Yayati Refuses to Leave His Body

Verse 1 (padma.2.72.1)

पिप्पल उवाच- मातलेश्च वचः श्रुत्वा स राजा नहुषात्मजः । किं चकार महाप्राज्ञस्तन्मे विस्तरतो वद

pippala uvāca- mātaleśca vacaḥ śrutvā sa rājā nahuṣātmajaḥ kiṁ cakāra mahāprājñastanme vistarato vada

Pippala said: "Having heard Matali's words, what did that wise king, son of Nahusha, do? Tell me that in full."

Verse 2 (padma.2.72.2)

सर्वपुण्यमयी पुण्या कथेयं पापनाशिनी । श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं प्राज्ञ नैव तृप्यामि सर्वदा

sarvapuṇyamayī puṇyā katheyaṁ pāpanāśinī śrotumicchāmyahaṁ prājña naiva tṛpyāmi sarvadā

"This whole story is wholly auspicious and destroys sin; I wish to hear it, O wise one - I am never satisfied by it."

Verse 3 (padma.2.72.3)

सुकर्मोवाच- सर्वधर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठो ययातिर्नृपसत्तमः । तमुवाचागतं दूतं मातलिं शक्रसारथिम्

sukarmovāca- sarvadharmabhṛtāṁ śreṣṭho yayātirnṛpasattamaḥ tamuvācāgataṁ dūtaṁ mātaliṁ śakrasārathim

Sukarma said: "Yayati, foremost of all upholders of dharma, best among kings, spoke thus to Matali, Indra's charioteer, who had come as a messenger."

Verse 4 (padma.2.72.4)

ययातिरुवाच- शरीरं नैव त्यक्ष्यामि गमिष्ये न दिवं पुनः । शरीरेण विना दूत पार्थिवेन न संशयः

yayātiruvāca- śarīraṁ naiva tyakṣyāmi gamiṣye na divaṁ punaḥ śarīreṇa vinā dūta pārthivena na saṁśayaḥ

Yayati said: "I will never give up this body, nor will I go again to heaven. Without an earthly body, O messenger, I will not go - of this there is no doubt."

Verse 5 (padma.2.72.5)

यद्यप्येवं महादोषाः कायस्यैव प्रकीर्तिताः । पूर्वं चापि समाख्यातं त्वया सर्वं गुणागुणम्

yadyapyevaṁ mahādoṣāḥ kāyasyaiva prakīrtitāḥ pūrvaṁ cāpi samākhyātaṁ tvayā sarvaṁ guṇāguṇam

"Though great faults have indeed been declared of the body, and you yourself earlier told me all its merits and demerits -"

Verse 6 (padma.2.72.6)

नाहं त्यक्ष्ये शरीरं वै नागमिष्ये दिवं पुनः । इत्याचक्ष्व इतो गत्वा देवदेवं पुरंदरम्

nāhaṁ tyakṣye śarīraṁ vai nāgamiṣye divaṁ punaḥ ityācakṣva ito gatvā devadevaṁ puraṁdaram

"- I will not abandon this body, nor will I go again to heaven. Go from here and tell this to the god of gods, Purandara."

Verse 7 (padma.2.72.7)

एकाकिना हि जीवेन कायेनापि महामते । नैव सिद्धिं प्रयात्येवं सांसारिकमिहैव हि

ekākinā hi jīvena kāyenāpi mahāmate naiva siddhiṁ prayātyevaṁ sāṁsārikamihaiva hi

"For the soul alone, O wise one, even with a body, worldly attainment in this world is never reached without it."

Verse 8 (padma.2.72.8)

नैव प्राणं विना कायो जीवः कायं विना नहि । उभयोश्चापि मित्रत्वं नयिष्ये नाशमिंद्र न

naiva prāṇaṁ vinā kāyo jīvaḥ kāyaṁ vinā nahi ubhayoścāpi mitratvaṁ nayiṣye nāśamiṁdra na

"The body cannot exist without the life-breath, nor the soul without the body; between the two there is a bond of friendship - O Indra, I will not let it come to ruin."

Verse 9 (padma.2.72.9)

यस्य प्रसादभावाद्वै सुखमश्नाति केवलम् । शरीरस्याप्ययं प्राणो भोगानन्यान्मनोनुगान्

yasya prasādabhāvādvai sukhamaśnāti kevalam śarīrasyāpyayaṁ prāṇo bhogānanyānmanonugān

"That very life-breath by whose grace happiness alone is enjoyed belongs to the body, along with the other pleasures that follow the mind."

Verse 10 (padma.2.72.10)

एवं ज्ञात्वा स्वर्गभोग्यं न भोज्यं देवदूतक । संभवंति महादुष्टा व्याधयो दुःखदायकाः

evaṁ jñātvā svargabhogyaṁ na bhojyaṁ devadūtaka saṁbhavaṁti mahāduṣṭā vyādhayo duḥkhadāyakāḥ

"Knowing this, O messenger of the gods, heavenly enjoyment is not truly worth having; there too great and terrible diseases arise, bringers of suffering."

Verse 11 (padma.2.72.11)

मातले किल्बिषाच्चैव जरादोषात्प्रजायते । पश्य मे पुण्यसंयुक्तं कायं षोडशवार्षिकम्

mātale kilbiṣāccaiva jarādoṣātprajāyate paśya me puṇyasaṁyuktaṁ kāyaṁ ṣoḍaśavārṣikam

"O Matali, disease is born of sin and of the fault of old age. Behold this body of mine, blessed with merit - it is like that of a sixteen-year-old."

Verse 12 (padma.2.72.12)

जन्मप्रभृति मे कायः शतार्धाब्दं प्रयाति च । तथापि नूतनो भावः कायस्यापि प्रजायते

janmaprabhṛti me kāyaḥ śatārdhābdaṁ prayāti ca tathāpi nūtano bhāvaḥ kāyasyāpi prajāyate

"From birth this body of mine has passed through fifty years, and yet a fresh newness keeps arising in it again."

Verse 13 (padma.2.72.13)

मम कालो गतो दूत अब्दा प्रनंत्यमनुत्तमम् । यथा षोडशवर्षस्य कायः पुंसः प्रशोभते

mama kālo gato dūta abdā pranaṁtyamanuttamam yathā ṣoḍaśavarṣasya kāyaḥ puṁsaḥ praśobhate

"O messenger, my time has passed through countless years beyond number; yet just as the body of a sixteen-year-old man shines forth -"

Verse 14 (padma.2.72.14)

तथा मे शोभते देहो बलवीर्यसमन्वितः । नैव ग्लानिर्न मे हानिर्न श्रमो व्याधयो जरा

tathā me śobhate deho balavīryasamanvitaḥ naiva glānirna me hānirna śramo vyādhayo jarā

"- so my body too shines, endowed with strength and vigor. There is no weariness in me, no decline, no fatigue, no disease, no old age."

Verse 15 (padma.2.72.15)

मातले मम कायेपि धर्मोत्साहेन वर्द्धते । सर्वामृतमयं दिव्यमौषधं परमौषधम्

mātale mama kāyepi dharmotsāhena varddhate sarvāmṛtamayaṁ divyamauṣadhaṁ paramauṣadham

"O Matali, even in my body it is the zeal of dharma that brings growth. That dharma is itself the wholly ambrosial, divine, supreme medicine."

Verse 16 (padma.2.72.16)

पापव्याधिप्रणाशार्थं धर्माख्यं हि कृतम्पुरा । तेन मे शोधितः कायो गतदोषस्तु जायते

pāpavyādhipraṇāśārthaṁ dharmākhyaṁ hi kṛtampurā tena me śodhitaḥ kāyo gatadoṣastu jāyate

"This medicine called dharma was made in ancient times for the very destruction of the disease of sin; by it my body is purified and becomes free of fault."

Verse 17 (padma.2.72.17)

हृषीकेशस्य संध्यानं नामोच्चारणमुत्तमम् । एतद्रसायनं दूत नित्यमेवं करोम्यहम्

hṛṣīkeśasya saṁdhyānaṁ nāmoccāraṇamuttamam etadrasāyanaṁ dūta nityamevaṁ karomyaham

"Meditation on Hrishikesha and the supreme utterance of his name - this, O messenger, is the elixir I practice always."

Verse 18 (padma.2.72.18)

तेन मे व्याधयो दोषाः पापाद्याः प्रलयं गताः । विद्यमाने हि संसारे कृष्णनाम्नि महौषधे

tena me vyādhayo doṣāḥ pāpādyāḥ pralayaṁ gatāḥ vidyamāne hi saṁsāre kṛṣṇanāmni mahauṣadhe

"By this my afflictions, sinful faults, and diseases have gone to destruction. Yet even while the great medicine that is Krishna's name exists in this world -"

Verse 19 (padma.2.72.19)

मानवा मरणं यांति पापव्याधि प्रपीडिताः । न पिबंति महामूढाः कृष्ण नाम रसायनम्

mānavā maraṇaṁ yāṁti pāpavyādhi prapīḍitāḥ na pibaṁti mahāmūḍhāḥ kṛṣṇa nāma rasāyanam

"- men still meet death, afflicted by sin and disease, because in their great folly they do not drink the elixir that is Krishna's name."

Verse 20 (padma.2.72.20)

तेन ध्यानेन ज्ञानेन पूजाभावेन मातले । सत्येन दानपुण्येन मम कायो निरामयः

tena dhyānena jñānena pūjābhāvena mātale satyena dānapuṇyena mama kāyo nirāmayaḥ

"O Matali, through that meditation, that knowledge, that spirit of worship, through truth and through meritorious giving, my body remains free of illness."

Verse 21 (padma.2.72.21)

पापर्द्धेरामयाः पीडाः प्रभवंति शरीरिणः । पीडाभ्यो जायते मृत्युः प्राणिनां नात्र संशयः

pāparddherāmayāḥ pīḍāḥ prabhavaṁti śarīriṇaḥ pīḍābhyo jāyate mṛtyuḥ prāṇināṁ nātra saṁśayaḥ

"It is from the growth of sin that diseases and afflictions arise in embodied beings; from affliction comes death for creatures - of this there is no doubt."

Verse 22 (padma.2.72.22)

तस्माद्धर्मः प्रकर्तव्यः पुण्यसत्याश्रयैर्नरैः । पंचभूतात्मकः कायः शिरासंधिविजर्जरः

tasmāddharmaḥ prakartavyaḥ puṇyasatyāśrayairnaraiḥ paṁcabhūtātmakaḥ kāyaḥ śirāsaṁdhivijarjaraḥ

"Therefore men who take refuge in merit and truth must practice dharma. This body, made of the five elements, is ever fragile at the joints of its sinews -"

Verse 23 (padma.2.72.23)

एवं संधीकृतो मर्त्यो हेमकारीव टंकणैः । तत्र भाति महानग्निर्द्धातुरेव चरः सदा

evaṁ saṁdhīkṛto martyo hemakārīva ṭaṁkaṇaiḥ tatra bhāti mahānagnirddhātureva caraḥ sadā

"Thus jointed together, this mortal body is like metal soldered by a goldsmith; within it a great, ever-moving fire itself shines forth as its very substance."

Verse 24 (padma.2.72.24)

शतखंडमये विप्र यः संधत्ते सबुद्धिमान् । हरेर्नाम्ना च दिव्येन सौभाग्येनापि पिप्पल

śatakhaṁḍamaye vipra yaḥ saṁdhatte sabuddhimān harernāmnā ca divyena saubhāgyenāpi pippala

"O brahmin Pippala, whatever wise man holds together this body of a hundred fragments through the divine name of Hari, and through good fortune -"

Verse 25 (padma.2.72.25)

पंचात्मका हि ये खंडाः शतसंधिविजर्जराः । तेन संधारिताः सर्वे कायो धातुसमो भवेत्

paṁcātmakā hi ye khaṁḍāḥ śatasaṁdhivijarjarāḥ tena saṁdhāritāḥ sarve kāyo dhātusamo bhavet

"- those fragments, each made of the five elements, worn thin by their hundred joints, are all held together by that alone, and the body becomes like a refined metal."

Verse 26 (padma.2.72.26)

हरेः पूजोपचारेण ध्यानेन नियमेन च । सत्यभावेन दानेन नूत्नः कायो विजायते

hareḥ pūjopacāreṇa dhyānena niyamena ca satyabhāvena dānena nūtnaḥ kāyo vijāyate

"Through worshipful service of Hari, through meditation, through discipline, through a spirit of truth and through giving, the body becomes renewed."

Verse 27 (padma.2.72.27)

दोषा नश्यंति कायस्य व्याधयः शृणु मातले । बाह्याभ्यंतरशौचं हि दुर्गंधिर्नैव जायते

doṣā naśyaṁti kāyasya vyādhayaḥ śṛṇu mātale bāhyābhyaṁtaraśaucaṁ hi durgaṁdhirnaiva jāyate

"Listen, O Matali - the faults and diseases of the body are destroyed; through purity within and without, foul odor never arises."

Verse 28 (padma.2.72.28)

शुचिस्ततो भवेत्सूत प्रसादात्तस्य चक्रिणः । नाहं स्वर्गं गमिष्यामि स्वर्गमत्र करोम्यहम्

śucistato bhavetsūta prasādāttasya cakriṇaḥ nāhaṁ svargaṁ gamiṣyāmi svargamatra karomyaham

"Then, O Suta, by the grace of him who bears the discus, one becomes pure. I will not go to heaven - I shall make heaven right here."

Verse 29 (padma.2.72.29)

तपसा चैव भावेन स्वधर्मेण महीतलम् । स्वर्गरूपं करिष्यामि प्रसादात्तस्य चक्रिणः

tapasā caiva bhāvena svadharmeṇa mahītalam svargarūpaṁ kariṣyāmi prasādāttasya cakriṇaḥ

"Through austerity, through devotion, and through my own dharma, I shall make this earth heaven-like, by the grace of him who bears the discus."

Verse 30 (padma.2.72.30)

एवं ज्ञात्वा प्रयाहि त्वं कथयस्व पुरंदरम् । सुकर्मोवाच- समाकर्ण्य ततः सूतो नृपतेः परिभाषितम्

evaṁ jñātvā prayāhi tvaṁ kathayasva puraṁdaram sukarmovāca- samākarṇya tataḥ sūto nṛpateḥ paribhāṣitam

"Knowing this, go now, and tell this to Purandara." Sukarma said: "Having heard the king's words, Matali then -"

Verse 31 (padma.2.72.31)

आशीर्भिरभिनंद्याथ आमंत्र्य नृपतिं गतः । सर्वं निवेदयामास इंद्राय च महात्मने

āśīrbhirabhinaṁdyātha āmaṁtrya nṛpatiṁ gataḥ sarvaṁ nivedayāmāsa iṁdrāya ca mahātmane

"- honored him with blessings, and having taken leave of the king, departed; he reported everything to the great Indra."

Verse 32 (padma.2.72.32)

समाकर्ण्य सहस्राक्षो ययातेस्तु महात्मनः । तस्याथ चिंतयामासानयनार्थं दिवं प्रति

samākarṇya sahasrākṣo yayātestu mahātmanaḥ tasyātha ciṁtayāmāsānayanārthaṁ divaṁ prati

"Having heard this concerning the great-souled Yayati, the thousand-eyed Indra then pondered how to bring him to heaven."