SánscritoIASTSignificado
इन्द्रः उवाच राजन् सर्वाणि कर्माणि समाप्य गृहान् परित्यज्य वनं गतः असि ययाते नहुषस्य पुत्र केन तपसा तुल्यः असि तत् त्वां पृच्छामिindraḥ uvāca rājan sarvāṇi karmāṇi samāpya gṛhān parityajya vanaṃ gataḥ asi yayāte nahuṣasya putra kena tapasā tulyaḥ asi tat tvāṃ pṛcchāmiIndra said: O king, having completed all your deeds and left your home, you have gone to the forest; O Yayati, son of Nahusha, to whom are you equal in austerity? This I ask you.
ययातिः उवाच वासव अहं देवमनुष्येषु न गन्धर्वमहर्षिषु आत्मनः तपसा तुल्यं कंचित् न पश्यामिyayātiḥ uvāca vāsava ahaṃ devamanuṣyeṣu na gandharvamaharṣiṣu ātmanaḥ tapasā tulyaṃ kaṃcit na paśyāmiYayati said: O Vasava, I see no one — among gods and men, nor among gandharvas and great sages — equal to me in austerity.
इन्द्रः उवाच राजन् यदा त्वं सदृशः श्रेयसः पापीयसः च अविदितप्रभावः अवमंस्थाः तस्मात् ते इमे लोकाः अन्तवन्तः पुण्ये क्षीणे अद्य पतिता असिindraḥ uvāca rājan yadā tvaṃ sadṛśaḥ śreyasaḥ pāpīyasaḥ ca aviditaprabhāvaḥ avamaṃsthāḥ tasmāt te ime lokāḥ antavantaḥ puṇye kṣīṇe adya patitā asiIndra said: O king, because, unaware of their power, you despised both equals, superiors, and inferiors — therefore these worlds of yours have become finite; now, your merit exhausted, you have fallen.
ययातिः उवाच शक्र देवराज यदि सुरर्षिगन्धर्वनरावमानात् मे लोकाः क्षयं गताः [तर्हि] सुरलोकात् विहीनः सतां मध्ये पतितुं इच्छेयंyayātiḥ uvāca śakra devarāja yadi surarṣigandharvanarāvamānāt me lokāḥ kṣayaṃ gatāḥ [tarhi] suralokāt vihīnaḥ satāṃ madhye patituṃ iccheyaṃYayati said: O Shakra, king of the gods, if my worlds have perished for contempt toward gods, sages, gandharvas, and men, then, bereft of the world of the gods, I would wish to fall among the virtuous.
इन्द्रः उवाच राजन् यत्र प्रतिष्ठां भूयः लब्धा असि [तत्र] सतां सकाशे च्युतः पतिता असि ययाते एवं विदित्वा तु पुनः सदृशः श्रेयसः च ते न अवमान्याःindraḥ uvāca rājan yatra pratiṣṭhāṃ bhūyaḥ labdhā asi [tatra] satāṃ sakāśe cyutaḥ patitā asi yayāte evaṃ viditvā tu punaḥ sadṛśaḥ śreyasaḥ ca te na avamānyāḥIndra said: O king, there where you will again find support — close to the virtuous — fallen, you shall land; O Yayati, knowing this, may your equals and superiors never again be despised by you.
इन्द्रindraoriginal form "indra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गतोgatooriginal form "gato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसि'sioriginal form "'si", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
केनासिkenāsioriginal form "kenāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुल्यस्tulyasoriginal form "tulyas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form "yayātir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाहंnāhaṃoriginal form "nāhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आत्मनस्ātmanasoriginal form "ātmanas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कंkaṃoriginal form "kaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चित्citoriginal form "cit", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इन्द्रindraoriginal form "indra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यदावमंस्थाःyadāvamaṃsthāḥoriginal form "yadāvamaṃsthāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेयसश्śreyasaśoriginal form "śreyasaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पापीयसश्pāpīyasaśoriginal form "pāpīyasaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाविदितप्रभावःcāviditaprabhāvaḥoriginal form "cāviditaprabhāvaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माल्tasmāloriginal form "tasmāl", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लोकाlokāoriginal form "lokā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्तवन्तस्antavantasoriginal form "antavantas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवेमेtavemeoriginal form "taveme", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पतितास्य्patitāsyoriginal form "patitāsy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form "yayātir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गताgatāoriginal form "gatā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुरलोकाद्suralokādoriginal form "suralokād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इन्द्रindraoriginal form "indra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पतितासिpatitāsioriginal form "patitāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजंश्rājaṃśoriginal form "rājaṃś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लब्धासिlabdhāsioriginal form "labdhāsi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽवमान्याः'vamānyāḥoriginal form "'vamānyāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेयसश्śreyasaśoriginal form "śreyasaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the hidden cause of Yayati's fall is revealed — pride. It is telling that Indra's question was a trap for vanity: 'to whom are you equal in austerity?' — and Yayati, swelling with pride, answers: 'I see no one equal to myself.' By this single proud thought alone he is cast down. Here is a stern lesson: pride (mada, ahamkara) destroys the fruit of even the greatest austerity; contempt for others — equals, superiors, even inferiors — is the gravest sin, one that nullifies merit accumulated over a lifetime. However great the austerity, pride in it is its ruin. Telling, too, is Yayati's request: 'let me fall among the virtuous' — even in his fall he seeks the company of the righteous (satsanga). Here begins his correction as well: one who, in misfortune, seeks not worldly refuge but the company of the saintly is already on the path to salvation. And Indra's mercy shows in the verdict: 'you shall fall among the virtuous, where you will again find support' — thus even punishment (the fall) turns into a blessing, through the righteous. Note, too, Indra's final charge: 'never again despise your equals and superiors' — a lesson in humility drawn from the fall itself. So scripture teaches: pride casts down, while humility and the company of the virtuous raise up.