Yayati's Pride and Fall from Heaven

Verse 1 (1.82.1)

सर्वाणि कर्माणि समाप्य राजन् । गृहं परित्यज्य वनं गतोऽसि । तत्त्वां पृच्छामि नहुषस्य पुत्र । केनासि तुल्यस्तपसा ययाते ॥

sarvāṇi karmāṇi samāpya rājan | gṛhaṃ parityajya vanaṃ gato'si | tattvāṃ pṛcchāmi nahuṣasya putra | kenāsi tulyastapasā yayāte

Having completed all your works, O king, you left your home and went to the forest. So I ask you, son of Nahusha: whom are you equal to in austerity, Yayati?

Verse 2 (1.82.2)

नाहं देवमनुष्येषु गन्धर्वेषु महर्षिषु । आत्मनस्तपसा तुल्यं कंचित्पश्यामि वासव ॥

nāhaṃ devamanuṣyeṣu gandharveṣu maharṣiṣu | ātmanastapasā tulyaṃ kaṃcitpaśyāmi vāsava

Among gods and men, gandharvas and great seers, I see no one, Vasava, who is my equal in austerity.

Verse 3 (1.82.3)

यदाऽवमंस्थाः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च । अल्पीयसश्चाविदितप्रभावः । तस्माल्लोकास्त्वन्तवन्तस्तवेमे । क्षीणे पुण्ये पतिताऽस्यद्य राजन् ॥

yadā'vamaṃsthāḥ sadṛśaḥ śreyasaśca | alpīyasaścāviditaprabhāvaḥ | tasmāllokāstvantavantastaveme | kṣīṇe puṇye patitā'syadya rājan

Since you have disdained your equals, your betters and those below you, not knowing their power, these worlds of yours have an end. Your merit is spent, O king, and today you shall fall.

Note on the text: Divided Wikisource's first line into its two quarter-verses, as the other verses in this metre are printed. Corrected तवे मे → तवेमे (misprint in Wikisource; misplaced word break, तव इमे, as in the critical edition's taveme).

Verse 4 (1.82.4)

सुरर्षिगन्धर्वनरावमाना- । त्क्षयं गता मे यदि शक्रलोकाः । इच्छाम्यहं सुरलोकाद्विहीनः । सतां मध्ये पतितुं देवराज ॥

surarṣigandharvanarāvamānā- | tkṣayaṃ gatā me yadi śakralokāḥ | icchāmyahaṃ suralokādvihīnaḥ | satāṃ madhye patituṃ devarāja

If my worlds in Shakra's heaven have wasted away because I disdained gods, seers, gandharvas and men, then, cast out from the world of the gods, I wish to fall among the good, O king of the gods.

Verse 5 (1.82.5)

सतां सकाशे पतिताऽसि राजं- । श्च्युतः प्रतिष्ठां यत्र लब्धासि भूयः । एतद्विदित्वा च पुनर्ययाते । त्वं माऽवमंस्थाः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च ॥

satāṃ sakāśe patitā'si rājaṃ- | ścyutaḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ yatra labdhāsi bhūyaḥ | etadviditvā ca punaryayāte | tvaṃ mā'vamaṃsthāḥ sadṛśaḥ śreyasaśca

You shall fall near the good, O king, and though fallen you shall find a footing there once more. Knowing this, Yayati, never again disdain your equals or your betters.

Verse 6 (1.82.6)

ततः प्रहायामरराजजुष्टा- । न्पुण्याँल्लोकान्पतमानं ययातिम् । संप्रेक्ष्य राजर्षिवरोऽष्टकस्त- । मुवाच सद्धर्मविधानगोप्ता ॥

tataḥ prahāyāmararājajuṣṭā- | npuṇyām̐llokānpatamānaṃ yayātim | saṃprekṣya rājarṣivaro'ṣṭakasta- | muvāca saddharmavidhānagoptā

Then, as Yayati fell, leaving the holy worlds frequented by the king of the immortals, Ashtaka, best of royal sages and guardian of the ordinances of true dharma, saw him and said to him:

Verse 7 (1.82.7)

कस्त्वं युवा वासवतुल्यरूपः । स्वतेजसा दीप्यमानो यथाऽग्निः । पतस्युदीर्णाम्बुधरान्धकारा- । त्खात्खेचराणां प्रवरो यथाऽर्कः ॥

kastvaṃ yuvā vāsavatulyarūpaḥ | svatejasā dīpyamāno yathā'gniḥ | patasyudīrṇāmbudharāndhakārā- | tkhātkhecarāṇāṃ pravaro yathā'rkaḥ

Who are you, a youth with the beauty of Vasava, blazing with your own splendour like fire, falling from the sky out of darkness thick with towering clouds, like the sun, foremost of all that move through the heavens?

Verse 8 (1.82.8)

दृष्ट्वा च त्वां सूर्यपथात्पतन्तं । वैश्वानरार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् । किं नु स्विदेतत्पततीति सर्वे । वितर्कयन्तः परिमोहिताः स्मः ॥

dṛṣṭvā ca tvāṃ sūryapathātpatantaṃ | vaiśvānarārkadyutimaprameyam | kiṃ nu svidetatpatatīti sarve | vitarkayantaḥ parimohitāḥ smaḥ

Seeing you falling from the path of the sun, immeasurable, with the radiance of fire and the sun, we are all bewildered, wondering, "What can this be that falls?"

Verse 9 (1.82.9)

दृष्ट्वा च त्वां धिष्ठितं देवमार्गे । शक्रार्कविष्णुप्रतिमप्रभावम् । अभ्युद्गतास्त्वां वयमद्य सर्वे । तत्त्वं प्रपाते तव जिज्ञासमानाः ॥

dṛṣṭvā ca tvāṃ dhiṣṭhitaṃ devamārge | śakrārkaviṣṇupratimaprabhāvam | abhyudgatāstvāṃ vayamadya sarve | tattvaṃ prapāte tava jijñāsamānāḥ

Seeing you set in the path of the gods, with power like that of Shakra, the sun and Vishnu, we have all risen today to meet you, wishing to learn the truth of your fall.

Verse 10 (1.82.10)

न चापि त्वां धृष्णुमः प्रष्टुमग्रे । न च त्वमस्मान्पृच्छसि ये वयं स्मः । तत्त्वां पृच्छामि स्पृहणीयरूप । कस्य त्वं वा किंनिमित्तं त्वमागाः ॥

na cāpi tvāṃ dhṛṣṇumaḥ praṣṭumagre | na ca tvamasmānpṛcchasi ye vayaṃ smaḥ | tattvāṃ pṛcchāmi spṛhaṇīyarūpa | kasya tvaṃ vā kiṃnimittaṃ tvamāgāḥ

We do not dare to question you first, and you do not ask us who we are. So I ask you, you whose form is so enviable: whose are you, and why have you come?

Verse 11 (1.82.11)

भयं तु ते व्येतु विषादमोहौ । त्यजाशु चैवेन्द्रसमप्रभाव । त्वां वर्तमानं हि सतां सकाशे । नालं प्रसोढुं बलहाऽपि शक्रः ॥

bhayaṃ tu te vyetu viṣādamohau | tyajāśu caivendrasamaprabhāva | tvāṃ vartamānaṃ hi satāṃ sakāśe | nālaṃ prasoḍhuṃ balahā'pi śakraḥ

Let your fear pass, and cast off grief and bewilderment at once, you whose might is like Indra's. Now that you are in the presence of the good, not even Shakra, slayer of Bala, can overpower you.

Verse 12 (1.82.12)

सन्तः प्रतिष्ठा हि सुखच्युतानां । सतां सदैवामरराजकल्प । ते सङ्गताः स्थावरजङ्गमेशाः । प्रतिष्ठितस्त्वं सदृशेषु सत्सु ॥

santaḥ pratiṣṭhā hi sukhacyutānāṃ | satāṃ sadaivāmararājakalpa | te saṅgatāḥ sthāvarajaṅgameśāḥ | pratiṣṭhitastvaṃ sadṛśeṣu satsu

The good are ever the refuge of those who have fallen from happiness, you who are like the king of the immortals. The good gathered here are lords of all that moves and does not move; you are established among the good, your equals.

Verse 13 (1.82.13)

प्रभुरग्निः प्रतपने भूमिरावपने प्रभुः । प्रभुः सूर्यः प्रकाशित्वे सतां चाभ्यागतः प्रभुः ॥

prabhuragniḥ pratapane bhūmirāvapane prabhuḥ | prabhuḥ sūryaḥ prakāśitve satāṃ cābhyāgataḥ prabhuḥ

Fire has power to burn, the earth has power to receive the seed, the sun has power to give light; and the guest who comes to the good has power over them.