Critical Edition
ययातिरुवाच अहं ययातिर्नहुषस्य पुत्रः; पूरोः पिता सर्वभूतावमानात् प्रभ्रंशितः सुरसिद्धर्षिलोका;त्परिच्युतः प्रपताम्यल्पपुण्यः
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : I am Yayati, the son of Nahusha and the father of Puru. I am falling down from the region of the celestials, the Siddhas and the Rishis, for the diminution of my virtues. (I am falling), because I disregarded every creature on earth.
अहं हि पूर्वो वयसा भवद्भ्य;स्तेनाभिवादं भवतां न प्रयुञ्जे यो विद्यया तपसा जन्मना वा; वृद्धः स पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम्
M. N. Dutt: As I am older than in age, I did not salute you first. He who is older in age or superior in learning or asceticism is revered by Brahmanas.
अष्टक उवाच अवादीश्चेद्वयसा यः स वृद्ध; इति राजन्नाभ्यवदः कथंचित् यो वै विद्वान्वयसा सन्स्म वृद्धः; स एव पूज्यो भवति द्विजानाम्
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said : O king, you say that he, who is older in years, deserves the respect and reverence of others. But it is said that he is truly worthy of respect is superior in learning and asceticism.
ययातिरुवाच प्रतिकूलं कर्मणां पापमाहु;स्तद्वर्ततेऽप्रवणे पापलोक्यम् सन्तोऽसतां नानुवर्तन्ति चैत;द्यथा आत्मैषामनुकूलवादी
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : It is said that sin destroys the merit of all virtuous acts. Vanity contains the element of that which leads to hell. The virtuous never follow the path of the sinful.
अभूद्धनं मे विपुलं महद्वै; विचेष्टमानो नाधिगन्ता तदस्मि एवं प्रधार्यात्महिते निविष्टो; यो वर्तते स विजानाति जीवन्
M. N. Dutt: They act in a way as to increase their virtue. I myself had great religious merits, but all is now gone. I shall never be able to regain them with my best efforts. He, who will take lesson from my this fate, will be wise and virtueus.
Supplementary Passages:
1.84.5 Dn S ins. after 5 (G5, om. lines 1-2, ins. after 5ab): *857 महाधनो यो यजते सुयज्ञैर् यः सर्वविद्यासु विनीतबुद्धिः वेदानधीत्य तपसा योज्य देहं दिवं समायात्पुरुषो वीतमोहः न जातु हृष्येन्महता धनेन वेदानधीयीत नाहंकृतः स्यात्
नानाभावा बहवो जीवलोके; दैवाधीना नष्टचेष्टाधिकाराः तत्तत्प्राप्य न विहन्येत धीरो; दिष्टं बलीय इति मत्वात्मबुद्ध्या
M. N. Dutt: No one should be proud of his great wealth; no one should feel exalted, because he has studied the entire Vedas. Men are of different dispositions in the world, but Destiny is supreme. Power and exertion are both futile and useless. Knowing Destiny to be supreme (over all), the wise should neither feel pride nor grief.
सुखं हि जन्तुर्यदि वापि दुःखं; दैवाधीनं विन्दति नात्मशक्त्या तस्माद्दिष्टं बलवन्मन्यमानो; न संज्वरेन्नापि हृष्येत्कदाचित्
M. N. Dutt: Remembering that Destiny is supreme (over all), creatures should know that happiness and misery depend on Destiny and not on their own exertion and power.
दुःखे न तप्येन्न सुखेन हृष्ये;त्समेन वर्तेत सदैव धीरः दिष्टं बलीय इति मन्यमानो; न संज्वरेन्नापि हृष्येत्कदाचित्
M. N. Dutt: The wise should always live contented, without grieving for misery or exalting for happiness. When Destiny is supreme, both grief and exaltation are useless.
Supplementary Passages:
1.84.8 After 8cd (which these MSS. read after the repetition of 8ab), T G ins.: *858 दृष्टो हि मे परतश्चापि लोकः प्राप्ता भोगाः सर्वतो नास्ति निष्ठा
भये न मुह्याम्यष्टकाहं कदाचि;त्संतापो मे मानसो नास्ति कश्चित् धाता यथा मां विदधाति लोके; ध्रुवं तथाहं भवितेति मत्वा
M. N. Dutt: O Ashtaka, I never feel terrified with fear, nor do I ever feel grief, for I know that I shall be on earth exactly what the great Ordainer has made me.
संस्वेदजा अण्डजा उद्भिदाश्च; सरीसृपाः कृमयोऽथाप्सु मत्स्याः तथाश्मानस्तृणकाष्ठं च सर्वं; दिष्टक्षये स्वां प्रकृतिं भजन्ते
M. N. Dutt: The Insects, the worms, all the oviparous creatures, vegetables, crawling animals, vermins, fishes, stones, wood, in fact all created things, are united with the Prakriti when they are freed from their acts.
अनित्यतां सुखदुःखस्य बुद्ध्वा; कस्मात्संतापमष्टकाहं भजेयम् किं कुर्यां वै किं च कृत्वा न तप्ये; तस्मात्संतापं वर्जयाम्यप्रमत्तः
M. N. Dutt: Happiness and misery are transitory, O Ashtaka, knowing this, why should I grieve? We never know how we are to act to avoid misery. Therefore, grief must be cast off.
Supplementary Passages:
1.84.11 After 11, N (except Ñ3) ins.: *859 वैशंपायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणं नृपतिं ययातिम् अथाष्टकः पुनरेवान्वपृच्छत् K0.3.4 Ñ1.2 Dn D1.2.4.5 cont.: *860 मातामहं सर्वगुणोपपन्नं तत्र स्थितं स्वर्गलोके यथावत्
अष्टक उवाच ये ये लोकाः पार्थिवेन्द्र प्रधाना;स्त्वया भुक्ता यं च कालं यथा च तन्मे राजन्ब्रूहि सर्वं यथाव;त्क्षेत्रज्ञवद्भाषसे त्वं हि धर्मान्
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: O king of the world, tell me in detail the account of all those regions which you have visited and in which you passed your time in bliss. (Tell me also) the period for which you thus lived.
ययातिरुवाच राजाहमासमिह सार्वभौम;स्ततो लोकान्महतो अजयं वै तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said: I was a great king on earth, ruling over the whole world as my kingdom. I acquired many high regions by my religious merits. I lived full one thousand years on earth and then I ascended to a very high region.
ततः पुरीं पुरुहूतस्य रम्यां; सहस्रद्वारां शतयोजनायताम् अध्यावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः
M. N. Dutt: It is the abode of Indra. It is very beautiful; it has one thousand gates and it extends one hundred Yojanas all around. Here lived I for another one thousand years. And then I ascended to a higher region.
ततो दिव्यमजरं प्राप्य लोकं; प्रजापतेर्लोकपतेर्दुरापम् तत्रावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं; ततो लोकं परमस्म्यभ्युपेतः
AI Translation: Then, having attained the divine, deathless world, the world of Prajapati, the Lord of the Worlds, which is difficult to attain, I dwelt there for just a thousand years, and then I came to the supreme world.
देवस्य देवस्य निवेशने च; विजित्य लोकानवसं यथेष्टम् संपूज्यमानस्त्रिदशैः समस्तै;स्तुल्यप्रभावद्युतिरीश्वराणाम्
M. N. Dutt: It is the abode of the god of gods, (Vishnu), where I lived for many years in supreme bliss. I have lived in various regions and I was adored by the celestials and I possessed splendour and prowess like the celestial.
तथावसं नन्दने कामरूपी; संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम् सहाप्सरोभिर्विहरन्पुण्यगन्धा;न्पश्यन्नगान्पुष्पितांश्चारुरूपान्
M. N. Dutt: I was capable of assuming any form at will; I sported for many millions of years with the Apsaras in the gardens of Nandana, under innumerable beautiful trees clad in flowery garb and spreading delicious perfume.
तत्रस्थं मां देवसुखेषु सक्तं; कालेऽतीते महति ततोऽतिमात्रम् दूतो देवानामब्रवीदुग्ररूपो; ध्वंसेत्युच्चैस्त्रिः प्लुतेन स्वरेण
M. N. Dutt: I lived there in celestial happiness for many years, when a celestial messenger of grim visage thrice shouted to me in a loud and deep voice, “Ruined, Ruined, Ruined."
एतावन्मे विदितं राजसिंह; ततो भ्रष्टोऽहं नन्दनात्क्षीणपुण्यः वाचोऽश्रौषं चान्तरिक्षे सुराणा;मनुक्रोशाच्छोचतां मानवेन्द्र
M. N. Dutt: O best of kings, this much I remember that I fell from Nandana and all my religious merits were gone. O king of men, I heard the voices of the celestials in the sky exclaiming in grief.
अहो कष्टं क्षीणपुण्यो ययातिः; पतत्यसौ पुण्यकृत्पुण्यकीर्तिः तानब्रुवं पतमानस्ततोऽहं; सतां मध्ये निपतेयं कथं नु
M. N. Dutt: "What misfortune! The virtuous and meritorious Yayati is falling! His all religious merits are destroyed!” And when I was falling, I asked them, “Where are those wise ones amongst whom am I to fall?"
तैराख्याता भवतां यज्ञभूमिः; समीक्ष्य चैनां त्वरितमुपागतोऽस्मि हविर्गन्धं देशिकं यज्ञभूमे;र्धूमापाङ्गं प्रतिगृह्य प्रतीतः
M. N. Dutt: They pointed out to me this sacred sacrificial region belonging to you. I am hastily coming to this your sacrificial ground, seeing the curls of smoke that rise from the sacrificial fire and blacken the sky. I smelt the perfume of the sacrificial ghee.