वसुमानुवाच यद्यस्ति लोको दिवि मे नरेन्द्र। यद्यन्तरिक्षे प्रथितो महात्मन् क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये॥
Vasuman said: I am Vasuman, the son of Ushadashva. I ask you, O king, is there any region for me to enjoy either in heaven or in the firmament, as fruits of my virtuous acts? O high-souled one, you know all holy regions.
ययातिरुवाच यदन्तरिक्षं पृथिवी दिशश्च यत्तेजसा तपते भानुमांश्च। लोकास्तावन्तो दिवि संस्थिता वै ते नान्तवन्तः प्रतिपालयन्ति॥
Yayati said : The extensive regions, as extensive as those in the firmament, on earth and ten points of heaven that are illuminated by the sun, are all waiting for you.
वसुमानुवाच तांस्ते ददानि मा प्रपत प्रपातं ये मे लोकास्तव ते वै भवन्तु। क्रीणीष्वैतांस्तृणकेनापि राजन् प्रतिग्रहस्ते यदि धीमन् प्रदुष्टः॥
Vasuman said : I give them all to you. Let those regions that are mine be all yours. O king, if it is improper for you to accept them in gift, then pur hase them with a straw.
ययातिरुवाच न मिथ्याहं विक्रयं वै स्मरामि वृथा गृहीतं शिशुकाच्छङ्कमानः। विधिसमानः किमु तत्र साधु॥
Yayati said : I do not remember to have ever bought or sold any thing in an unfair way. This has also never been done by other kings. How shall I do it then?
वसुमानुवाच तांस्त्वं लोकान् प्रतिपद्यस्व राजन् मया दत्तान् यदि नेष्टः क्रयस्ते। अहं न तान् वै प्रतिगन्ता नरेन्द्र सर्वे लोकास्तव ते वै भवन्तु॥
Vasuman said: O king, if to purchase them be considered by you improper, take them from me as gifts. I for myself speak, that I shall never go to those regions that are for me. Let thein, therefore, be yours.
शिबिरुवाच पृच्छामि त्वां शिबिरौशीनरोऽहं ममापि लोका यदि सन्तीह तात। यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिताः क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये॥
Sibi said : I am Sibi, the son of Ushinara. I ask you, O king, O sire, is there any region in heaven or in the firmament for me to enjoy? You know every region that one may enjoy as the fruit of his religious merit.
ययातिरुवाच यत् त्वं वाचा हृदयेनापि साधून् परीप्समानान् नावमंस्था नरेन्द्र। तेनानन्ता दिवि लोकाः श्रितास्ते विद्युदूपाः स्वनवन्तो महान्तः॥
Yayati said: You have never disregarded either in mind or by speech the honest and the virtuous men that ever applied to you. There are infinite worlds for you to enjoy in heaven, all blazing like lightning.
शिबिरुवाच तांस्त्वं लोकान् प्रतिपद्यस्व राजन् मया दत्तान् यदि नेष्टः क्रयस्ते। न चाहं तान् प्रतिपत्स्ये ह दत्त्वा यत्र गत्वा नानुशोचन्ति धीराः॥
Sibi said : If you consider their purchase as improper, I give them to you as gifts. O king, take them all. I shall never go to the region where the wise never feel the least grief.
ययातिरुवाच स्ते चाप्यनन्ता नरदेव लोकाः। तथाद्य लोके न रमेऽन्यदत्ते तस्माच्छिबे नाभिनन्दामि देयम्॥
Yayati said : O Sibi, you have indeed obtained for yourself infinite worlds, possessed as you are of the prowess of Indra. But I do not wish to enjoy regions given to me by others. Therefore, I cannot accept your gifts.
अष्टक उवाच न चेदेकैकशो राजंल्लोकान् नः प्रतिनन्दसि। सर्वे प्रदाय भवते गन्तारो नरकं वयम्॥
Ashtaka said: O king, each of us has expressed our desire to give you the regions that each of us has acquired by his religious merits. You refuse to accept them. We leave them for you and we shall now descend into the earth-hell.
ययातिरुवाच यदोऽहं तद् यदध्वं सन्तः सत्याभिनन्दिनः। अहं तन्नाभिजानामि यत् कृतं न मया पुरा॥
Yayati said : You are all truth-loving and wise. Give me that which I desire to have. I shall not be able to do what I have not done before.
अष्टक उवाच कस्यैते प्रतिदृश्यन्ते रथाः पञ्च हिरण्मयाः। यानारुह्य नरो लोकानभिवाञ्छति शाश्वतान्॥
Ashtaka said : To whom does these fine cars belong that we see before us? Do men ride on them who go to the regions of everlasting bliss?
ययातिरुवाच युष्मानेते वहिष्यन्ति रताः पञ्च हिरण्मयाः। उच्चैः सन्तः प्रकाशन्ते ज्वलन्तोऽग्निशिखा इव॥
Yayati said : These fine golden cars, as blazing as fire and displaying great glory, will carry you to regions of bliss.
अष्टक उवाच आतिष्ठस्व रथान् राजन् विक्रमस्व विहायसम्। वयमप्यनुयास्यामो यदा कालो भविष्यति॥
Ashtaka said: O king, get on these cars and go to heaven. We shall also follow you in time.
ययातिरुवाच सरिदानी गन्तव्यं सह स्वर्गजितो वयम्। एष नो विरजाः पन्था दृश्यते देवसद्मनः॥
Yayati said: We can now all go together. All of us have conquered heaven . Behold, the glorious path to heaven becomes visible.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तेऽधिरुह्य स्थान् सर्वे प्रयाता नृपसत्तमाः। आक्रमन्तो दिवं भाभिर्धर्मेणावृत्य रोदसी॥
Vaishampayana said : Illuminating the whole firmament by the glory of their virtues, those excellent kings got on those cars and set out in order to get admittance into heaven.
अष्टक उवाच अहं मन्ये पूर्वमेकोऽस्मि गन्ता सखा चेन्द्रः सर्वथा मे महात्मा। मेकोऽत्यगात् सर्ववेगेन वाहान्॥
Ashtaka said: I always thought that Indra was my special friend and that I shall, of all others, first obtain admittance into heaven. But how is it that Sibi, the son of Ushinara, has already left us behind?
ययातिरुवाच अददद् देवयानाय यावद् वित्तमविन्दता उशीनरस्य पुत्रोऽयं तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठो हि वः शिबिः॥ दानं तपः सत्यमथापि धर्मो ही: श्रीः क्षमा सौम्यमथो विधित्सा। राजन्नेतान्यप्रमेयाणि राज्ञः शिबेः स्थितान्यप्रतिमस्य बुद्ध्या॥ एवंवृत्तो ह्रीनिषेवश्च यस्मात् तस्माच्छिबिरत्यगाद् वै रथेन।
Yayati said : This son of Ushinara had given all he possessed to attain to the region of Brahma. Therefore, he is the foremost among all of you. Shibi's liberality, asceticism, truth, virtue, modesty, good fortune, forgiveness, amiability and desire of performing good acts, have been so great that none can measure them. The king Sibi is crowned with righteousness and is bashful, therefore he is foremost among all of us.
वैशम्पायन उवाच मातामहं कौतुकेनेन्द्रकल्पम्॥ पृच्छामि त्वां नृपते ब्रूहि सत्यं कुतश्च कश्चासि सुतश्च कस्य। कृतं त्वया यद्धि न तस्य कर्ता लोके त्वदन्यः क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणो वा॥
Vaishampayana said: Ashtaka, impelled by curiosity, again asked his maternal grandfather, who was like Indra himself, “O king, I ask you, tell me truly, whence have you come? Who are you? and whose son are you?
ययातिरुवाच ययातिरस्मि नहुषस्य पुत्रः पूरोः पिता सार्वभौमस्त्विहासम्। गुह्यं चार्थं मामकेभ्यो ब्रवीमि मातामहोऽहं भवतां प्रकाशम्॥
Yayati said: I tell you truly, I am Yayati, the son of Nahusha and the father of Puru. I was a Sarvabhauma (Universal monarch) on earth. You are my kinsmen. I am your maternal grandfather.
सर्वामिमां पृथिवीं निर्जिगाय प्रादामहं छादनं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः। स्तदा देवाः पुण्यभाजो भवन्ति॥
Having conquered the whole earth, I gave clothes to the Brahmanas. I gave them also one hundred horses fit for sacrificial offerings. For such pious acts the celestials become propitious to those that perform them.
अदामहं पृथिवीं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः पूर्णामिमामखिलां वाहनेन। स्तदाददं गाः शतमर्बुदानि।२४॥
gave also to Brahmanas this whole earth with her horses, elephants, kine, gold and all kinds of wealth. I gave away also one hundred Arbudas, the excellent milk cows.
सत्येन वै द्यौश्च वसुन्धरा च तथैवाग्निर्चलते मानुषेषु। न मे वृथा व्यहृतमेव वाक्यं सत्यं हि सन्तः प्रतिपूजयन्ति॥
The firmament and earth still exist owing to my truth and virtue. Fire and burns owing to my truth and virtue. Never a word has been uttered by me which is not true. The wise, therefore, adore truth.
यदष्टक प्रब्रवीमीह सत्यं प्रतर्दनं चौषदश्विं तथैवा सर्वे च लोका मुनयश्च देवाः सत्येन पूज्या इति मे मनोगतम्॥
O Ashtaka, all that I have told you, Pratardana and Vasuman, the son of Uşadasva is the truth itself. I know that all the worlds, all the Rishis and all the celestials are adorable only because Truth characterises them all.
यो नः स्वर्गजितः सर्वान् यथा वृत्तं निवेदयत्। अनुसूयुर्द्विजायेभ्यः स लभेन्नः सलोकताम्॥
He who will duly read to the good Brahmanas, the account of our ascension to heaven without malice shall himself attain to the same worlds with us.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं राजा स महात्मा ह्यतीव स्वैर्दोहित्रैस्तारितोऽमित्रसाहः। त्यक्त्वा महीं परमोदारकर्मा स्वर्गं गतः कर्मभिर्व्याप्य पृथ्वीम्॥
Vaishampayana said : Thus ascended to heaven that illustrious man (Yayati) of great achievements. Rescued by his kinsmen, he left the earth and filled the three worlds with the fame of his deeds.