्ततः स्वर्गमितो गतः ॥

uṣitvā ca vane vāsaṃ brāhmaṇaiḥ saṃśitavrataḥ | phalamūlāśano dāntastataḥ svargamito gataḥ

He lived in the forest with brahmins, firm in his vows, eating fruits and roots and keeping himself in check; and then he went from here to heaven.

Verse 3 (1.80.3)

स गतः स्वर्निवासं तं निवसन्मुदितः सुखी । कालेन नातिमहता पुनः शक्रेण पातितः ॥

sa gataḥ svarnivāsaṃ taṃ nivasanmuditaḥ sukhī | kālena nātimahatā punaḥ śakreṇa pātitaḥ

He went to that heavenly abode and lived there happily and joyfully; but after no great time he was cast down again by Shakra.

Verse 4 (1.80.4)

साधुभिः संगतिं लब्ध्वा पुनः स्वर्गमुपेयिवान् ॥

sādhubhiḥ saṃgatiṃ labdhvā punaḥ svargamupeyivān

Having found the company of the good, he reached heaven once more.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints जनमेजय उवाच after this line, in the middle of its verse 4; the verse is divided there. Removed a wiki quote mark (`). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.80.5)

स्वर्गतश्च पुनर्ब्रह्मन्निवसन्देववेश्मनि । कालेन नातिमहता कथं शक्रेण पातितः ॥

svargataśca punarbrahmannivasandevaveśmani | kālena nātimahatā kathaṃ śakreṇa pātitaḥ

O brahmin, once he had gone to heaven and was dwelling in the abode of the gods, how was he cast down by Shakra after so short a time?

Note on the text: Wikisource 4b–c, spoken by Janamejaya after the speaker line that Wikisource prints in the middle of its verse 4; divided from the preceding line. Removed a wiki quote mark ('). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (1.80.6)

निपतन्प्रच्युतः स्वर्गादप्राप्तो मेदिनीतलम् । स्थित आसीदन्तरिक्षे स तदेति श्रुतं मया ॥

nipatanpracyutaḥ svargādaprāpto medinītalam | sthita āsīdantarikṣe sa tadeti śrutaṃ mayā

Falling, dropped from heaven, he did not reach the surface of the earth but stayed in the sky; so I have heard.

Verse 7 (1.80.7)

तत एव पुनश्चापि गतः स्वर्गमिति श्रुतम् । राज्ञा वसुमता सार्धमष्टकेन च वीर्यवान् ॥

tata eva punaścāpi gataḥ svargamiti śrutam | rājñā vasumatā sārdhamaṣṭakena ca vīryavān

And from there, it is said, the valiant king went to heaven again, together with King Vasumat and Ashtaka,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.81.5a and 1.81.5c of the critical edition (variant इति श्रुतम्; Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 8 (1.80.8)

प्रतर्दनेन शिविना समेत्य किल संसदि । कर्मणा केन स दिवं पुनः प्राप्तो महीपतिः ॥

pratardanena śivinā sametya kila saṃsadi | karmaṇā kena sa divaṃ punaḥ prāpto mahīpatiḥ

after meeting Pratardana and Shibi, it is said, in an assembly. By what deed did the king attain heaven once more?

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.81.5e and 1.81.6a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently). शिविना is Wikisource's spelling of the name Shibi (critical edition śibinā) and is kept.

Verse 9 (1.80.9)

सर्वमेतदशेषेण श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । कथ्यमानं त्वया विप्र विप्रर्षिगणसंनिधौ ॥

sarvametadaśeṣeṇa śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ | kathyamānaṃ tvayā vipra viprarṣigaṇasaṃnidhau

I wish to hear all of this in full and as it truly happened, told by you, O brahmin, in the presence of this company of brahmin seers.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.81.6c and 1.81.6e of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 10 (1.80.10)

देवराजसमो ह्यासीद्ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः । वर्धनः कुरुवंशस्य विभावसुसमद्युतिः ॥

devarājasamo hyāsīdyayātiḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | vardhanaḥ kuruvaṃśasya vibhāvasusamadyutiḥ

Yayati, lord of the earth, was the equal of the king of the gods; he made the line of the Kurus flourish and shone like fire.

Verse 11 (1.80.11)

तस्य विस्तीर्णयशसः सत्यकीर्तेर्महात्मनः । चरितं श्रोतुमिच्छामि दिवि चेह च सर्वशः ॥

tasya vistīrṇayaśasaḥ satyakīrtermahātmanaḥ | caritaṃ śrotumicchāmi divi ceha ca sarvaśaḥ

I wish to hear the whole story of that great-souled king, whose fame spread far and whose renown was true, both in heaven and here on earth.

Verse 12 (1.80.12)

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि ययातेरुत्तरां कथाम् । दिवि चेह च पुण्यार्थां सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् ॥

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi yayāteruttarāṃ kathām | divi ceha ca puṇyārthāṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśinīm

Very well, I shall tell you the later story of Yayati, in heaven and here on earth, which brings merit and destroys all sins.

Verse 13 (1.80.13)

ययातिर्नाहुषो राजा पूरुं पुत्रं कनीयसम् । राज्येऽभिषिच्य मुदितः प्रावव्राज वनं तदा ॥

yayātirnāhuṣo rājā pūruṃ putraṃ kanīyasam | rājye'bhiṣicya muditaḥ prāvavrāja vanaṃ tadā

King Yayati, son of Nahusha, having joyfully consecrated his youngest son Puru in the kingdom, then went forth to the forest.

Verse 14 (1.80.14)

अन्तेषु स विनिक्षिप्य पुत्रान्यदुपुरोगमान् । फलमूलाशनो राजा वने संन्यवसच्चिरम् ॥

anteṣu sa vinikṣipya putrānyadupurogamān | phalamūlāśano rājā vane saṃnyavasacciram

Having settled his sons, led by Yadu, in the borderlands, the king lived long in the forest, eating fruits and roots.

Note on the text: Corrected अन्त्युषे → अन्तेषु (misprint in Wikisource; अन्त्युषे is not a word, the critical edition reads anteṣu, "in the borderlands", as in verse 39 of the previous adhyaya).

Verse 15 (1.80.15)

संशितात्मा जितक्रोधस्तर्पयन्पितृदेवताः । अग्नींश्च विधिवज्जुह्वन्वानप्रस्थविधानतः ॥

saṃśitātmā jitakrodhastarpayanpitṛdevatāḥ | agnīṃśca vidhivajjuhvanvānaprasthavidhānataḥ

Firm of spirit, with anger conquered, he satisfied the ancestors and the gods, and offered oblations into the fires as prescribed, by the rule of the forest-dwelling stage.

Note on the text: Corrected शंसितात्मा → संशितात्मा (misprint in Wikisource; transposed sibilants, the epithet is saṃśitātmā "firm of spirit", as in the critical edition).

Verse 16 (1.80.16)

अतिथीन्पूजयामास वन्येन हविषा विभुः । शिलोञ्छवृत्तिमास्थाय शेषान्नकृतभोजनः ॥

atithīnpūjayāmāsa vanyena haviṣā vibhuḥ | śiloñchavṛttimāsthāya śeṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ

The lord honoured his guests with offerings of forest food. He lived by gleaning grain and ate only what was left over.

Note on the text: Corrected अथितीन् → अतिथीन् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aspirate, as in the critical edition).

Verse 17 (1.80.17)

पूर्णं वर्षसहस्रं च एवंवृत्तिरभून्नृपः । अब्भक्षः शरदस्त्रिंशदासीन्नियतवाङ्मनाः ॥

pūrṇaṃ varṣasahasraṃ ca evaṃvṛttirabhūnnṛpaḥ | abbhakṣaḥ śaradastriṃśadāsīnniyatavāṅmanāḥ

For a full thousand years the king lived in this way. For thirty autumns he lived on water alone, restraining his speech and his mind.

Verse 18 (1.80.18)

ततश्च वायुभक्षोऽभूत्संवत्सरमतन्द्रितः । तथा पञ्चाग्निमध्ये च तपस्तेपे स वत्सरम् ॥

tataśca vāyubhakṣo'bhūtsaṃvatsaramatandritaḥ | tathā pañcāgnimadhye ca tapastepe sa vatsaram

Then for a year he lived on air alone, never flagging; and for a year he practised austerity amid the five fires.

Verse 19 (1.80.19)

एकपादः स्थितश्चासीत्षण्मासाननिलाशनः । पुण्यकीर्तिस्ततः स्वर्गे जगामावृत्य रोदसी ॥

ekapādaḥ sthitaścāsītṣaṇmāsānanilāśanaḥ | puṇyakīrtistataḥ svarge jagāmāvṛtya rodasī

For six months he stood on one foot, living on air. Then, holy in his fame, he went to heaven, filling earth and sky with his renown.

Note on the text: Corrected स्तितश्चासीत् → स्थितश्चासीत् (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ, as in the critical edition's -sthitaś).