BHAGAVAT-YANA PARVA: Chapter 123

The ascension to heaven of Yayati

नारद उवाच सद्भिरारोपितः स्वर्ग पार्थिवैर्भूरिदक्षिणैः। अभ्यनुज्ञाय दौहित्रान् ययातिर्दिवमास्थितः।।।।
Narada said Being thus made to ascend heaven by those pious rulers of the earth, who were greatly given liberality, Yayati was established in heaven after taking leave of his grandsons.

अभिवृष्टश्च वर्षेण नानापुष्पसुगन्धिना। परिष्वक्तश्च पुण्येन वायुना पुण्यगन्धिना॥
(He went up heaven) amidst the downpour of a shower of sweet scented flow very smell indicated its holiness.

अचलं स्थानमासाद्य दौहित्रफलनिर्जितम्। कर्मभिः स्वैरुपचितो जज्वाल परया श्रिया॥
Reaching then eternal regions earned for him by his grand sons by the fruit of their own deeds, he became effulgent with excellent beauty.

उपगीतोपनृत्तश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसां गणैः। प्रीत्या प्रतिगृहीतश्च स्वर्गे दुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः॥
He was gladly received in heaven with songs and dances by groups of Gandharvas and with the sound of cymbals.

अभिष्टुतश्च विविधैर्देवराजर्षिचारणैः। अर्चितश्चोत्तमायण दैवतैरभिनन्दितः॥
He was also duly gratified by various classes of celestial Rishis, royal Rishis, and Charanas and otherwise pleased by the gods.

प्राप्तः स्वर्गफलं चैव तमुवाच पितामहः। निर्वृतं शान्तमनसं वचोभिस्तर्पयन्निव॥
The grandfather then said to him who had earned the merit of ascending heaven as if trying to please him who had obtained gratification and tranquility of mind with his words.

चतुष्पादस्त्वया धर्मश्चितो लोक्येन कर्मणा। अक्षयस्तव लोकोऽयं कीर्तिश्चैवाक्षया दिवि॥
The four Padas (the full amount) of virtue had been earned by you your worldly deeds and these regions were yours for an endless period and your renown in heaven too was eternal.

पुनस्त्वयैव राजर्षे सुकृतेन विघातितम्। आवृतं तमसा चेतः सर्वेषां स्वर्गवासिनाम्॥
But that merit, O royal Rishi, you nullified again, for by your were the minds of all the denizens so clouded.

येन त्वां नाभिजानन्ति ततोऽज्ञातोऽसि पातितः। प्रीत्यैव चासि दौहित्रैस्तारितस्त्वमिहागतः॥
In consequence of this they did not recognize you and being thus rendered unknown (to them) you were hurled down and you have come here again, your grandsons saving you out of affection for you.

स्थानं च प्रतिपन्नोऽसि कर्मणा स्वेन निर्जितम्। अचलं शाश्वतं पुण्यमुत्तमं ध्रुवमव्ययम्॥
Earned by your deeds you have now come to a place which is stable, eternal sacred, excellent and surely indestructible.

ययातिरुवाच भगवन् संशयो मेऽस्ति कश्चित् ते छेत्तुमर्हसि। न ह्यन्यमहमहमि प्रष्टुं लोकपितामह॥
Yayati said O you endued with divine prosperity, I have a certain doubt which it is proper for you to remove; it is not proper that I should ask any body else, O grandfather of the universe.

बहुवर्षसहस्रान्तं प्रजापालनवर्धितम्। अनेकक्रतुदानौधैरर्जितं मे महत् फलम्॥
Great was the merit earned by me by protecting my subjects and increasing the human stock for a great many thousands of years and by many sacrificial rites and pieties.

कथं तदल्पकालेन क्षीणं येनास्मि पातितः। भगवन् वेत्थ लोकांश्च शाश्वतान् मम निर्मितान्। कथं नु मम तत् सर्वं विप्रनष्टं महाद्युते॥
How could that all be spent up in a very short time in consequence of which I was hurled down; O you endued with divine prosperity, you know that the eternal regions were built for me and how and why were all these destroyed, O you of great effulgence?

पितामह उवाच बहुवर्षसहस्रान्तं प्रजापालनवर्धितम्। अनेकक्रतुदानौधैर्यत् त्वयोपार्जितं फलम्॥
The grandsire said The merit, earned by you by protecting your subjects and increasing the human stock for a great many thousands of years and the performance of many sacrificial rites and making many gifts,

तदनेनैव दोषेण क्षीणं येनासि पातितः। अभिमानेन राजेन्द्र विक्कृतः स्वर्गवासिभिः॥
Was destroyed by this defect owing to which you were hurled down: O chief among kings, owing to your vanity you cared very little and held in contempt the denizens of heaven.

नायं मानेन राजर्षे न बलेन न हिंसया। न शाठ्येन न मायाभिर्लोको भवति शाश्वतः॥
In the case of a man affected by vanity, O royal Rishi, or by envy or by force or by wickedness, or by deceit, these regions can not be eternal.

नावमान्यास्त्वया राजन्नधमोत्कृष्टमध्यमाः। न हि मानप्रदग्धानां कश्चिदस्ति शमः क्वचित्॥
By you, a king, are not to be disregarded or insulted those that are superior or those that are inferior or those are indifferent; salvation cannot be attained by one who is consumed by vanity.

पतनारोहणमिदं कथयिष्यन्ति ये नराः। विषमाण्यपि ते प्राप्तास्तरिष्यन्ति न संशयः॥
Those men, who will converse on this story of your fall and recession, will attain salvation though affected by sins; there is no doubt of it.

नारद उवाच एष दोषोऽभिमानेन पुरा प्राप्तो ययातिना। निर्वघ्नतातिमानं च गालवेन महीपते॥
Narada said By Yayati was such a distress met with in days of old of old for his vanity and by Galava owing to an excessive measure of obstinacy, O lord of the world.

श्रोतव्यं हितकामानां सुहृदां हितमिच्छताम्। न कर्तव्यो हि निर्बन्धो निर्बन्धो हि क्षयोदयः॥
The advice of your well wishers should be listened to by you, for your friends wise you well; obstinacy should not be resorted for it gives rise to ruin.

तस्मात् त्वमपि गान्धारे मानं क्रोधं च वर्जय। संधत्स्व पाण्डवैवीर संरम्भं त्यज पार्थिव॥
Therefore, do you also, O son of Gandhari, abandon vanity and with; ( hero make peace with the sons of Pandu and abandon wrath, O ruler of the earth.

ददाति यत् पार्थिवं यत् करोति यद् वा तपस्तप्यति यज्जुहोति। न तस्य नाशोऽस्ति न चापकर्षो नान्यस्तदश्नाति स एव कर्ता॥
O ruler of the earth, that which one gives, or dose, or the asceticism one practices or the sacrifices one makes can never be destroyed nor do they suffer deterioration in quality and the fruits are enjoyed by no body save the doer.

इदं महाख्यानमनुत्तमं हितं बहुश्रुतानां गतरोषरागिणाम्। समीक्ष्य लोके बहुधा प्रधारितं त्रिवर्गदृष्टिः पृथिवीमुपाश्नुते॥
By understanding this great story than which nothing is better, and which is approved of by those who are well read in holy books and those who are past the operations of desire and wrath, a man obtains in this world a knowledge of (virtue, worldly good and desire) and gets the sovereignty of this world.