Critical Edition
अष्टक उवाच यदावसो नन्दने कामरूपी; संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम् किं कारणं कार्तयुगप्रधान; हित्वा तत्त्वं वसुधामन्वपद्यः
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: O foremost man of the Krita Yuga, you having been able to assume any form at will, passed millions of years in the garden of Nandana. For what reason have you been compelled to leave that happy region and come here today?
ययातिरुवाच ज्ञातिः सुहृत्स्वजनो यो यथेह; क्षीणे वित्ते त्यज्यते मानवैर्हि तथा तत्र क्षीणपुण्यं मनुष्यं; त्यजन्ति सद्यः सेश्वरा देवसंघाः
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : As relatives and kinsmen forsake in this world a man who has lost his wealth, so in the other world Indra and the celestials forsake one who loses his righteousness.
अष्टक उवाच कथं तस्मिन्क्षीणपुण्या भवन्ति; संमुह्यते मेऽत्र मनोऽतिमात्रम् किंविशिष्टाः कस्य धामोपयान्ति; तद्वै ब्रूहि क्षेत्रवित्त्वं मतो मे
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: O king, I am very curious to learn how men can lose their righteousness in the other world. Tell me also what regions are attained by what means. I know you are acquainted with all the doings and the sayings.
ययातिरुवाच इमं भौमं नरकं ते पतन्ति; लालप्यमाना नरदेव सर्वे ते कङ्कगोमायुबलाशनार्थं; क्षीणा विवृद्धिं बहुधा व्रजन्ति
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : O God-like man, they that speak of their own merits are doomed to the painful hell called Bhauma, (earth). Though really lean, they appear to grow (fat on earth) to become the food for vultures, dogs and jackals.
तस्मादेतद्वर्जनीयं नरेण; दुष्टं लोके गर्हणीयं च कर्म आख्यातं ते पार्थिव सर्वमेत;द्भूयश्चेदानीं वद किं ते वदामि
M. N. Dutt: Therefore, O king, this censurable and wicked vice should be cast off in this world. O king, I have now told you all. Tell me what more I shall speak.
अष्टक उवाच यदा तु तान्वितुदन्ते वयांसि; तथा गृध्राः शितिकण्ठाः पतंगाः कथं भवन्ति कथमाभवन्ति; न भौममन्यं नरकं शृणोमि
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: When life is destroyed by age, vultures, Shitikantha, insects and worms eat up the human body, where does man then live? How does he come to life again? I have never heard of any hell called Bhauma.
ययातिरुवाच ऊर्ध्वं देहात्कर्मणो जृम्भमाणा;द्व्यक्तं पृथिव्यामनुसंचरन्ति इमं भौमं नरकं ते पतन्ति; नावेक्षन्ते वर्षपूगाननेकान्
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : When the body is destroyed (by death), man, according to the effects of his acts, is born again in the womb of his mother. He stays there in an indistinct form and he then gradually assumes distinct and visible form. He then reappears and walks on the earth. Thus he falls into the hell Bhauma (earth) and does not see the end of his existence.
षष्टिं सहस्राणि पतन्ति व्योम्नि; तथा अशीतिं परिवत्सराणि तान्वै तुदन्ति प्रपततः प्रपातं; भीमा भौमा राक्षसास्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः
M. N. Dutt: Some thus falling live for sixty thousand years in the firmament; some again for eighty thousand years. They then fall (on this earth) and they are attacked by fearful Bhauma Rakshasas of sharp teeth.
अष्टक उवाच यदेनसस्ते पततस्तुदन्ति; भीमा भौमा राक्षसास्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः कथं भवन्ति कथमाभवन्ति; कथंभूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said : Why are men, when thus falling from heaven, attacked by these fearful and sharpteethed Rakshasas? Why are they not annihilated? How do they again enter the womb?
ययातिरुवाच अस्रं रेतः पुष्पफलानुपृक्त;मन्वेति तद्वै पुरुषेण सृष्टम् स वै तस्या रज आपद्यते वै; स गर्भभूतः समुपैति तत्र
AI Translation: Yayāti said: The semen is the seed, the flower and fruit are not connected with it; it is that which is created by the Puruṣa. He indeed becomes attached to her menstrual blood; he becomes the embryo and goes to her.
वनस्पतींश्चौषधीश्चाविशन्ति; अपो वायुं पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षम् चतुष्पदं द्विपदं चापि सर्व;मेवंभूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति
AI Translation: They enter the trees and plants, the waters, the wind, the earth, the sky, The four-footed and the two-footed, all; thus they become, as it were, in the womb.
अष्टक उवाच अन्यद्वपुर्विदधातीह गर्भ; उताहोस्वित्स्वेन कामेन याति आपद्यमानो नरयोनिमेता;माचक्ष्व मे संशयात्प्रब्रवीमि
AI Translation: Aṣṭaka said: Does it assume another body here in the womb, or does it go by its own desire? When it is about to be born, does it take on this
शरीरदेहादिसमुच्छ्रयं च; चक्षुःश्रोत्रे लभते केन संज्ञाम् एतत्तत्त्वं सर्वमाचक्ष्व पृष्टः; क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तात मन्याम सर्वे
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: Does a being who has got a human form enter the womb in its own shape or in some other? How does it acquire its distinct and visible shape, its eyes, ears and consciousness? Tell me all this, I ask you, because I have my doubts.
ययातिरुवाच वायुः समुत्कर्षति गर्भयोनि;मृतौ रेतः पुष्परसानुपृक्तम् स तत्र तन्मात्रकृताधिकारः; क्रमेण संवर्धयतीह गर्भम्
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said: The being that remains in a subtle form in the seed, when dropped into the womb, is attracted by atmospheric force for purposes of rebirth, according to the merits of one's acts.
स जायमानो विगृहीतगात्रः; षड्ज्ञाननिष्ठायतनो मनुष्यः स श्रोत्राभ्यां वेदयतीह शब्दं; सर्वं रूपं पश्यति चक्षुषा च
AI Translation: When he is born, his limbs are well-formed, he is a human being who has attained the six higher knowledges. He hears sounds with his ears, and sees all forms with his eyes.
घ्राणेन गन्धं जिह्वयाथो रसं च; त्वचा स्पर्शं मनसा वेद भावम् इत्यष्टकेहोपचितिं च विद्धि; महात्मनः प्राणभृतः शरीरे
AI Translation: By the nose, smell; by the tongue, taste; by the skin, touch; by the mind, know the feeling. Thus know the accumulation of the eight elements in the body of the great-souled one who sustains life.
अष्टक उवाच यः संस्थितः पुरुषो दह्यते वा; निखन्यते वापि निघृष्यते वा अभावभूतः स विनाशमेत्य; केनात्मानं चेतयते पुरस्तात्
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: The body is burnt, buried of otherwise destroyed after death. Reduced to nothing on one's death, by what principle is one again revived.
ययातिरुवाच हित्वा सोऽसून्सुप्तवन्निष्टनित्वा; पुरोधाय सुकृतं दुष्कृतं च अन्यां योनिं पवनाग्रानुसारी; हित्वा देहं भजते राजसिंह
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : O lion of kings, the man who dies, assumes a subtle form, but he retains the consciousness of all his acts as if in a dream. He then assumes some other form with a quicker speed than that of air.
पुण्यां योनिं पुण्यकृतो व्रजन्ति; पापां योनिं पापकृतो व्रजन्ति कीटाः पतंगाश्च भवन्ति पापा; न मे विवक्षास्ति महानुभाव
AI Translation: The virtuous go to a virtuous womb, the sinful to a sinful womb. The sinful become insects and moths. I have no desire, O one of great power.
चतुष्पदा द्विपदाः षट्पदाश्च; तथाभूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति आख्यातमेतन्निखिलेन सर्वं; भूयस्तु किं पृच्छसि राजसिंह
AI Translation: The four-footed, the two-footed, and the six-footed, in that state, become pregnant. This has been fully declared. What more do you ask, O king of kings?
अष्टक उवाच किं स्वित्कृत्वा लभते तात लोका;न्मर्त्यः श्रेष्ठांस्तपसा विद्यया वा तन्मे पृष्टः शंस सर्वं यथाव;च्छुभाँल्लोकान्येन गच्छेत्क्रमेण
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: O sire, how does a man attain to those higher regions whence there is no return to earthly life again? Is it by asceticism or knowledge? How does a man attain to the region of the highest bliss? As I ask you, tell me all.
ययातिरुवाच तपश्च दानं च शमो दमश्च; ह्रीरार्जवं सर्वभूतानुकम्पा नश्यन्ति मानेन तमोऽभिभूताः; पुंसः सदैवेति वदन्ति सन्तः
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said ; The wise say that there are seven gates through which admission might be gained to heaven. These are asceticism, gift, tranquility of mind, self-command, modesty, simplicity and kindness. A person loses all this in consequence of vanity.
Supplementary Passages:
1.85.22 After 22ab, K0.3.4 B5 (marg.) D (except Da2) Cd (?) ins.: *861 स्वर्गस्य लोकस्य वदन्ति सन्तो द्वाराणि सप्तैव महान्ति पुंसाम्
अधीयानः पण्डितं मन्यमानो; यो विद्यया हन्ति यशः परेषाम् तस्यान्तवन्तश्च भवन्ति लोका; न चास्य तद्ब्रह्म फलं ददाति
M. N. Dutt: The man who, having acquired knowledge, regards himself as learned and destroys, the reputation of others by his learning, never goes to the region of the highest bliss. It does not also give him the power of attaining to Brahma.
चत्वारि कर्माण्यभयंकराणि; भयं प्रयच्छन्त्ययथाकृतानि मानाग्निहोत्रमुत मानमौनं; मानेनाधीतमुत मानयज्ञः
M. N. Dutt: Study, taciturnity, worship before fire and sacrifices, these are the four means through which fear is removed. But when these four are mixed with vanity, they cause fear instead of removing it.
न मान्यमानो मुदमाददीत; न संतापं प्राप्नुयाच्चावमानात् सन्तः सतः पूजयन्तीह लोके; नासाधवः साधुबुद्धिं लभन्ते
M. N. Dutt: The wise should never feel pride in receiving honours, nor should they be sorry if insulted. For it is the wise alone that honour the wise; the wicked and vicious can never act like the virtuous. I have given so much, I have performed so many sacrifices, I have studied so much, I have observed so many vows, such vanity and pride are the roots of all fear. Therefore, it must be abandoned by all means.
इति दद्यादिति यजेदित्यधीयीत मे व्रतम् इत्यस्मिन्नभयान्याहुस्तानि वर्ज्यानि नित्यशः
AI Translation: "Thus one should give, thus one should sacrifice, thus one should study my vow" In this, they say, there are no fears. Those should always be avoided.
येनाश्रयं वेदयन्ते पुराणं; मनीषिणो मानसमानभक्तम् तन्निःश्रेयस्तैजसं रूपमेत्य; परां शान्तिं प्राप्नुयुः प्रेत्य चेह
M. N. Dutt: Those learned men who accept as their only support the unchangeable and inconceivable Brahma, Brahma that showers blessings on persons virtuous as you are, enjoy perfect peace here in this world and hereafter in heaven.