संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अष्टकः उवाच राजन् न चेत् एकैकशः नः लोकान् प्रतिनन्दसि [तर्हि] सर्वे [लोकान्] भवते प्रदाय वयं नरकं गन्तारःaṣṭakaḥ uvāca rājan na cet ekaikaśaḥ naḥ lokān pratinandasi [tarhi] sarve [lokān] bhavate pradāya vayaṃ narakaṃ gantāraḥAshtaka said: O king, if you do not accept our worlds separately, then all of us, having given them to you, will go to hell ourselves.
ययातिः उवाच सन्तः सत्यानृशंस्यतः यत् अर्हाय ददध्व तत् [ददत] अहं तु यत् पुरा मया न कृतं [तत्] न अभिधृष्णोमिyayātiḥ uvāca santaḥ satyānṛśaṃsyataḥ yat arhāya dadadhva tat [dadata] ahaṃ tu yat purā mayā na kṛtaṃ [tat] na abhidhṛṣṇomiYayati said: You who are virtuous, out of your truthfulness and freedom from malice, give gifts to one who deserves them; but I do not dare do what I have never done before.
अष्टकः उवाच एते पञ्च हिरण्मयाः रथाः कस्य प्रतिदृश्यन्ते उच्चैः सन्तः ज्वलन्तः अग्निशिखाः इव प्रकाशन्तेaṣṭakaḥ uvāca ete pañca hiraṇmayāḥ rathāḥ kasya pratidṛśyante uccaiḥ santaḥ jvalantaḥ agniśikhāḥ iva prakāśanteAshtaka said: Whose are these five golden chariots that can be seen, rising high, blazing like tongues of flame, shining?
ययातिः उवाच एते पञ्च हिरण्मयाः रथाः उच्चैः सन्तः ज्वलन्तः अग्निशिखाः इव प्रकाशन्ते युष्मान् एते हि वक्ष्यन्तिyayātiḥ uvāca ete pañca hiraṇmayāḥ rathāḥ uccaiḥ santaḥ jvalantaḥ agniśikhāḥ iva prakāśante yuṣmān ete hi vakṣyantiYayati said: These five golden chariots, rising high, blazing like tongues of flame, shining — it is they that will carry you to heaven.
अष्टकः उवाच राजन् रथं आतिष्ठस्व विहायसा विक्रमस्व यदा कालः भविष्यति वयं अपि अनुयास्यामःaṣṭakaḥ uvāca rājan rathaṃ ātiṣṭhasva vihāyasā vikramasva yadā kālaḥ bhaviṣyati vayaṃ api anuyāsyāmaḥAshtaka said: O king, mount the chariot, proceed through the sky; and when the time comes, we too shall follow you.
ययातिः उवाच इदानीं सर्वैः सहस्वर्गजितः वयं गन्तव्यं एषः नः देवसद्मनः विरजाः पन्थाः दृश्यतेyayātiḥ uvāca idānīṃ sarvaiḥ sahasvargajitaḥ vayaṃ gantavyaṃ eṣaḥ naḥ devasadmanaḥ virajāḥ panthāḥ dṛśyateYayati said: Now all of us together, as those who have conquered heaven together, must go; here we see before us the dustless path to the abode of the gods.
वैशंपायनः उवाच ते सर्वे नृपसत्तमाः रथान् अधिरुह्य भाभिः दिवं आक्रमन्तः धर्मेण रोदसी आवृत्य प्रयाताःvaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca te sarve nṛpasattamāḥ rathān adhiruhya bhābhiḥ divaṃ ākramantaḥ dharmeṇa rodasī āvṛtya prayātāḥVaishampayana said: All those best of kings, having mounted the chariots, illumining heaven with their splendor, and filling heaven and earth with dharma, set out upward.
अष्टकः उवाच अहं मन्ये पूर्वं एकः गन्ता अस्मि महात्मा इन्द्रः च सर्वथा मे सखा [इति] कस्मात् एवं औशीनरः अयं शिबिः एकः सर्ववेगेन वाहान् अत्यगात्aṣṭakaḥ uvāca ahaṃ manye pūrvaṃ ekaḥ gantā asmi mahātmā indraḥ ca sarvathā me sakhā [iti] kasmāt evaṃ auśīnaraḥ ayaṃ śibiḥ ekaḥ sarvavegena vāhān atyagātAshtaka said: I thought that I alone would ascend first among us, since great Indra is my friend in all things; why then has this Shibi, son of Ushinara, alone, outstripping all of us, overtaken us with the full speed of his horses?
ययातिः उवाच अयं उशीनरस्य पुत्रः यावत् वित्तं अविन्दत [तावत्] देवयानाय अददात् तस्मात् शिबिः नः श्रेष्ठः हिyayātiḥ uvāca ayaṃ uśīnarasya putraḥ yāvat vittaṃ avindata [tāvat] devayānāya adadāt tasmāt śibiḥ naḥ śreṣṭhaḥ hiYayati said: This son of Ushinara, however much wealth he acquired, gave it all away for the sake of the path to the abode of the gods; therefore Shibi is the best of us.
दानं तपः सत्यं धर्मः ह्रीः श्रीः क्षमा सौम्य तितिक्षा च एतानि अप्रतिमस्य अनृशंसस्य राज्ञः शिबेः बुद्ध्या स्थितानि एवंवृत्तः ह्रीनिषेधः च यस्मात् तस्मात् शिबिः रथेन अत्यगात्dānaṃ tapaḥ satyaṃ dharmaḥ hrīḥ śrīḥ kṣamā saumya titikṣā ca etāni apratimasya anṛśaṃsasya rājñaḥ śibeḥ buddhyā sthitāni evaṃvṛttaḥ hrīniṣedhaḥ ca yasmāt tasmāt śibiḥ rathena atyagātGenerosity, austerity, truth, dharma, modesty, prosperity, forgiveness, O virtuous one, and forbearance — all of this is firmly established in the incomparable, malice-free King Shibi; and since he is of such character and is restrained from evil by modesty, therefore Shibi has outstripped us on the chariot.
अष्टकaṣṭakaoriginal form “aṣṭaka”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेद्cedoriginal form “ced”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकैकशोekaikaśooriginal form “ekaikaśo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजंल्rājaṃloriginal form “rājaṃl”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गन्तारोgantārooriginal form “gantāro”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयम्vayamoriginal form “vayam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form “yad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ददध्वंdadadhvaṃoriginal form “dadadhvaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाभिधृष्णोमिnābhidhṛṣṇomioriginal form “nābhidhṛṣṇomi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यत्कृतंyatkṛtaṃoriginal form “yatkṛtaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अष्टकaṣṭakaoriginal form “aṣṭaka”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्यैतेkasyaiteoriginal form “kasyaite”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्वलन्तोjvalantooriginal form “jvalanto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽग्निशिखा'gniśikhāoriginal form “'gniśikhā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्वलन्तोjvalantooriginal form “jvalanto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽग्निशिखा'gniśikhāoriginal form “'gniśikhā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अष्टकaṣṭakaoriginal form “aṣṭaka”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयम्vayamoriginal form “vayam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अप्य्apyoriginal form “apy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनुयास्यामोanuyāsyāmooriginal form “anuyāsyāmo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कालोkālooriginal form “kālo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैर्sarvairoriginal form “sarvair”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहस्वर्गजितोsahasvargajitooriginal form “sahasvargajito”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयम्vayamoriginal form “vayam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एषeṣaoriginal form “eṣa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नोnooriginal form “no”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पन्थाpanthāoriginal form “panthā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form “vaiśaṃpāyana”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽधिरुह्य'dhiruhyaoriginal form “'dhiruhya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रयाताprayātāoriginal form “prayātā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आक्रमन्तोākramantooriginal form “ākramanto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भाभिर्bhābhiroriginal form “bhābhir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मेणावृत्यdharmeṇāvṛtyaoriginal form “dharmeṇāvṛtya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अष्टकaṣṭakaoriginal form “aṣṭaka”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूर्वम्pūrvamoriginal form “pūrvam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकोekooriginal form “eko”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मि'smioriginal form “'smi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेन्द्रःcendraḥoriginal form “cendraḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्माद्kasmādoriginal form “kasmād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शिबिर्śibiroriginal form “śibir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
औशीनरोauśīnarooriginal form “auśīnaro”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽयम्'yamoriginal form “'yam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकोekooriginal form “eko”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽत्यगात्'tyagātoriginal form “'tyagāt”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अददाद्adadādoriginal form “adadād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यावद्yāvadoriginal form “yāvad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वित्तम्vittamoriginal form “vittam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रोputrooriginal form “putro”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽयं'yaṃoriginal form “'yaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माच्tasmācoriginal form “tasmāc”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छ्रेष्ठोchreṣṭhooriginal form “chreṣṭho”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यम्satyamoriginal form “satyam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथापिathāpioriginal form “athāpi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मोdharmooriginal form “dharmo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाtathāoriginal form “tathā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजन्न्rājannoriginal form “rājann”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एतान्य्etānyoriginal form “etāny”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थितान्य्sthitānyoriginal form “sthitāny”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवंवृत्तोevaṃvṛttooriginal form “evaṃvṛtto”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्रीनिषेधश्hrīniṣedhaśoriginal form “hrīniṣedhaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माच्tasmācoriginal form “tasmāc”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छिबिर्chibiroriginal form “chibir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अत्यगाद्atyagādoriginal form “atyagād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form “vai”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the sacrificial love of the grandsons reaches its summit: ‘having given the worlds to you, we ourselves will go to hell.’ This is the highest image of compassion: the virtuous are ready to accept hell for the sake of another's salvation; it is the limit of self-abnegation, foreshadowing the ideal of the devotee ready to suffer for the good of others. The appearance of the five golden chariots is telling as well: it is the merits of the righteous themselves (not ‘given’ by Yayati, but their own) that lift up both them and — through kinship and love — their grandfather; thus the good of the righteous benefits those bound to them. And, as the crown of the chapter, comes the explanation of why Shibi ‘outstripped’ all the others: not might, nor friendship with Indra, but the fullness of his virtues — generosity, truth, forgiveness, shame before sin, freedom from malice. Here is the true measure of greatness: not strength or connections, but righteousness of heart raises one above all others; and among the virtues, generosity (‘he gave away everything’) and freedom from malice stand out especially. Thus the scripture crowns the tale of Yayati with a hymn to virtue: he arrives first at God who has loved dharma the most and given himself to others.