Yayati's Fall and Madhavi's Gift of Merit

Verse 1 (5.121.1)

अथ प्रचलितः स्थानादासनाच्च परिच्युतः । कम्पितेनेव मनसा धर्षितः शोकवह्निना ॥

atha pracalitaḥ sthānādāsanācca paricyutaḥ | kampiteneva manasā dharṣitaḥ śokavahninā

Then, shaken from his place and fallen from his seat, his mind as if trembling, he was overwhelmed by the fire of grief.

Note on the text: Corrected शेकवाह्निना → शोकवह्निना (misprint in Wikisource; "by the fire of grief", as in the critical edition).

Verse 2 (5.121.2)

म्लानस्रग्भ्रष्टविज्ञानः प्रभ्रष्टमुकुटाङ्गदः । विघूर्णन्स्रस्तसर्वाङ्गः प्रभ्रष्टाभरणाम्बरः ॥

mlānasragbhraṣṭavijñānaḥ prabhraṣṭamukuṭāṅgadaḥ | vighūrṇansrastasarvāṅgaḥ prabhraṣṭābharaṇāmbaraḥ

His garland withered, his wits gone, his crown and armlets fallen, reeling, every limb slack, his ornaments and garments slipping away,

Verse 3 (5.121.3)

अदृश्यमानस्तान्पश्यन्नपश्यंश्च पुनः पुनः । शून्यः शून्येन मनसा प्रपतिष्यन्महीतलम् ॥

adṛśyamānastānpaśyannapaśyaṃśca punaḥ punaḥ | śūnyaḥ śūnyena manasā prapatiṣyanmahītalam

unseen himself, now seeing them and now not seeing them, again and again, empty, with an empty mind, about to fall to the surface of the earth,

Verse 4 (5.121.4)

किं मया मनसा ध्यातमशुभं धर्मदूषणम् । येनाहं चलितः स्थानादिति राजा व्यचिन्तयत् ॥

kiṃ mayā manasā dhyātamaśubhaṃ dharmadūṣaṇam | yenāhaṃ calitaḥ sthānāditi rājā vyacintayat

the king thought: "What evil, what offence against dharma, have I harboured in my mind, that I am shaken from my place?"

Verse 5 (5.121.5)

ते तु तत्रैव राजानः सिद्धाश्चाप्सरसस्तथा । अपश्यन्त निरालम्बं तं ययातिं परिच्युतम् ॥

te tu tatraiva rājānaḥ siddhāścāpsarasastathā | apaśyanta nirālambaṃ taṃ yayātiṃ paricyutam

The kings there, the siddhas and the apsaras all saw Yayati fallen, without any support.

Verse 6 (5.121.6)

अथैत्य पुरुषः कश्चित्क्षीणपुण्यनिपातकः । ययातिमब्रवीद्राजन्देवराजस्य शासनात् ॥

athaitya puruṣaḥ kaścitkṣīṇapuṇyanipātakaḥ | yayātimabravīdrājandevarājasya śāsanāt

Then a certain man came, one who casts down those whose merit is spent, and at the command of the king of the gods he spoke to Yayati, O king:

Note on the text: Corrected द्रेवराजस्य → देवराजस्य (misprint in Wikisource; stray conjunct).

Verse 7 (5.121.7)

अतीव मदमत्तस्त्वं न कंचिन्नावमन्यसे । मानेन भ्रष्टः स्वर्गस्ते नार्हस्त्वं पार्थिवात्मज ॥

atīva madamattastvaṃ na kaṃcinnāvamanyase | mānena bhraṣṭaḥ svargaste nārhastvaṃ pārthivātmaja

You are exceedingly drunk with pride; there is no one you do not despise. Through your pride you have lost heaven; you are not worthy of it, son of a king.

Note on the text: Speaker: the messenger's whole-verse speech has no heading on the page; the input carried नारद (the page's synopsis calls him इन्द्रदूत). Matches CE 5.119.7ab–cd; Wikisource divides CE 5.119.7–11 into five couplets (vv. 7–11) and v. 12.

Verse 8 (5.121.8)

न च प्रज्ञायसे गच्छ पतस्वेति तमब्रवीत् । पतेयं सत्स्विति वचस्त्रिरुक्त्वा नहुषात्मजः ॥

na ca prajñāyase gaccha patasveti tamabravīt | pateyaṃ satsviti vacastriruktvā nahuṣātmajaḥ

"You are not recognised here. Go — fall!" So he said to him. Nahusha's son cried three times, "May I fall among the good,"

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.7ef and 5.119.8ab. Corrected त्रिरुत्त्का → त्रिरुक्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; as in the critical edition).

Verse 9 (5.121.9)

पतिष्यंश्चिन्तयामास गतिं गतिमतां वरः । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु नैमिषे पार्थिवर्षभान् ॥

patiṣyaṃścintayāmāsa gatiṃ gatimatāṃ varaḥ | etasminneva kāle tu naimiṣe pārthivarṣabhān

and as he fell, that best of those who know the path pondered where he would go. At that very moment, in the Naimisha forest, he beheld bulls among kings —

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.8cd and 5.119.9ab. Corrected पतिष्यंन्तयामास → पतिष्यंश्चिन्तयामास (misprint in Wikisource; dropped aksharas, restored as in the critical edition).

Verse 10 (5.121.10)

चतुरोऽपश्यत नृपस्तेषां मध्ये पपात ह । प्रतर्दनो वसुमनाः शिबिरौशीनरोऽष्टकः ॥

caturo'paśyata nṛpasteṣāṃ madhye papāta ha | pratardano vasumanāḥ śibirauśīnaro'ṣṭakaḥ

four of them the king saw, and he fell in their midst: Pratardana, Vasumanas, Shibi the son of Ushinara, and Ashtaka.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.9cd and 5.119.10ab.

Verse 11 (5.121.11)

वाजपेयेन यज्ञेन तर्पयन्ति सुरेश्वरम् । तेषामध्वरजं धूमं स्वर्गद्वारमुपस्थितम् ॥

vājapeyena yajñena tarpayanti sureśvaram | teṣāmadhvarajaṃ dhūmaṃ svargadvāramupasthitam

They were gratifying the lord of the gods with a Vajapeya sacrifice. The smoke rising from their sacrifice had reached the gate of heaven;

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.10cd and 5.119.11ab.

Verse 12 (5.121.12)

ययातिरुपजिघ्रन्वै निपपात महीं प्रति । भूमौ स्वर्गे च संबद्धां नदीं धूममयीमिव । गङ्गां गामिव गच्छन्तीमालम्ब्य जगतीपतिः ॥

yayātirupajighranvai nipapāta mahīṃ prati | bhūmau svarge ca saṃbaddhāṃ nadīṃ dhūmamayīmiva | gaṅgāṃ gāmiva gacchantīmālambya jagatīpatiḥ

breathing it in, Yayati fell toward the earth. Holding on to that river as it were of smoke that joined earth and heaven, flowing down like the Ganga to the earth, the lord of the world came down.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.11cd and 5.119.12 (Wikisource reads नदीं धूममयीमिव / गङ्गां गामिव for the CE's nadīṃ dhūmamayīṃ nṛpaḥ / sa gaṅgām iva).

Verse 13 (5.121.13)

श्रीमत्स्ववभृथाग्र्येषु चतुर्षु प्रतिबन्धुषु । मध्ये निपतितो राजा लोकपालोपमेषु सः ॥

śrīmatsvavabhṛthāgryeṣu caturṣu pratibandhuṣu | madhye nipatito rājā lokapālopameṣu saḥ

The king fell in the midst of those four, his own kin, radiant after the closing bath of their foremost sacrifice, like the guardians of the world.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width non-joiner inside ग्र्ये (encoding artefact in Wikisource).

Verse 14 (5.121.14)

चतुर्षु हुतकल्पेषु राजसिंहमहाग्निषु । पपात मध्ये राजर्षिर्ययातिः पुण्यसङ्क्षये ॥

caturṣu hutakalpeṣu rājasiṃhamahāgniṣu | papāta madhye rājarṣiryayātiḥ puṇyasaṅkṣaye

Among those four lions among kings, blazing like great fires fed with oblations, the royal sage Yayati fell, his merit exhausted.

Verse 15 (5.121.15)

तमाहुः पार्थिवाः सर्वे दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया । को भवान्कस्य वा बन्धुर्देशस्य नगरस्य वा ॥

tamāhuḥ pārthivāḥ sarve dīpyamānamiva śriyā | ko bhavānkasya vā bandhurdeśasya nagarasya vā

All the kings said to him, who seemed to blaze with splendour: "Who are you? Whose kinsman are you, of what land or city?"

Verse 16 (5.121.16)

यक्षो वाऽप्यथवा देवो गन्धर्वो राक्षसोऽपि वा । न हि मानुषरूपोसि कोवार्थः काङ्क्ष्यते त्वया ॥

yakṣo vā'pyathavā devo gandharvo rākṣaso'pi vā | na hi mānuṣarūposi kovārthaḥ kāṅkṣyate tvayā

Are you a yaksha, or a god, a gandharva or a rakshasa? For you do not have a human form. What purpose do you seek?

Note on the text: Speaker: the kings' whole-verse question continues v. 15 without a heading on the page; the input carried नारद.

Verse 17 (5.121.17)

ययातिरस्मि राजर्षिः क्षीणपुण्यश्च्युतो दिवः । पतेयं सत्स्विति ध्यायन्भवत्सु पतितस्ततः ॥

yayātirasmi rājarṣiḥ kṣīṇapuṇyaścyuto divaḥ | pateyaṃ satsviti dhyāyanbhavatsu patitastataḥ

I am Yayati, a royal sage, fallen from heaven because my merit is spent. Thinking, "May I fall among the good," I have fallen among you.

Verse 18 (5.121.18)

सत्यमेतद्भवतु ते काङ्क्षितं पुरुषर्षभ । सर्वेषां नः क्रतुफलं धर्मश्च प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥

satyametadbhavatu te kāṅkṣitaṃ puruṣarṣabha | sarveṣāṃ naḥ kratuphalaṃ dharmaśca pratigṛhyatām

May this wish of yours come true, bull among men. Accept the fruit of the sacrifices of all of us, and our merit.

Verse 19 (5.121.19)

नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो ह्यहम् । न च मे प्रवणा बुद्धिः परपुण्यविनाशने ॥

nāhaṃ pratigrahadhano brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo hyaham | na ca me pravaṇā buddhiḥ parapuṇyavināśane

I am no brahmin whose wealth is in receiving gifts; I am a kshatriya. Nor is my mind inclined to destroy the merit of others.

Note on the text: Corrected क्षत्रियोऽह्यहम् → क्षत्रियो ह्यहम् (misprint in Wikisource; stray avagraha, as in the critical edition).

Verse 20 (5.121.20)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगचर्याक्रमागताम् । माधवीं प्रेक्ष्य राजानस्तेऽभिवाद्येदमब्रुवन् ॥

etasminneva kāle tu mṛgacaryākramāgatām | mādhavīṃ prekṣya rājānaste'bhivādyedamabruvan

At that very moment Madhavi arrived in the course of her wanderings as a deer. Seeing her, the kings saluted her and said:

Verse 21 (5.121.21)

किमागमनकृत्यं ते किं कुर्मः शासनं तव । आज्ञाप्या हि वयं सर्वे तव पुत्रास्तपोधने ॥

kimāgamanakṛtyaṃ te kiṃ kurmaḥ śāsanaṃ tava | ājñāpyā hi vayaṃ sarve tava putrāstapodhane

What brings you here? What command of yours shall we carry out? We are all yours to command, for we are your sons, rich in austerity.

Note on the text: Speaker: the kings' whole-verse speech has no heading on the page; the input carried नारद.

Verse 22 (5.121.22)

तेषां तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा माधवी परया मुदा । पितरं समुपागच्छद्ययातिं सा ववन्द च ॥

teṣāṃ tadbhāṣitaṃ śrutvā mādhavī parayā mudā | pitaraṃ samupāgacchadyayātiṃ sā vavanda ca

Hearing what they said, Madhavi went with great joy to her father Yayati and saluted him.

Verse 23 (5.121.23)

स्पृष्ट्वा मूर्धनि तान्पुत्रांस्तापसी वाक्यमब्रवीत् । दौहित्रास्तव राजेन्द्र मम पुत्रा न ते पराः ॥

spṛṣṭvā mūrdhani tānputrāṃstāpasī vākyamabravīt | dauhitrāstava rājendra mama putrā na te parāḥ

Touching her sons on the head, the ascetic woman spoke: "These are your daughter's sons, king of kings; they are my sons, and no strangers to you."

Note on the text: Matches CE 5.119.23ab–cd (Wikisource स्पृष्ट्वा मूर्धनि for the CE's dṛṣṭvā mūrdhnā natān); Wikisource divides CE 5.119.23–27 into couplets differently (vv. 23–27).

Verse 24 (5.121.24)

इमे त्वां तारयिष्यन्ति दिष्टमेतत्पुरातनम् । अहं ते दुहिता राजन्माधवी मृगचारिणी ॥

ime tvāṃ tārayiṣyanti diṣṭametatpurātanam | ahaṃ te duhitā rājanmādhavī mṛgacāriṇī

They will save you; this was ordained long ago. I am your daughter, O king, Madhavi, who lives among the deer.

Note on the text: Speaker: Madhavi's whole-verse speech (vv. 24–26a) has no heading on the page; the input carried नारद. Corresponds to CE 5.119.23ef and 5.119.24ab.

Verse 25 (5.121.25)

मयाऽप्युपचितो धर्मस्ततोऽर्धं प्रतिगृह्यताम् । यस्माद्राजन्नराः सर्वे अपत्यफलभागिनः ॥

mayā'pyupacito dharmastato'rdhaṃ pratigṛhyatām | yasmādrājannarāḥ sarve apatyaphalabhāginaḥ

I too have stored up merit; accept half of it. Since all men, O king, share in the fruit of their offspring,

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.24cd and 5.119.25ab.

Verse 26 (5.121.26)

तस्मादिच्छन्ति दौहित्रान्यथा त्वं वसुधाधिप ॥

tasmādicchanti dauhitrānyathā tvaṃ vasudhādhipa

therefore they long for daughter's sons, as you did, lord of the earth.

Note on the text: Split: the page prints the heading "नारद उवाच" between 26a and 26b, so v. 26 is divided at it; this first half (26a) is Madhavi's. Corresponds to CE 5.119.25cd.

Verse 27 (5.121.27)

ततस्ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे शिरसा जननीं तदा ॥

tataste pārthivāḥ sarve śirasā jananīṃ tadā

Then all those kings bowed their heads to their mother,

Note on the text: Split: second half (26b) of v. 26, after the page's heading "नारद उवाच". Corresponds to CE 5.119.26ab.

Verse 28 (5.121.28)

अभिवाद्य नमस्कृत्य मातामहमथाब्रुवन् । उच्चैरनुपमैः स्निग्धैः स्वरैरापूर्य मेदिनीम् । मातामहं नृपतयस्तारयन्तो दिवश्च्युतम् ॥

abhivādya namaskṛtya mātāmahamathābruvan | uccairanupamaiḥ snigdhaiḥ svarairāpūrya medinīm | mātāmahaṃ nṛpatayastārayanto divaścyutam

saluted her and paid her homage, and then spoke to their grandfather. With loud, matchless, loving voices that filled the earth, the kings called to their grandfather, fallen from heaven, to raise him up:

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.119.26cd and 5.119.27.

Verse 29 (5.121.29)

राजधर्मगुणोपेताः सत्यधर्मगुणान्विताः । दौहित्रास्ते वयं राजन्दिवमारोह पार्थिव ॥

rājadharmaguṇopetāḥ satyadharmaguṇānvitāḥ | dauhitrāste vayaṃ rājandivamāroha pārthiva

Endowed with the virtues of a king's duty, possessed of the virtues of truth and dharma, we are your daughter's sons, O king. Ascend to heaven, lord of the earth.

Note on the text: The heading "राजान ऊचुः" had slipped into the text; made it the speaker and removed the stray wiki quote marks (the page prints this verse and its heading between ` and ' as an inserted passage). In the critical edition this verse stands only at 5.120.18, the close of the next adhyaya (= Wikisource 122.18, which repeats it with सर्वधर्म° for सत्यधर्म°).

Verse 30 (5.121.30)

अथाकस्मादुपगतो गालवोऽप्याह पार्थिवम् । तपसो मेऽष्टभागेन स्वर्गमारोहतां भवान् ॥

athākasmādupagato gālavo'pyāha pārthivam | tapaso me'ṣṭabhāgena svargamārohatāṃ bhavān

Then Galava too arrived unexpectedly and said to the king: "With an eighth part of my austerity, may you ascend to heaven."

Note on the text: The heading "नारद उवाच" (with a stray closing quote mark) had slipped into the text; made it the speaker.