अष्टक उवाच कतरस्त्वनयोः पूर्वं देवानामेति सात्मताम्। उभयोर्धावतो राजन् सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरिव॥
Ashtaka said: O king, who does amongst the two, namely the ascetic and the man of knowledge, first attain to the communion with Brahma, although both exerting like the sun and the moon!
ययातिरुवाच अनिकेतो गृहस्थेषु कामवृत्तेषु संयतः। ग्राम एव वसन् भिक्षुस्तयोः पूर्वतरं गतः॥
Yayati said : He who is a man of knowledge and who is self controlled, though living among the householders with various sorts of desires, attains to salvation first.
अवाप्य दीर्घमायुस्तु यः प्राप्तो विकृतिं चरेत्। तप्यते यदि तत् कृत्वा चरेत् सोऽन्यत् तपस्ततः॥
Those that devote themselves to Yoga meditation take time to acquire that knowledge, for by practice alone they divest themselves from the idea of duality.
पापानां कर्मणां नित्यं बिभियाद् यस्तु मानवः। सुखमप्याचरन् नित्यं सोऽत्यन्तं सुखमेधते॥ र्यः सेवतेऽधर्ममनर्थबुद्धिः। स्तदार्जवं स समाधिस्तदार्यम्॥
Then again, if a man devoted to Yoga do not find sufficient time to attain to success in one's one life, he is benefited in his next life by the progress already made. But the man of knowledge ever sees the indestructible Unity, therefore he, though emerged in worldly enjoyments, is never affected in the heart.
अष्टक उवाच केनासि हूतः प्रहितोऽसि राजन् युवा स्रग्वी दर्शनीयः सुवर्चाः। मुताहोस्वित् पार्थिवं स्थानमस्ति॥
Ashtaka said: O king, you are young, you are handsome, you are decorated with celestial garlands, your splendour is great. From what place have you come and where do you go? Whose messenger are you? Are you going to earth?
ययातिरुवाच इमं भौमं नरकं क्षीणपुण्यः प्रवेष्टुमुर्वी गगनाद् विप्रहीणः। उक्त्वाहं वः प्रपतिष्याम्यनन्तरं त्वरन्ति मां लोकपा ब्रह्मणो ये॥
Yayati said : As I have lost my religious virtues, I am falling into the Bhauma,(earth) hell. I shall go there after finishing my talk with you. The Lokapalas are commanding me even now to hasten thither.
स्ते गंगता गुणवन्तस्तु सर्वे। शक्राच लब्धो हि वरो मयैष पतिष्यता भूमितलं नरेन्द्र॥
O king, I have obtained the following boon from Indra. Though I shall fall on earth, yet I shall fall among wise and virtuous men.
अष्टक उवाच पृच्छामि त्वां मा प्रपत प्रपातं यदि लोकाः पार्थिव सन्ति मेऽत्र। यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि स्थिताः क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये॥
Ashtaka said : O king, I believe, you know every thing. I ask you, is there any region for myself either in heaven or in the firmament? If there be any, you shall not fall.
ययातिरुवाच यावत् पृथिव्यां विहितं गवावं सहारण्यैः पशुभिः पार्वतैश्च। तावल्लोका दिवि ते संस्थिता वै तथा विजानीहि नरेन्द्रसिंह॥
Yayati said : O best of kings, there are many regions for you to enjoy in heaven, as many as the kine and horses of earth, as the animals in the wilderness and the hills.
अष्टक उवाच तांस्ते ददामि मा प्रपत प्रपातं ये मे लोका दिवि राजेन्द्र सन्ति स्तानाक्रम क्षिप्रमपेतमोहः॥
Ashtaka said: O king, I give to you all those regions in heaven or in the firmament that are for me to enjoy. Therefore, though falling, you must not fall. Take them soon, wherever they may be, in heaven or in the firmament. Let your sorrow cease.
ययातिरुवाच नास्मद्विधो ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मविच प्रतिग्रहे वर्तते राजमुख्य। स्तथाददं पूर्वमहं नरेन्द्र॥
Yayati said : O best of kings, a Brahma-knowing Brahmana alone can accept gifts and not men like ourselves. O king, I myself have given away (many gifts) to Brahmanas, as I should do.
नाब्राह्मणः कृपणो जातु जीवेद् याच्यापि स्याद् ब्राह्मणी वीरपत्नी। सोऽहं नैवाकृतपूर्वं चरेयं विधिसमानः किमु तत्र साधु॥
Let no man, who is not a Brahmana and no woman who is the wife of a hero, earn infamy by accepting gifts. I have always desired to perform virtuous acts on earth. What I have never done before, how shall I do it now and accept a gift?
प्रतर्दन उवाच पृच्छामि त्वां स्पृहणीयरूप प्रतर्दनोऽहं यदि मे सन्ति लोकाः। यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिताः क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये॥
Pratardana said : O handsome one, I am Pratardana by name. I ask you, is there any region for me in heaven or in the firmament to enjoy as fruits of my virtues? You know everything.
ययातिरुवाच सन्ति लोका बहवस्ते नरेन्द्र अप्येकैकः सप्तसप्ताप्यहानि। स्ते नान्तवन्तः प्रतिपालयन्ति॥
Yayati said : O king, innumerable regions, as effulgent as the solar disc and full of great felicity, await you. If you live only for seven days in each, they will never be exhausted.
प्रतर्दन उवाच तांस्ते ददानि मा प्रपत प्रपातं ये मे लोकास्तव ते वै भवन्तु। स्तानाक्रम क्षिप्रमपेतमोहः॥
Pratardana said : I give to you all of them. Therefore, though falling, you must not fall. Let all the regions for me to enjoy be yours, whether they may be in heaven or in the firmament. Take them soon and let your sorrow cease.
ययातिरुवाच न तुल्यतेजाः सुकृतं कामयेत् योगक्षेमं पार्थिव पार्थिवः सन्। श्चरेनृशंसं न हि जातु राजा॥
Yayati said : O king, no king of equal energy should ever desire to accept in gift the religious merits of another king acquired by Yoga. No king, if wise, should act in a censurable way, though afflicted with calamity.
धर्म्य मार्ग यतमानो यशस्यं कुर्यानृपो धर्ममवेक्षमाणः। न मद्विधो धर्मबुद्धिः प्रजानन् कुर्यादेवं कृपणं मां यथाऽऽत्थ॥
A king should keep his eyes fixed on virtue and walk in the path of piety and thus increase his fame. A virtuous man like me, who know what are his duties, should not act so meanly as you ask me to do.
विधिसमानः किमु तत्र साधु। ब्रुवाणमेनं नृपतिं ययाति नृपोत्तमो वसुमानब्रवीत् तम्॥
When others, desirous of acquiring religious merit, do not accept gifts, how can I do it what they do not? When the best of kings, Yayati, said this, he was thus addressed by Vasuman.