BHAGAVAT-YANA PARVA: Chapter 121

Turning out from heaven of Yayati

नारद उवाच अथ प्रचलितः स्थानादासनाच्च परिच्युतः। कम्पितेनेव मनसा धर्षितः शोकवह्निना॥
Narada said Being thus turned out from his place in heaven) and deprived of his seat there, his heart trembling and consumed by the fire of grief.

म्लानस्रग्भ्रष्टविज्ञानः प्रभ्रष्टमुकुटाङ्गदः। विघूर्णन् स्रस्तसर्वाङ्गः प्रभ्रष्टाभरणाम्बरः॥
With his garlands rendered pale, his senses taking leave of him, deprived of his crown and other ornaments, with his head reeling and his entire body relaxed and robbed of his robes and ornaments,

अदृश्यमानस्तान् पश्यन्नपश्यंश्च पुनः पुनः। शून्यः शून्येन मनसा प्रपतिष्यन् महीतलम्॥
Incapable of being known, and now seeing and again not seeing those gods he fell down to the earth below with his mind in despair and his intellect a blank.

किं मया मनसा ध्यातमशुभं धर्मदूषणम्। येनाहं चलित: स्थानादिति राजा व्यचिन्तयत्॥
"What inauspicious and sinful thought was entertained by me in my mind, in consequence of which I have been turned out from my place in heaven?” Thus did the king think within himself.

ते तु तत्रैव राजानः सिद्धाश्चाप्सरसस्तथा। अपश्यन्त निरालम्बं तं ययाति परिच्युतम्॥
All the kings who were there (in heaven) as also those who had obtained salvation and the Apasaras laughed at Yayati being hurled down from heaven and falling down, having you support to cling to.

अथैत्य पुरुषः कश्चित् क्षीणपुण्यनिपातकः। ययातिमब्रवीद् राजान् देवराजस्य शासनात्॥
Then did some officers whose duty it was to hurl down men, whose religious merit had been rewarded by a sufficiently long term of residence in heaven, coming there said to Yayati, "O king, by command of the king among the gods,

अतीव मदमत्तस्त्वं न कंचिन्नावमन्यसे। मानेन भ्रष्टः स्वर्गस्ते नाहस्त्वं पार्थिवात्मज॥
You are exceedingly intoxicated with vanity and there is no body you have not insulted and owing to this vanity you are no longer fit for heaven, O you born of a king.

न च प्रज्ञायसे गच्छ पतस्वेति तमब्रवीत्। पतेयं सत्स्विति वचस्त्रिरुक्त्वा नहुषात्मजः॥
No one knows you here too, therefore down you and fall down.” “I shall fall among the good” the son of Nahusha said these words three times.

पतिष्यंश्चिन्तयामास गतिं गतिमतां वरः। एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु नैमिषे पार्थिवर्षभान्॥
While falling that foremost of those who had attained salvation thought of the course of his fall (and the place he should fall on in the end.)

चतुरोऽपश्यत नृपस्तेषां मध्ये पपात ह। प्रतर्दनो वसुमनाः शिबिरौशीनरोऽष्टकः॥
At this time he saw four kings and fell among them. They were Pratardana, Vasumanas, Shibi the son of Ushinara and Ashtaka.

वाजपेयेन यज्ञेन तर्पयन्ति सुरेश्वरम्। तेषामध्वरजं धूमं स्वर्गद्वारमुपस्थितम्॥
Who were gratifying the lord of the gods by the performance of the sacrificial ceremony known Vajapeya. And the smoke proceeding from that sacrificial ceremony had gone to the very gates of heaven.

ययातिरुपजिघ्रन् वै निपपात महीं प्रति। भूमौ स्वर्गे च सम्बद्धां नदी धूममयीमिव। गङ्गां गामिव गच्छन्तीमालम्ब्य जगतीपतिः॥
Yayati fell towards the earth smelling that river of smoke which connected as it were the earth with the heaven.

श्रीमत्स्ववभृथाग्रयेषु चतुर्पु प्रतिबन्धुषु। मध्ये निपतितो राजा लोकपालोपमेषु सः॥
The lord, of the earth following the course of that smoke which was moving like the Ganga in heaven, came among those foremost of the performers of sacrifices who were his own relatives;

चतुषू हुतकल्पेषु राजसिंहमहाग्निषु। पपात मध्ये राजर्षिर्ययाति: पुण्यसंक्षये॥
as Among those who were like the supporters of the earth; among those four who were as lions among kings and like the great fire in sacrificial ceremonies the king Yayati fell.

तमाहुः पार्थिवाः सर्वे दीप्यमानमिव श्रिया। को भवान् कस्य वा बन्धुर्देशस्य नगरस्य वा॥
The Royal Rishi Yayati, after all his religious merit had been spent up, fell among them; all the rulers of the earth said to him who was effulgent with beauty. “Who are you? With whom are you related, and from what town and country are you?

यक्षो वाप्यथवा देवो गन्धर्वो राक्षसोऽपि वा। न हि मानुषरूपोऽसि को वाऽर्थः काइझ्यते त्वया।।१६।
Are you a Yakasha or a god, a Gandharva or a Rakshasa, for you have not the appearance of a human being; and what is the object desired for by you?”

ययातिरुवाच ययातिरस्मि राजर्षिः क्षीणपुण्यश्च्युतो दिवः। पतेयं सत्स्विति ध्यायन् भवत्सु पतितस्ततः॥
Yayati said I am the royal Rishi Yayati and the religious merit acquired by me being spent up have been turned out from heaven; and wishing in my mind that I should fall among the good, I have fallen among you.

राजान ऊचुः सत्यमेतद् भवतु ते काक्षितं पुरुषर्षभ। सर्वेषां नः क्रतुफलं धर्मश्च प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥
The king said May what was desired for by you le successful; accept the religious merit of these sacrificial ceremonies performed by all of us.

ययातिरुवाच नाहं प्रतिग्रहधनो ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो ह्यहम्। न च मे प्रवणा बुद्धिः परपुण्यविनाशने॥
Yayati said I am not a Brahmana and therefore cannot accept wealth (of any sort) from others, and my I heart is not inclined to destroy the religious merit of others.

नारद उवाच एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगचर्याक्रमागताम्। माधवीं प्रेक्ष्य राजानस्तेऽभिवाद्येदमब्रुवन्।॥
Narada said At this time, seeing Madhvi leading the life of a deer and wandering about, those kings bowing to her said

किमागमनकृत्यं ते किं कुर्मः शासनं तव। आज्ञाप्या हि वयं सर्वे तव पुत्रास्तपोधने॥
“What is the reason of your coming here, what orders of yours shall we obey? Being your sons, O devotee, we are ready to be commanded by you."

तेषां तद् भाषितं श्रुत्वा माधवी परया मुदा। पितरं समुपागच्छद् ययातिं सा ववन्द च॥
Madhvi, hearing that speech of theirs with great delight, came to her father and bowed to Yayati.

स्पृष्ट्वा मूर्धनि तान् पुत्रांस्तापसी वाक्यमब्रवीत्। दौहित्रास्तव राजेन्द्र मम पुत्रा न ते पराः॥
And having touched those sons of hers on their head the anchoring said these words "These are your grandsons, O chief among kings-my sons-they are not unconnected with you.

इमे त्वां तारयिष्यन्ति दृष्टमेतत् पुरातने। अहं ते दुहिता राजन् माधवी मृगचारिणी॥
These will save you-such an example has been seen in days of old-I am your daughter, Madhvi, who, o king, have adopted the life of a deer.

मयाप्युपचितो धर्मस्ततोऽर्धं प्रतिगृह्यताम्। यस्माद् राजन् नराः सर्वे अपत्यफलभागिनः॥
By me too has religious merit been acquired; accept half of that, for, o king, all human beings enjoy the wealth earned by their children.

तस्मादिच्छन्ति दौहित्रान् यथा त्वं वसुधाधिप। ततस्ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे शिरसा जननीं तदा॥
Therefore was it that you, O lord of the earth, wished me to be the mother of son;" then did all those rulers of the earth lowering their heads,

अभिवाद्य नमस्कृत्य मातामहमथाब्रुवन्। उच्चैरनुपमैः स्निग्धैः स्वरैरापूर्य मेदिनीम्॥
Bowed down and said the same thing to their maternal grand father, filling the earth with loud and sweet ponds the like of which there was none.

मातामहं नृपतयस्तारयन्तो दिवश्च्युतम्। अथ तस्मादुपगतो गालवोऽप्याह पार्थिवम्। तपसो मेऽष्टभागेन स्वर्गमारोहतां भवान्॥
The rulers of men thus saved their grandfather who had been turned out from heaven; just then, Galava, coming there said to the ruler of the earth, “A send you heaven by virtue of a eighth part of my austerities.”