इन्द्र उवाच सर्वाणि कर्माणि समाप्य राजन् गृहं परित्यज्य वनं गतोऽसि। तत् त्वां पृच्छामि नहुषस्य पुत्र केनासि तुल्यस्तपसा ययाते॥
Indra said: O king, O son of Nahusha, O Yayati, after accomplishing all your duties, you went to the forest, leaving your home. I ask you, tell me like whom you are in ascetic merits.
ययातिरुवाच नाहं देवमनुष्येषु गन्धर्वेषु महर्षिषु। आत्मनस्तपसा तुल्यं कंचित् पश्यामि वासव॥
Yayati said: O Vasava (Indra), I do not find among men, the celestials, the Gandharvas and great Rishis, any one equal to me in ascetic merits.
इन्द्र उवाच यदावमंस्थाः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च अल्पीयसश्चाविदितप्रभावः। तस्माल्लोकास्त्वन्तवन्तस्तवेमे क्षीणे पुण्ये पतितास्यद्य राजन्॥
Indra said: O king, as you disregard those that are your superiors, those that are your equals and those that are your inferiors, your virtues, therefore, suffer a diminution and thus you must fall from heaven.
ययातिरुवाच सुरर्षिगन्धर्वनरावमानात् क्षयं गता मे यदि शक्र लोकाः। इच्छाम्यहं सुरलोकाद् विहीनः सतां मध्ये पतितुं देवराज॥
Yayati said : O king of the celestials, if my virtues have really been diminished (by my pride), let me fall at least among men who are virtuous and honest.
इन्द्र उवाच श्च्युतः प्रतिष्ठां यत्र लब्धासि भूयः। एतद् विदित्वा च पुनर्ययाते त्वं मावमंस्थाः सदृशः श्रेयसश्च॥
Indra said: O king, you shall fall among those that are virtuous and honest. You shall also gain great renown. O Yayati, after your this experience, never again disregard any one, your superiors, your equals or even your inferiors.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः प्रहायामरराजजुष्टान् पुण्याँल्लोकान् पतमानं ययातिम्। मुवाच सद्धर्मविधानगोप्ता॥
Vaishampayana said : Thereupon Yayati fell from the region of the holy. And he was seen when thus falling by that royal sage, Ashtaka, the protector of religion. Seeing him he asked.
अष्टक उवाच कस्त्वं युवा वासवतुल्यरूप: स्वतेजसा दीप्यमानो यथाग्निः। पतस्युदीर्णाम्बुधराम्धकारात् खात् खेचराणां प्रवरो यथार्कः॥
Ashtaka said: Who are you, young as you are, as handsome as Indra, as prominent by your own splendour as that of fire? Who are you falling like the foremost ranger of the sky, the sun, driving away the dark masses of clouds?
दृष्ट्वा च त्वां सूर्यपथात् पतन्तं वैश्वानरार्कातिभप्रमेयम्। किं नु स्विदेतत् पततीति सर्वे वितर्कयन्तः परिमोहिताः स्मः॥
Seeing you fall from the region of the sun, as effulgent as the fire or the sun, all men are asking themselves, "What is this that falls?" They are deprived of their consciousness.
दृष्ट्वा च त्वां धिष्ठितं देवमार्गे शक्रार्कविष्णुप्रतिमप्रभावम्। अभ्युद्गतास्त्वां वयमद्य सर्वे तत्त्वं प्रपाते तव जिज्ञासमानाः॥
Seeing you in the path of the celestials, as effulgent as Surya, Indra or Vishnu, we have all come to you to ascertain the truth.
न चापि त्वां धृष्णुमः प्रष्टुमग्रे न च त्वमस्मान् पृच्छसि ये वयं स्मः। तत् त्वां पृच्छामि स्पृहणीयरूप कस्य त्वं वा किंनिमित्तं त्वमागाः॥
O enviably handsome one, we would not have been guilty of incivility by first asking you who you are, if you would have asked us first who we are. We ask you, (tell us) who you are and why you come here?
भयं तु ते व्येतु विषादमोही त्यजाशु चैवेन्द्रसमप्रभाव। त्वां वर्तमानं हि सतां सकाशे नालं प्रसोढुं बलहापि शक्रः॥
O Indra-like great one, let your fears be dispelled, let your woes and afflictions cease. । You are now in the presence of the virtuous and the wise. Even Indra, the slayer of Bala, cannot do you any harm.
सन्तः प्रतिष्ठा हि सुखच्युतानां सतां सदैवामरराजकल्प। ते संगताः स्थावरजङ्गमेशा: प्रतिष्ठिस्त्वं सदृशेषु सत्सु॥
O Indra-like great one, the honest and the virtuous are the support of their brethren. Here are assembled the protectors of the movable and the immovables of the world, the honest and the virtuous. You are now with such ones.
प्रभुरग्निः प्रतपने भूमिरावपने प्रभुः। । प्रभुः सूर्यः प्रकाशित्वे सतां चाभ्यागतः प्रभुः॥
As Agni is the lord that gives heat, as earth is the lord that holds the seed (and produces corn), as sun is the lord that dispels darkness, so is a guest the lord of the honest and the virtuous.