Yayati Refuses the Worlds of Ashtaka and Pratardana

Verse 1 (1.86.1)

कतरस्त्वनयोः पूर्वं देवानामेति साम्यताम् । उभयोर्धावतो राजन्सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरिव ॥

katarastvanayoḥ pūrvaṃ devānāmeti sāmyatām | ubhayordhāvato rājansūryācandramasoriva

Of these two, O king, who run their course like the sun and the moon, which reaches likeness with the gods first?

Verse 2 (1.86.2)

अनिकेतो गृहस्थेषु कामवृत्तेषु संयतः । ग्राम एव वसन्भिक्षुस्तयोः पूर्वतरं गतः ॥

aniketo gṛhastheṣu kāmavṛtteṣu saṃyataḥ | grāma eva vasanbhikṣustayoḥ pūrvataraṃ gataḥ

The homeless mendicant who lives among householders given to their desires, yet stays restrained while dwelling right in the village: of the two, he goes ahead.

Verse 3 (1.86.3)

अप्राप्य दीर्घमायुस्तु यः प्राप्तो विकृतिं चरेत् । तप्यते यदि तत्कृत्वा चरेत्सोऽन्यत्तपस्ततः ॥

aprāpya dīrghamāyustu yaḥ prāpto vikṛtiṃ caret | tapyate yadi tatkṛtvā caretso'nyattapastataḥ

If one who has not yet reached a long life falls into wrongdoing, and is pained after doing it, he should then take up a further austerity.

Verse 4 (1.86.4)

पापानां कर्मणां नित्यं बिभीयाद्यस्तु मानवः । सुखमप्याचरन्नित्यं सोऽत्यन्तं सुखमेधते ॥

pāpānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nityaṃ bibhīyādyastu mānavaḥ | sukhamapyācarannityaṃ so'tyantaṃ sukhamedhate

The man who always fears sinful deeds, even while living in comfort, grows in happiness without end.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.87.3*863).

Verse 5 (1.86.5)

यद्वै नृशंसं तदसत्यमाहु- । र्यः सेवते धर्ममनर्थबुद्धिः । अस्वोऽप्यनीशश्च तथैव राजं- । स्तदार्जवं स समाधिस्तदार्यम् ॥

yadvai nṛśaṃsaṃ tadasatyamāhu- | ryaḥ sevate dharmamanarthabuddhiḥ | asvo'pyanīśaśca tathaiva rājaṃ- | stadārjavaṃ sa samādhistadāryam

What is cruel, they say, is untrue. He who follows dharma with no thought of gain, even though he has no wealth and no power, O king, that is uprightness, that is composure, that is the noble way.

Verse 6 (1.86.6)

केनासि हूतः प्रहितोऽसि राज- । न्युवा स्रग्वी दर्शनीयः सुवर्चाः । कुत आयातः कतरस्यां दिशि त्व- । मुताहोस्वित्पार्थिवं स्थानमस्ति ॥

kenāsi hūtaḥ prahito'si rāja- | nyuvā sragvī darśanīyaḥ suvarcāḥ | kuta āyātaḥ katarasyāṃ diśi tva- | mutāhosvitpārthivaṃ sthānamasti

By whom were you summoned, by whom sent, O king, young, garlanded, handsome and radiant? From where have you come, and from which direction? Or do you have a place on earth?

Note on the text: Corrected कुतऋ → कुत (misprint in Wikisource; stray ऋ, कुतः + आयातः).

Verse 7 (1.86.7)

इमं भौमं नरकं क्षीणपुण्यः । प्रवेष्टुमुर्वीं गगनाद्विप्रकीर्णः । उक्त्वाहं वः प्रपतिष्याम्यनन्तरं । त्वरन्ति मां लोकपा ब्राह्मणा ये ॥

imaṃ bhaumaṃ narakaṃ kṣīṇapuṇyaḥ | praveṣṭumurvīṃ gaganādviprakīrṇaḥ | uktvāhaṃ vaḥ prapatiṣyāmyanantaraṃ | tvaranti māṃ lokapā brāhmaṇā ye

My merit spent, I am cast down from the sky to enter this earthly hell, the earth. When I have spoken with you I shall fall at once, for the brahmins who guard the worlds are hurrying me on.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (1.87.6): Wikisource prints only the last quarter-line, त्वरन्ति मां लोकपा ब्राह्मणा ये (labelled 1-86-7f), so the first three quarter-lines are supplied from the critical edition. The two further lines the critical edition gives in its apparatus (*864) are not restored.

Verse 8 (1.86.8)

सतां सकाशे तु वृतः प्रपात- । स्ते सङ्गता गुणवन्तश्च सर्वे । शक्राच्च लब्धो हि वरो मयैष । पतिष्यता भूमितलं नरेन्द्र ॥

satāṃ sakāśe tu vṛtaḥ prapāta- | ste saṅgatā guṇavantaśca sarve | śakrācca labdho hi varo mayaiṣa | patiṣyatā bhūmitalaṃ narendra

But I chose to fall near the good, and you who are gathered here are all men of virtue. This boon I obtained from Shakra as I was about to fall to the surface of the earth, lord of men.

Verse 9 (1.86.9)

पृच्छामि त्वां मा प्रपत प्रपातं । यदि लोकाः पार्थिव सन्ति मेऽत्र । यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि स्थिताः । क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये ॥

pṛcchāmi tvāṃ mā prapata prapātaṃ | yadi lokāḥ pārthiva santi me'tra | yadyantarikṣe yadi vā divi sthitāḥ | kṣetrajñaṃ tvāṃ tasya dharmasya manye

I ask you, do not fall headlong: are there worlds for me here, O king, whether in the mid-air or in heaven? I take you to be one who knows that law.

Verse 10 (1.86.10)

यावत्पृथिव्यां विहितं गवाश्वं । सहारण्यैः पशुभिः पार्वतैश्च । तावल्लोका दिवि ते संस्थिता वै । तथा विजानीहि नरेन्द्रसिंह ॥

yāvatpṛthivyāṃ vihitaṃ gavāśvaṃ | sahāraṇyaiḥ paśubhiḥ pārvataiśca | tāvallokā divi te saṃsthitā vai | tathā vijānīhi narendrasiṃha

As many cattle and horses as there are on the earth, together with the beasts of forest and mountain, so many worlds are established for you in heaven. Know this, lion among lords of men.

Verse 11 (1.86.11)

तांस्ते ददामि मा प्रपत प्रपातं । ये मे लोका दिवि राजेन्द्र सन्ति । यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिता- । स्तानाक्रम क्षिप्रमपेतमोहः ॥

tāṃste dadāmi mā prapata prapātaṃ | ye me lokā divi rājendra santi | yadyantarikṣe yadi vā divi śritā- | stānākrama kṣipramapetamohaḥ

I give them to you; do not fall headlong. The worlds that are mine in heaven, king of kings, whether they lie in the mid-air or in heaven, step onto them quickly, free of confusion.

Verse 12 (1.86.12)

नास्मद्विधोऽब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मविच्च । प्रतिग्रहे वर्तते राजमुख्य । यथा प्रदेयं सततं द्विजेभ्य- । स्तथाऽददं पूर्वमहं नरेन्द्र ॥

nāsmadvidho'brāhmaṇo brahmavicca | pratigrahe vartate rājamukhya | yathā pradeyaṃ satataṃ dvijebhya- | stathā'dadaṃ pūrvamahaṃ narendra

No one like me, who is not a brahmin and yet knows brahman, lives by accepting gifts, chief of kings. Just as one should always give to the twice-born, so I gave in the past, lord of men.

Verse 13 (1.86.13)

नाब्राह्मणः कृपणो जातु जीवे- । द्या चाप्यस्याऽब्राह्मणी वीरपत्नी । सोऽहं नैवाकृतपूर्वं चरेयं । विधित्समानः किमु तत्र साधुः ॥

nābrāhmaṇaḥ kṛpaṇo jātu jīve- | dyā cāpyasyā'brāhmaṇī vīrapatnī | so'haṃ naivākṛtapūrvaṃ careyaṃ | vidhitsamānaḥ kimu tatra sādhuḥ

A man who is not a brahmin should never live as a supplicant, nor should his wife, a hero's wife who is not a brahmin. So I would never do what I have not done before; for one intent on acting rightly, what good is there in that?

Verse 14 (1.86.14)

पृच्छामि त्वां स्पृहणीयरूप । प्रतर्दनोऽहं यदि मे सन्ति लोकाः । यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिताः । क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये ॥

pṛcchāmi tvāṃ spṛhaṇīyarūpa | pratardano'haṃ yadi me santi lokāḥ | yadyantarikṣe yadi vā divi śritāḥ | kṣetrajñaṃ tvāṃ tasya dharmasya manye

I ask you, you of enviable form; I am Pratardana. Are there worlds for me, whether in the mid-air or in heaven? I take you to be one who knows that law.

Verse 15 (1.86.15)

सन्ति लोका बहवस्ते नरेन्द्र । अप्येकैकः सप्तसप्ताप्यहानि । मधुच्युतो घृतपृक्ता विशोका- । स्ते नान्तवन्तः प्रतिपालयन्ति ॥

santi lokā bahavaste narendra | apyekaikaḥ saptasaptāpyahāni | madhucyuto ghṛtapṛktā viśokā- | ste nāntavantaḥ pratipālayanti

Many worlds are yours, lord of men, so many that each one would hold you for seven days and seven more. They flow with honey, are rich with ghee and free of sorrow; they are without end, and they await you.

Verse 16 (1.86.16)

तांस्ते ददानि मा प्रपत प्रपातं । ये मे लोकास्तव ते वै भवन्तु । यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिता- । स्तानाक्रम क्षिप्रमपेतमोहः ॥

tāṃste dadāni mā prapata prapātaṃ | ye me lokāstava te vai bhavantu | yadyantarikṣe yadi vā divi śritā- | stānākrama kṣipramapetamohaḥ

I give them to you; do not fall headlong. Let the worlds that are mine be yours. Whether they lie in the mid-air or in heaven, step onto them quickly, free of confusion.

Verse 17 (1.86.17)

न तुल्यतेजाः सुकृतं कामयेत । योगक्षेमं पार्थिव पार्थिवः सन् । दैवादेशादापदं प्राप्य विद्वां- । श्चरेन्नृशंसं न हि जातु राजा ॥

na tulyatejāḥ sukṛtaṃ kāmayeta | yogakṣemaṃ pārthiva pārthivaḥ san | daivādeśādāpadaṃ prāpya vidvāṃ- | ścarennṛśaṃsaṃ na hi jātu rājā

A king of equal splendour should not covet another's merit, O king, nor, being a king himself, look to another for his welfare. A wise king who meets misfortune by the decree of fate should never do anything mean.

Verse 18 (1.86.18)

धर्म्यं मार्गं यतमानो यशस्यं । कुर्यान्नृपो धर्ममवेक्षमाणः । न मद्विधो धर्मबुद्धिः प्रजान- । न्कुर्यादेवं कृपणं मां यथाऽत्थ ॥

dharmyaṃ mārgaṃ yatamāno yaśasyaṃ | kuryānnṛpo dharmamavekṣamāṇaḥ | na madvidho dharmabuddhiḥ prajāna- | nkuryādevaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ māṃ yathā'ttha

Striving on the path that is righteous and glorious, a king should act with his eye on dharma. One like me, whose mind is set on dharma and who knows this, would not do so pitiful a thing as you suggest.

Verse 19 (1.86.19)

कुर्यादपूर्वं न कृतं यदन्यै- । र्विधित्समानः किमु तत्र साधु । धर्माधर्मौ सुविनिश्चित्य सम्य- । क्कार्याकार्येष्वप्रमत्तश्चरेद्यः ॥

kuryādapūrvaṃ na kṛtaṃ yadanyai- | rvidhitsamānaḥ kimu tatra sādhu | dharmādharmau suviniścitya samya- | kkāryākāryeṣvapramattaścaredyaḥ

Should I do something unheard of, which others have never done? For one intent on acting rightly, what good is there in that? He who has clearly settled right and wrong, and moves vigilant among the things that should and should not be done,

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick (wiki mark). Matched by hand: the first two lines are the critical edition 1.87.18ab; the last two are not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints them in its apparatus, 1.87.17*865).

Verse 20 (1.86.20)

स वै धीमान्सत्यसन्धः कृतात्मा । राजा भवेल्लोकपालो महिम्ना । यदा भवेत्संशयो धर्मकार्ये । कामार्थौ वा यत्र विन्दन्ति सम्यक् ॥

sa vai dhīmānsatyasandhaḥ kṛtātmā | rājā bhavellokapālo mahimnā | yadā bhavetsaṃśayo dharmakārye | kāmārthau vā yatra vindanti samyak

he is a wise king, true to his word and self-possessed, a guardian of the world by his greatness. When there is doubt in a matter of dharma, or where desire and gain are both rightly found,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.87.17*865).

Verse 21 (1.86.21)

कार्यं तत्र प्रथमं धर्मकार्यं । यन्नो विरुध्यादर्थकामौ स धर्मः ॥

kāryaṃ tatra prathamaṃ dharmakāryaṃ | yanno virudhyādarthakāmau sa dharmaḥ

there the work of dharma must be done first. That which does not conflict with gain and desire is dharma.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints this and the next verse as one, with the speaker line "वैशंपायन उवाच" and a stray quote mark between them; split at the speaker change and removed the speaker line and mark. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.87.17*865).

Verse 22 (1.86.22)

ब्रुवाणमेवं नृपतिं ययातिं । नृपोत्तमो वसुमानब्रवीत्तम् ॥

bruvāṇamevaṃ nṛpatiṃ yayātiṃ | nṛpottamo vasumānabravīttam

As King Yayati was speaking thus, Vasumanas, best of kings, said to him:

Note on the text: Second half of Wikisource verse 21, printed after the speaker line "वैशंपायन उवाच"; split off as its own verse with Vaishampayana as speaker. Matches the critical edition 1.87.18cd.