अष्टक उवाच यदावसो नन्दने कामरूपी संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम्। किं कारणं कार्तयुगप्रधान हित्वा च त्वं वसुधामन्वपद्यः॥
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 सुहृत् स्वजनो वा यथेह क्षीणे वित्ते त्यज्यते मानवैहि। तथा तत्र क्षीणपुण्यं मनुष्यं त्यजन्ति सद्यः सेश्वरा देवसङ्घाः॥
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 तस्मिन् कथं क्षीणपुण्या भवन्ति सम्मुह्यते मेऽत्र मनोऽतिमात्रम्। किं वा विशिष्टाः कस्य धामोपयान्ति तदे वै ब्रूहि क्षेत्रवित् त्वं मतो मे॥
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 कङ्कगोमायुबलाशनार्थे क्षीणा विवृद्धिं बहुधा व्रजन्ति॥
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.
तस्मादेतद् वर्जनीयं नरेन्द्र दुष्टं लोके गर्हणीयं च कर्म। आख्यातं ते पार्थिव सर्वमेव भूयश्चेदानीं वद किं ते वदामि॥
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 तान् वितुदन्ते वयांसि तथा गृध्राः शितिकण्ठाः पतङ्गाः। कथं भवन्ति कथमाभवन्ति न भौममन्यं नरकं शृणोमि॥
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 देहात् कर्मणा जृम्भमाणाद् व्यक्तं पृथिव्यामनुसंचरन्ति। इमं भौमं नरकं ते पतन्ति नावेक्षन्ते वर्षपूगाननेकान्॥
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 तान् वै तुदन्ति पततः प्रपातं भीमा भौमा राक्षसास्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः॥
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॥
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 मन्वेति तद् वै पुरुषेण सृष्टम्। स वै तस्या रज आपद्यते वै स गर्भभूतः समुपैति तत्र॥ वनस्पतीनोषधीश्चाविशन्ति अपो वायुं पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षम्। मेवम्भूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति॥
Yayati said : All beings, thus fallen from heaven, become subtle substance, living in water. This water subsequently becomes the semen from which life is created. It then enters the womb of a woman in her season and develops into the embryo. It then becomes visible life like the fruit from the flower. Entering into trees, plants, vegetables, water, air, earth and space, the watery seed of life becomes quadrupeds of bipeds. This is the case with all creatures.
अष्टक उवाच मुताहोस्वित् स्वेन कायेन याति। माचक्ष्व मे संशयात् प्रब्रवीमि॥ शरीरभेदाभिसमुच्छ्रयं च चक्षुःश्रोत्रे लभते केन संज्ञाम्। एतत् तत्त्वं सर्वमाचक्ष्व पृष्टः क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तात मन्याम सर्वे॥
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 गर्भयोनिमृतौ रेत: पुष्परसानुपृक्तम्। स तत्र तन्मात्रकृताधिकारः। क्रमेण संवर्धयतीह गर्भम्॥
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 विगृहीतमात्रः संज्ञामधिष्ठाय ततो मनुष्यः। स श्रोत्राभ्यां वेदयतीह शब्दं स वै रूपं पश्यति चक्षुषा च॥ घ्राणेन गन्धं जिह्वयाथो रसं च त्वचा स्पर्श मनसा वेद भावम्। इत्यष्टकेहोपहितं हि विद्धि महात्मनां प्राणभृतां शरीरे॥
He then develops in course of time into the embryo. He is then furnished with the visible organisation. Coming out of the womb in course of time, he becomes conscious of his existence. He then becomes sensible of sound by his ears, of colour and form by his eyes, of scent by his nose, of taste by his tongue, of touch by his whole body and of ideas by his mind. O Ashtaka, it is thus that the gross and visible body develops from the subtle essence.
अष्टक उवाच यः संस्थितः पुरुषो दह्यते वा निखन्यते वापि निकृष्यते वा। अभावभूतः स विनाशमेत्य केनात्मना चेतयते परस्तात्॥
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.
भवन्ति पापा ययातिरुवाच हित्वा सोऽसून् सुप्तवन्निष्टनित्वा पुरोधाय सुकृतं दुष्कृतं वा। अन्यां योनि पवनाग्रानुसारी हित्वा देहं भजते राजसिंह॥
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 योनि पुण्यकृतो व्रजन्ति पापां योनि पापकृतो व्रजन्ति। कीटाः पतङ्गाश्च न मे विवक्षास्ति महानुभाव॥ चतुष्पदा द्विपदाः षट्पदाश्च तथाभूता गर्भभूता भवन्ति। आख्यातमेतन्निखिलेन सर्वं भूयस्तु किं पृच्छसि राजसिंह॥
The virtuous attain to a superior and the vicious to an inferior form of existence. The vicious becomes worms and insects. O illustrious one, I have nothing more to say. I have told you, how beings are born by the development of their embryonic formas quadrupeds, bipeds and six-footed creatures. What more will you ask me?
अष्टक उवाच किंस्वित् कृत्वा लभते तात लोकान् मर्त्यः श्रेष्ठांस्तपसा विद्यया वा। च्छुभाँल्लोकान् येन गच्छेत् क्रमेण॥
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 हीरार्जवं सर्वभूतानुकम्पा। स्वर्गस्य लोकस्य वदन्ति सन्तो द्वाराणि सप्तैव महान्ति पुंसाम्। नश्यन्ति मानेन तमोऽभिभूताः पुंसः सदैवेति वदन्ति सन्तः॥
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.
अधीयानः पण्डितं मन्यमानो यो विद्यया हन्ति यशः परेषाम्। तस्यान्तवन्तश्च भवन्ति लोका न चास्य तद् ब्रह्म फलं ददाति॥
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 पानयज्ञः॥
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 मानमान्यो मुदमाददीत न संतापं प्राप्नुयाचावमानात्। सन्तः सतः पूजयन्तीह लोके नासाधवः साधुबुद्धिं लभन्ते॥ इति दद्यामित यज इत्यधीय इति व्रतम्। इत्येतानि भयान्याहुस्तानि वानि सर्वशः॥
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.
ये चाश्रयं वेदयन्ते पुराणं मनीषिणो मानसमार्गरुद्धम्। तद्वः श्रेयस्तेन संयोगमेत्य परां शान्तिं प्राप्नुयुः प्रेत्य चेह॥
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.