संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
वैशंपायनः उवाच अथ अष्टकः कौतुकात् इन्द्रकल्पं मातामहं पुनः एव अन्वपृच्छत् नृपते त्वां पृच्छामि सत्यं ब्रूहि कुतः कस्य च असि सुतः कस्य चvaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca atha aṣṭakaḥ kautukāt indrakalpaṃ mātāmahaṃ punaḥ eva anvapṛcchat nṛpate tvāṃ pṛcchāmi satyaṃ brūhi kutaḥ kasya ca asi sutaḥ kasya caVaishampayana said: Then Ashtaka, out of curiosity, again asked his maternal grandfather, who was like Indra: O king, I ask you — tell the truth: whence are you, whose son are you, and whose descendant?
लोके त्वदन्यः क्षत्रियः ब्राह्मणः वा यत् कृतं त्वया तस्य कर्ता न [अस्ति]loke tvadanyaḥ kṣatriyaḥ brāhmaṇaḥ vā yat kṛtaṃ tvayā tasya kartā na [asti]For what has been accomplished by you, no other kshatriya or brahmin in the world, besides yourself, will accomplish.
ययातिः उवाच अहं नहुषस्य पुत्रः ययातिः पूरोः पिता इह सार्वभौमः आसम् मामकेभ्यः गुह्यम् अर्थं ब्रवीमि अहं भवतां प्रकाशः मातामहःyayātiḥ uvāca ahaṃ nahuṣasya putraḥ yayātiḥ pūroḥ pitā iha sārvabhaumaḥ āsam māmakebhyaḥ guhyam arthaṃ bravīmi ahaṃ bhavatāṃ prakāśaḥ mātāmahaḥYayati said: I am the son of Nahusha, Yayati, father of Puru; I was sovereign here; to my descendants I shall reveal a secret: I am plainly your maternal grandfather.
इमां सर्वां पृथिवीं निर्जिगाय प्रस्थे बद्ध्वा ब्राह्मणेभ्यः अददं मेध्यान् एकशफान् सुरूपान् अश्वान् [अददं] तदा देवाः पुण्यभाजः भवन्तिimāṃ sarvāṃ pṛthivīṃ nirjigāya prasthe baddhvā brāhmaṇebhyaḥ adadaṃ medhyān ekaśaphān surūpān aśvān [adadaṃ] tadā devāḥ puṇyabhājaḥ bhavantiI conquered this whole earth and, having set it in order, gave it to the brahmins; and I gave sacrificial, single-hoofed, beautiful horses; for by such gifts the gods too become partakers of merit.
अहं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः इमां पूर्णां अखिलां वाहनस्य पृथिवीं गोभिः सुवर्णेन मुख्यैः धनैः च अददां तत्र गाः शतम् अर्बुदानि आसन्ahaṃ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ imāṃ pūrṇāṃ akhilāṃ vāhanasya pṛthivīṃ gobhiḥ suvarṇena mukhyaiḥ dhanaiḥ ca adadāṃ tatra gāḥ śatam arbudāni āsanI gave the brahmins this whole, complete earth with its means of transport, with cows, gold, and choicest riches; and there were a hundred arbudas (hundreds of millions) of cows there.
मे सत्येन द्यौः च वसुंधरा च तथा एव अग्निः मानुषेषु ज्वलते मे वाक्यं वृथा व्याहृतं न [अस्ति] सत्यं हि सन्तः प्रतिपूजयन्ति सर्वे देवाः मुनयः लोकाः च सत्येन पूज्याः इति मे मनोगतम्me satyena dyauḥ ca vasuṃdharā ca tathā eva agniḥ mānuṣeṣu jvalate me vākyaṃ vṛthā vyāhṛtaṃ na [asti] satyaṃ hi santaḥ pratipūjayanti sarve devāḥ munayaḥ lokāḥ ca satyena pūjyāḥ iti me manogatamBy my truth both heaven and earth are upheld, and likewise fire blazes among men; my word is never spoken in vain; for the virtuous honor truth; and all the gods, sages, and worlds are honored through truth — such is my conviction.
यः अनसूयुः द्विजाग्रेभ्यः नः स्वर्गजितः सर्वान् यथावृत्तं निवेदयेत् सः नः सलोकतां लभेत्yaḥ anasūyuḥ dvijāgrebhyaḥ naḥ svargajitaḥ sarvān yathāvṛttaṃ nivedayet saḥ naḥ salokatāṃ labhetWhoever, free from malice, tells the best of the twice-born how it was with all of us who conquered heaven, shall obtain a shared dwelling with us [in the heavenly worlds].
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form “vaiśaṃpāyana”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अथाष्टकःathāṣṭakaḥoriginal form “athāṣṭakaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form “punar”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवान्वपृच्छन्evānvapṛcchanoriginal form “evānvapṛcchan”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कौतुकाद्kautukādoriginal form “kautukād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इन्द्रकल्पम्indrakalpamoriginal form “indrakalpam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुतश्kutaśoriginal form “kutaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कस्यासिkasyāsioriginal form “kasyāsi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुतश्sutaśoriginal form “sutaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form “yad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धिdhioriginal form “dhi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वद्tvadoriginal form “tvad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्यःanyaḥoriginal form “anyaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियोkṣatriyooriginal form “kṣatriyo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणोbrāhmaṇooriginal form “brāhmaṇo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ययातिर्yayātiroriginal form “yayātir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्मिasmioriginal form “asmi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सार्वभौमस्sārvabhaumasoriginal form “sārvabhaumas”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form “tv”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इहासम्ihāsamoriginal form “ihāsam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मामकेभ्योmāmakebhyooriginal form “māmakebhyo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मातामहोmātāmahooriginal form “mātāmaho”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽहं'haṃoriginal form “'haṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वाम्sarvāmoriginal form “sarvām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form “hy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुरूपांस्surūpāṃsoriginal form “surūpāṃs”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुण्यभाजोpuṇyabhājooriginal form “puṇyabhājo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अदाम्adāmoriginal form “adām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूर्णाम्pūrṇāmoriginal form “pūrṇām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इमाम्imāmoriginal form “imām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धनैश्dhanaiśoriginal form “dhanaiś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुख्यैस्mukhyaisoriginal form “mukhyais”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रासन्tatrāsanoriginal form “tatrāsan”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्यौश्dyauśoriginal form “dyauś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथैवाग्निर्tathaivāgniroriginal form “tathaivāgnir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्याहृतम्vyāhṛtamoriginal form “vyāhṛtam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवाdevāoriginal form “devā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुनयश्munayaśoriginal form “munayaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form “ca”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूज्याpūjyāoriginal form “pūjyā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योyooriginal form “yo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनसूयुर्anasūyuroriginal form “anasūyur”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लभेन्labhenoriginal form “labhen”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सलोकताम्salokatāmoriginal form “salokatām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form “vaiśaṃpāyana”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवंevaṃoriginal form “evaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजाrājāoriginal form “rājā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्माmahātmāoriginal form “mahātmā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form “hy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अतीवatīvaoriginal form “atīva”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वैर्svairoriginal form “svair”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दौहित्रैस्dauhitraisoriginal form “dauhitrais”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तारितोtāritooriginal form “tārito”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽमित्रसाहः'mitrasāhaḥoriginal form “'mitrasāhaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्यक्त्वाtyaktvāoriginal form “tyaktvā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महींmahīṃoriginal form “mahīṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमोदारकर्माparamodārakarmāoriginal form “paramodārakarmā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वर्गंsvargaṃoriginal form “svargaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गतःgataḥoriginal form “gataḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कर्मभिर्karmabhiroriginal form “karmabhir”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्याप्यvyāpyaoriginal form “vyāpya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृथ्वीम्pṛthvīmoriginal form “pṛthvīm”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the tale of Yayati comes to its close, in his salvation and in a hymn to truth. It is significant that Yayati is saved by his daughter's sons (dauhitras): by dharma, the merit of a righteous grandson saves a grandfather; thus the piety of descendants raises up a fallen forebear. Here, as before (chapter 86), is the thought that the righteousness of one benefits the whole line — both ancestors and descendants. And — providentially — his refusal to accept gifts (chapters 87–88) did not prevent his salvation: he is saved not by ‘purchasing’ worlds but by the love and merit of his kin, granted by right of kinship — and his dignity is preserved. The crowning hymn to truth (satya) is likewise significant: ‘by my truth heaven and earth are upheld... by truth the gods, sages, and worlds are honored.’ Here, as in Shakuntala's speech (chapter 69), is the highest reverence for truthfulness as the foundation of the universe and of dharma: the world rests on truth (satyena dharyate loka). Thus the tale of Yayati — having passed through passion (insatiability), pride (his fall), insight (wisdom about fate and renunciation), and salvation (through the love of his kin) — is crowned with the glory of truth and virtue. And, as a fruit and promise, one who hears (or retells) this without malice ‘obtains a shared dwelling’ with these righteous ones: thus the very telling of the tale sanctifies the listener.