ययातिरुवाच अहं ययातिनहुषस्य पुत्रः पूरोः पिता सर्वभूतावमानात्। प्रभ्रंशितः सुरसिद्धर्षिलोकात् परिच्युतः प्रपताम्यल्पपुण्यः॥
Yayati said : I am Yayati, the son of Nahusha and the father of Puru. I am falling down from the region of the celestials, the Siddhas and the Rishis, for the diminution of my virtues. (I am falling), because I disregarded every creature on earth.
स्तेनाभिवादं भवतां न प्रयुञ्जे। यो विद्यया तसा जन्मना वा वृद्धः स पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम्॥
As I am older than in age, I did not salute you first. He who is older in age or superior in learning or asceticism is revered by Brahmanas.
अष्टक उवाच अवादीस्त्वं वयसा यः प्रवृद्धः स वैराजन् नाभ्यधिकः कथ्यते च। यो विद्यया तपसा सम्प्रवृद्धः स एव पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम्॥
Ashtaka said : O king, you say that he, who is older in years, deserves the respect and reverence of others. But it is said that he is truly worthy of respect is superior in learning and asceticism.
ययातिरुवाच स्तद् वर्ततेऽप्रवणे पापलोक्यम्। सन्तोऽसतां नानुवर्तन्ति चैतद् यथा चैषामनुकूलास्तथाऽऽसन्॥
Yayati said : It is said that sin destroys the merit of all virtuous acts. Vanity contains the element of that which leads to hell. The virtuous never follow the path of the sinful.
अभूद् धनं मे विपुलं गतं तद् विचेष्टमानो नाधिगन्ता तदस्मि। एवं प्रधार्यात्महिते निविष्टो यो वर्तते स विजानाति धीरः॥
They act in a way as to increase their virtue. I myself had great religious merits, but all is now gone. I shall never be able to regain them with my best efforts. He, who will take lesson from my this fate, will be wise and virtueus.
र्यः सर्वविद्यासु विनीतबुद्धिः। वेदानधीत्य तपसाऽऽयोज्य देह दिवं समायात् पुरुषो वीतमोहः॥
He who, having acquired great wealth performs sacrifices, who, having acquired all kinds of learning, remains humble, who, having studied the entire Vedas, devotes himself to asceticism, goes to heaven.
न जातु हृष्येन्महता धनेन वेदानधीयीतानहंकृतः स्यात्। नानाभावा बहवो जीवलोके दैवाधीना नष्टचेष्टाधिकाराः। तत् तत् प्राप्य न विहन्येत धीरो दिष्टं बलीय इति मत्वाऽऽत्मबुद्ध्या॥
No one should be proud of his great wealth; no one should feel exalted, because he has studied the entire Vedas. Men are of different dispositions in the world, but Destiny is supreme. Power and exertion are both futile and useless. Knowing Destiny to be supreme (over all), the wise should neither feel pride nor grief.
सुखं हि जन्तुर्यदि वापि दुःखं दैवाधीनं विन्दते नात्मशक्त्या। तस्माद् दिष्टं बलवन्मन्यमानो न संज्वरेनापि हृष्येत् कथंचित्॥
Remembering that Destiny is supreme (over all), creatures should know that happiness and misery depend on Destiny and not on their own exertion and power.
दुःखैन तप्येन्न सुखैः प्रहृष्येत् समेन वर्तेत सदैव धीरः। दिष्टं बलीय इति मन्यमानो न संज्वरेनापि हृष्येत् कथंचित्॥
The wise should always live contented, without grieving for misery or exalting for happiness. When Destiny is supreme, both grief and exaltation are useless.
भये न मुह्याम्यष्टकाहं कदाचित् संतापो मे मानसो नास्ति कश्चित्। धाता यथा मां विदधीत लोके ध्रुवं तथाहं भवितेति मत्वा॥
O Ashtaka, I never feel terrified with fear, nor do I ever feel grief, for I know that I shall be on earth exactly what the great Ordainer has made me.
संस्वेदजा अण्डजाचोद्भिदश्च सरीसृपाः कृमयोऽथाप्सु मत्स्याः। तथाश्मानस्तृणकाष्ठं च सर्वे दिष्टक्षये स्वां प्रकृतिं भजन्ति॥
The Insects, the worms, all the oviparous creatures, vegetables, crawling animals, vermins, fishes, stones, wood, in fact all created things, are united with the Prakriti when they are freed from their acts.
अनित्यतां सुखदुःखस्य बुद्ध्वा कस्मात् संतापमष्टकाहं भजेयम्। किं कुर्यां वै किं च कृत्वा न तष्ये तस्मात् संतापं वर्जयाम्यप्रमत्तः॥
Happiness and misery are transitory, O Ashtaka, knowing this, why should I grieve? We never know how we are to act to avoid misery. Therefore, grief must be cast off.
वैशम्पयान उवाच मथाष्टकः पुनरेवान्वपृच्छत्। मातामहं सर्वगुणोपपन्नं तत्र स्थितं स्वर्गलोके यथावत्॥
Vaishampayana said: King Yayati, possessed of every accomplishment, who was the maternal grand father of Ashtaka, was again asked by him to tell him the account of his living in heaven.
अष्टक उवाच स्त्वया भुक्ता यं च कालं यथावत्। तान् मे राजन् ब्रूहि सर्वान यथावत् क्षेत्रज्ञवद् भावसे त्वं हि धर्मान्॥
Ashtaka said: O king of the world, tell me in detail the account of all those regions which you have visited and in which you passed your time in bliss. (Tell me also) the period for which you thus lived.
ययातिरुवाच स्ततो लोकान् महतश्चाजयं वै। तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमानं ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः॥
Yayati said: I was a great king on earth, ruling over the whole world as my kingdom. I acquired many high regions by my religious merits. I lived full one thousand years on earth and then I ascended to a very high region.
ततः पुरीं पुरुहूतस्य रम्यां सहस्रद्वारां शतयोजनायताम्। अध्यावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्र ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः॥
It is the abode of Indra. It is very beautiful; it has one thousand gates and it extends one hundred Yojanas all around. Here lived I for another one thousand years. And then I ascended to a higher region.
ततो दिव्यमजरं प्राप्य लोकं प्रजापतेर्लोकपते१रापम्। तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमानं ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः॥
This is the region of supreme beatitude, the abode of the Prajapati, the lord of the earth, a region very difficult to attain. Here lived I for another on thousand years. And I then ascended to a higher region.
स देवदेवस्य निवेशने च विहत्य लोकानवसं यथेष्टम्। स्तुल्यप्रभावद्युतिरीश्वराणाम्॥
It is the abode of the god of gods, (Vishnu), where I lived for many years in supreme bliss. I have lived in various regions and I was adored by the celestials and I possessed splendour and prowess like the celestial.
तथावसं नन्दने कामरूपी संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम्। सहाप्सरोभिर्विहरन् पुण्यगन्धान् पश्यन् नगान् पुष्पितांश्चारुरूपान्॥
I was capable of assuming any form at will; I sported for many millions of years with the Apsaras in the gardens of Nandana, under innumerable beautiful trees clad in flowery garb and spreading delicious perfume.
तत्र स्थितं मां देवसुखेषु सक्तं कालेऽतीते महति ततोऽतिमात्रम्। दूतो देवानामब्रवीदुग्ररूपो ध्वंसेत्युचैस्त्रिः प्लुतेन स्वरेण॥
I lived there in celestial happiness for many years, when a celestial messenger of grim visage thrice shouted to me in a loud and deep voice, “Ruined, Ruined, Ruined."
एतावन्मे विदितं राजसिंह ततो भ्रष्टोऽहं नन्दनात् क्षीणपुण्यः। वाचोऽश्रौषं चान्तरिक्षे सुराणां सानुक्रोशाः शोचतां मां नरेन्द्र॥
O best of kings, this much I remember that I fell from Nandana and all my religious merits were gone. O king of men, I heard the voices of the celestials in the sky exclaiming in grief.
अहो कष्टं क्षीणपुण्यो ययाति: पतत्यसौ पुण्यकृत् पुण्यकीर्तिः। तानब्रुवं पतमानस्ततोऽहं सतां मध्ये निपतेयं कथं नु॥
"What misfortune! The virtuous and meritorious Yayati is falling! His all religious merits are destroyed!” And when I was falling, I asked them, “Where are those wise ones amongst whom am I to fall?"
तैराख्याता भवतां यज्ञभूमिः समीक्ष्य चेमां त्वरितमुपागतोऽस्मि। धूमापाङ्गं प्रतिगृह्य प्रतीतः॥
They pointed out to me this sacred sacrificial region belonging to you. I am hastily coming to this your sacrificial ground, seeing the curls of smoke that rise from the sacrificial fire and blacken the sky. I smelt the perfume of the sacrificial ghee.