संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
वैशंपायनः उवाच एवं सः नाहुषः राजा ययातिः ईप्सितं पुत्रं राज्ये अभिषिच्य मुदितः वानप्रस्थः मुनिः अभवत्vaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca evaṃ saḥ nāhuṣaḥ rājā yayātiḥ īpsitaṃ putraṃ rājye abhiṣicya muditaḥ vānaprasthaḥ muniḥ abhavatVaishampayana said: thus King Yayati, son of Nahusha, having anointed his desired son to the kingdom, joyful, became a forest-dwelling ascetic (vanaprastha)
ब्राह्मणैः सह संश्रितः वने वासं उषित्वा फलमूलाशनः दान्तः इतः यथा स्वर्गं गतःbrāhmaṇaiḥ saha saṃśritaḥ vane vāsaṃ uṣitvā phalamūlāśanaḥ dāntaḥ itaḥ yathā svargaṃ gataḥliving in the forest with brahmins, subsisting on fruits and roots, self-restrained, from there he ascended to heaven
सः तं सुरवासं गतः मुदितः सुखं निवसन् न अतिमहतः कालस्य पुनः शक्रेण पातितःsaḥ taṃ suravāsaṃ gataḥ muditaḥ sukhaṃ nivasan na atimahataḥ kālasya punaḥ śakreṇa pātitaḥhaving reached that abode of the gods and dwelling there joyfully and happily, after no small span of time he was again cast down by Shakra (Indra)
स्वर्गात् प्रच्युतः निपतन् मेदिनीतलं अप्राप्तः सः तदा अन्तरिक्षे स्थितः आसीत् इति मया श्रुतम्svargāt pracyutaḥ nipatan medinītalaṃ aprāptaḥ saḥ tadā antarikṣe sthitaḥ āsīt iti mayā śrutamcast down from heaven, falling, yet not reaching the surface of the earth, he then came to a halt in mid-air — so I have heard
ततः एव पुनः च वीर्यवान् राज्ञा वसुमता अष्टकेन प्रतर्दनेन शिबिना च संसदि समेत्य स्वर्गं गतः इति श्रुतिःtataḥ eva punaḥ ca vīryavān rājñā vasumatā aṣṭakena pratardanena śibinā ca saṃsadi sametya svargaṃ gataḥ iti śrutiḥand from there the mighty Yayati, again meeting in assembly with the kings Vasumat, Ashtaka, Pratardana and Shibi, ascended to heaven once more; so the tradition tells
जनमेजयः उवाच सः महीपतिः केन कर्मणा पुनः दिवं प्राप्तः एतत् सर्वं अशेषेण तत्त्वतः श्रोतुम् इच्छामिjanamejayaḥ uvāca saḥ mahīpatiḥ kena karmaṇā punaḥ divaṃ prāptaḥ etat sarvaṃ aśeṣeṇa tattvataḥ śrotum icchāmiJanamejaya said: by what deed did that king regain heaven again? All this in full, in truth, I wish to hear
विप्र विप्रर्षिगणसंनिधौ त्वया कथ्यमानं ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः देवराजसमः कुरुवंशस्य वर्धनः विभावसुसमद्युतिः आसीत्vipra viprarṣigaṇasaṃnidhau tvayā kathyamānaṃ yayātiḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ devarājasamaḥ kuruvaṃśasya vardhanaḥ vibhāvasusamadyutiḥ āsītO brahmin, [I wish to hear] what you tell in the presence of the assembly of brahmarishis; for King Yayati was equal to the king of the gods, an enhancer of the Kuru line, radiant like fire
विस्तीर्णयशसः सत्यकीर्तेः महात्मनः तस्य दिवि इह च सर्वशः चरितं श्रोतुम् इच्छामिvistīrṇayaśasaḥ satyakīrteḥ mahātmanaḥ tasya divi iha ca sarvaśaḥ caritaṃ śrotum icchāmiof him widely renowned, truly glorious, great of soul — his deeds in heaven and here on earth in their entirety I wish to hear
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form “vaiśaṃpāyana”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाहुषोnāhuṣooriginal form “nāhuṣo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रम्putramoriginal form “putram”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ईप्सितम्īpsitamoriginal form “īpsitam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभिषिच्य'bhiṣicyaoriginal form “'bhiṣicya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुदितोmuditooriginal form “mudito”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वानप्रस्थोvānaprasthooriginal form “vānaprastho”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभवन्'bhavanoriginal form “'bhavan”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
फलमूलाशनोphalamūlāśanooriginal form “phalamūlāśano”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दान्तोdāntooriginal form “dānto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वर्गम्svargamoriginal form “svargam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इतोitooriginal form “ito”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुखम्sukhamoriginal form “sukham”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नातिमहतःnātimahataḥoriginal form “nātimahataḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वर्गाद्svargādoriginal form “svargād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अप्राप्तोaprāptooriginal form “aprāpto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मेदिनीतलम्medinītalamoriginal form “medinītalam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थितsthitaoriginal form “sthita”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसीद्āsīdoriginal form “āsīd”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदेतिtadetioriginal form “tadeti”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुतंśrutaṃoriginal form “śrutaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततtataoriginal form “tata”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनश्punaśoriginal form “punaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form “cāpi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वर्गम्svargamoriginal form “svargam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सार्धम्sārdhamoriginal form “sārdham”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किलkilaoriginal form “kila”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जनमेजयjanamejayaoriginal form “janamejaya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राप्तोprāptooriginal form “prāpto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वम्sarvamoriginal form “sarvam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतद्etadoriginal form “etad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवराजसमोdevarājasamooriginal form “devarājasamo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form “hy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसीद्āsīdoriginal form “āsīd”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यकीर्तेर्satyakīrteroriginal form “satyakīrter”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेहcehaoriginal form “ceha”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here a new turn in Yayati's fate is announced: having ascended to heaven through austerity, he is cast down again. The mystery of this fall is significant (and will be disclosed further on): Yayati fell from heaven for pride — for exalting himself over his own merits. Here is a stern lesson about the fruits of good deeds: even heaven, attained through austerity, is not eternal; once the merit (punya) is exhausted, the soul is cast down ('those whose merit is spent fall,' cf. Gita 9.21). Thus heavenly bliss is not the final goal: it is as fleeting as any fruit of karma. It is also significant that Yayati 'came to rest in mid-air,' without reaching the earth: an image of a soul fallen from the heights yet not wholly lost — as the sequel will show, he is saved by his grandsons (the kings Ashtaka and others) through their own merit. Here too is a consolation: the merits of descendants (and of good friends) can raise up the fallen. Thus the tale of Yayati continues — no longer about passion, as before, but about pride and its fruits; and it prepares, in the chapters that follow, a great teaching on the vanity of pride in one's merits and on the transience of heavenly joys.