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Mahabharata
Sambhava Parva (VIII)
History of Yayati.
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?
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 celestial forsake one who loses his righteousness.
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 ail the doings and the sayings.
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.
Therefore, O king, this censurable and wicked vice should be cast off. O king, I have now told you all. Tell me what more I shall speak.
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.
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.
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.
Ashtaka said:
Why are men, when thus falling from heaven, attacked by these fearful and sharp-teethed Rakshasas? Why are they not annihilated? How do they again enter the womb?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yayati said:
O best 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.
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 form as quadrupeds, bipeds and six-footed creatures. What more will you ask me?
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.
Yayati said:
The wise say that there are seven gates through which admission night 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.
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.
Study, taciturnity, worship before fire and sacrifices, these are the four mears through which fear is removed. But when these four are mixed with vanity, they cause fear instead of removing it.
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.
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.
Ashtaka said:
Those that are learned in the Vedas differ in opinions as regards the respective methods which should be practised by the Grihastas, Brahmacharis, Bhikshus and Vanaprasthas, so that they may acquire religious merits.
Yayati said:
A Brahmachari must do the following. When he will live in the house of his preceptor, he must receive lessons only when his preceptor will call him to do it. He must serve his preceptor without waiting for his command. He must rise before his preceptor from his bed and go to bed after him. He must be humble, self-controlled, patient, vigilant and devoted to study.
It is said in the oldest Upanishada that he must perform sacrifices after acquiring wealth by honest means. He should spend it in charity; he should be hospitable to all that would come to his house; he should never use anything without giving a portion to others.
A Muni (Brahmachari) should live in the forest, depending on his own vigour and without searching for food. He should abstain from all vicious acts; he should give away in charity; he should never inflict pain upon any creatures. It is then only that he can gain success.
He is a true Bhikshu, who does not support himself by any manual labour, who possesses many accomplishments, who has his passions under complete control, who is thoroughly unconnected with all worldly concerns, who does not sleep under the shelter of a householder's roof, who is without wife and who travels over many countries, going some distance every day.
A learned man should adopt the Vanaprastha mode of life, after the performance of the necessary rites. He should adopt it when he has been able to control his thirst for enjoyments and desire of acquiring wealth. When a man dies in the forest, leading the Vanaprastha mode of life, he mixes his ancestors and grand-children, numbering ten generations including himself, with the divine
essence.
Ashtaka said:
How many kinds of Munis are there and how many kinds of Munis (observers of vows)? We desire to hear all this.
Yayati said:
O king, he is a true Muni, who possesses all things pertaining to a village though living in the forest and also possesses all things pertaining to the forest though living in a village.
Ashtaka said :
How is it possible to possess all things pertaining to a village when living in the forest and all things pertaining to a forest when living in a village?
Yayati said:
A Muni lives in the forest after withdrawing himself from all worldly objects. But though he never seeks to possess things pertaining to a village, he may yet get them by his ascetic powers.
A true Muni, withdrawn from all earthly objects, might live in a village, leading the life of a hermit. Chad in Kaupina (scantiest of robes,) he considers himself attired in the richest robe. He is content with food just sufficient to support life. He who abandons all desires, who has all his passions under complete control and who has given up all actions, is the man who attains success.
Why should you not revere the man who lives on pure food, who refrains from injuring others, whose heart is ever holy, who is effulgent in his ascetic merits, who is free from the leaden weight of desire and who abstains from injury even when it is sanctioned by the scriptures?
Emaciated by hard asceticism and reduced in marrow, blood and flesh, such a Muni not only conquers this world, but the highest world.
The Muni who sits in Yoga mediation and who becomes indifferent to happiness and misery, honour and insult, conquers this world and conquering it, lie conquers the highest world.
The Muni who eats like the kine and other animals, without providing for it beforehand and without any relish, becomes identified with the whole universe.
Ashtaka said:
O king, who does amongst the two, namely the ascetic and the man of knowledge, first attain to the communion with Brahma, although both exerting like the sun and the moon!
Yayati said:
He who is a man of knowledge and who is self controlled, though living among the householders with various sorts of desires, attains to salvation first.
Those that devote themselves to Yoga meditation take time to acquire that knowledge, for by practice alone they divest themselves from the idea of duality.
Then again, if a man devoted to Yoga doe not find sufficient time to attain to success in one's one life, he is benefited in his next life by the progress already made. But the man of knowledge ever sees the indestructible Unity, therefore he, though emerged in worldly enjoyments, is never affected in the heart.
Ashtaka said:
O king, you are young, you are handsome, you are decorated with celestial garlands, your splendour is great. From what place have you come and where do you go? Whose messenger are you? Are you going to earth?
Yayati said:
As I have lost my religious virtues, I am falling into the Bhauma,(earth) hell. I shall go there after finishing my talk with you. The Lokapalas are commanding me even now to hasten thither.
O king, I have obtained the following boon from Indra. Though I shall fall on earth, yet I shall fall among wise and virtuous men.
Ashtaka said:
O king, I believe, you know every thing. I ask you, is there any region for myself either in heaven or in the firmament? If there be any, you shall not fall.
Yayati said:
O best of kings, there are many regions for you to enjoy in heaven, as many as the kine and horses of earth, as the animals in the wilderness and the hills.
Ashtaka said:
O king, I give to you all those regions in heaven or in the firmament that are for me to enjoy. Therefore, though falling, you must not fall. Take them soon, wherever they may be, in heaven or in the firmament. Let your sorrow cease.
Yayati said:
O best of kings, a Brahma-knowing Brahmana alone can accept gifts and not men like ourselves, O king, I myself have given away (many gifts) to Brahmanas, as I should do.
Let no man, who is not a Brahmana and no woman who is the wife of a hero, earn infamy by accepting gifts. I have always desired to perform virtuous acts on earth. What I have never done before, how shall I do it now and accept a gift?
Pratardana said:
O handsome one, I am Pratardana by name. I ask you, is there any region for me in heaven or in the firmament to enjoy as fruits of my virtues? You know everything.
Yayati said:
O king, innumerable regions, as effulgent as the solar disc and full of great felicity, await you. If you live only for seven days in each, they will never be exhausted.
Pratardana said:
I give to you all of them. Therefore, though falling, you must not fall. Let all the regions for me to enjoy be yours, whether they may be in heaven or in the firmament. Take them soon and let your sorrow cease.
Yayati said:
O king, no king of equal energy should ever desire to accept in gift the religious merits of another king acquired by Yoga. No king, if wise, should act in a censurable way, though afflicted with calamity.
A king should keep his eyes fixed on virtue and walk in the path of piety and thus increase his fame. A virtuous man like me, who know what are his duties, should not act so meanly as you ask me to do.
When others, desirous of acquiring religious merit, do not accept gifts, how can I do it what they do not? When the best of kings, Yayati, said this, he was thus addressed by Vasumana.
Vasumana said:
I am Vasumana, 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.
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.
Vasumana 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 purchase them with a straw.
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?
Vasumana 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 them, therefore, be yours.
Sivi said:
I am Sivi, 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.
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.
Sivi 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.
Yayati said:
O Sivi, 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.
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.
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.
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?
Yayati said:
These fine golden cars, as blazing as fire and displaying great glory, will carry you to regions of bliss.
Ashtaka said:
O king, get on these cars and go to heaven. We shall follow you in time.
Yayati said:
We can now all go together. All of us have conquered heaven . Behold, the glorious path to heaven becomes visible.
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.
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 Sivi, the son of Ushinara, has already left us behind?
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 Sivi is crowned with righteousness and is bashful, therefore he is foremost among all of us.
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?
Yayati said:
I tell you truly,. I am Yayati, the son of Nahusha and the father of Puru. I was a Sarvabhauma on earth. You are my kinsmen. I am your maternal grandfather.
Having conquered the whole earth, I gave clothes to the Brahmanas. I gave them also one hundred horses fit for sacrificial ofiferings. For such pious acts the celestial become propitious to those that perform them.
I 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 of excellent milk cows.
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.
O Ashtaka, all that I have told you, Pratardana and Vasumana, is the truth itself. I know that all the worlds, all the Rishis and all the celestial are adorable only because Truth characterises them all.
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.
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.
Janamejaya said :
Adorable Sir, I desire to hear the history of those kings who were descended from Puru. Tell me what powers and what achievements each possessed?
I have heard that in the dynasty of Puru there was not a single king who was deficient in good behaviour or in prowess. There was none who has no sons.
O great ascetic, I desire to hear in detail the account of these kings who were endued with great learning and who possessed all accomplishments.
Vaishampayana said :
As you ask me I shall tell you all about the heroic kings of Puru ,s royal dynasty, who were all equal to Indra in power. They possessed great affluence and commanded the respect of all, on account of their many accomplishments.
Puru begot on his wife Paushti three great car-warriors, namely Pravira, Ishvara and Raudrashva. Amongst these three, Pravira kept up the line.
Pravira begot on his wife Shuraseni, a son named Manasyu. This lotus-eyed king had his sovereignty over the whole earth bounded by the four seas.
Manasyu begot on his wife Sauviri three sons, namely Shaktta, Sanghanana and Vaggmi; they were all great heroes and car-warriors.
The wise and virtuous Raudrashva begot on Apsara Mishrakeshi ten sons who were all great bow-men. They were great heroes and performed many sacrifices in honour of the celestial; they were learned in all the Shastras and were virtuous. All of them begot sons.
They were Richeyu, Kaksheyu, powerful Krikaneyu, Sthandileyu, Vaneyu, greatly famous Jaleyu, intelligent and strong Tejeyu, Indra-like powerful Satyeyu, Dharmeyu and celestial-like powerful Sannateyu.
Amongst them all, Richeyu became the sole lord of the whole earth and was known by the name of Anadhrishti. He was in prowess like Indra.
Anadhrishti had a son, named Matinara who became a very virtuous king and greatly famous. He performed both Rajasuya and Ashvamedha sacrifices.
Matinara had four greatly powerful sons, namely Tansu, Mahana, Atiratha and immeasurably glorious Druhyu.
Amongst them, greatly powerful Tansu became the perpetuator of Puru's line. He subjugated the whole earth and gained great fame and splendour.
Tansu begot a greatly powerful son, named Ilina. He became the foremost of all conquerors and subjugated the whole world.
Ilina begot on his wife, Rathantari, five sons, Dushyanta being the eldest. They were all as great in power as the five elements.
(They were) Dushyanta, Shura, Bhima, Pravasu and Vasu. O Janamejaya, amongst ,them the eldest Dushyanta became king.
Dushyanta begot on his wife, Sakuntala, a learned son, named Bharata who became king. From him was the Bharata dynasty and from his spread its great fame.
Bharata begot on his three wives nine sons, but none of them was like his father and Bharata was not satisfied with any of them.
Thereupon their mothers, becoming angry, killed them all. Therefore, the procreation of that great king was in vain.
The king then performed a great sacrifice and obtained a son, named Bhumanyu through the grace of Bharadvaja.
O best of the Bharata race, the descendant of Puru, regarding himself as really possessing a son, installed him as his heir-apparent.
Bhumanyu begot on his wife Pushkarini six sons, namely Suhotra, Suhota Suhavi, Suyaju, Richika and Diviratha. The eldest of them Suhotra obtained the throne of the world.
He performed many Rajasuya and Horse-sacrifices. He subjugated the whole earth bounded by the four seas. And full of elephants, kine, horses and great wealth of gems and gold. The earth was, as it were, sinking with the weight of numberless human beings, elephants, horses and cars. Suhotra virtuously ruled over all his subjects.
During his reign, the surface of the whole earth was dotted all over with hundreds and thousands of sacrificial stakes. The earth became full of corns and human beings.
O descendent of the Bharata race, the lord of the earth Suhotra begot on his wife, Aikshvaki three sons, namely Ajamida, Sumida and Purumida.
The eldest of them Ajamida became the perpetuator of the royal line. O descendant of the Bharata race, he begot six sons upon his three wives.
Riksha was born in the womb of Dhumini, Dushyanta and Parameshti in that of Nili and Jahanyu, Jala and Rupina in that of Keshini.
All the Panchalas were descended from Dushyanta and Parameshti. The Kushikas were the descendants of the greatly effulgent Jahnyu.
Riksha was elder than Jala and Rupina; he begot Samvarana, who was the perpetuator of the line.
O king, it has been heard by us that when Samvarana, the son of Riksha, was ruling the earth, there occurred a great loss of people on account of famine, plague, draught and disease.
The Bharata princes were defeated by the armies of their enemies; and the Panchalas, set out with their four kinds of troops to conquer the earth. They soon brought the whole earth under their sway and with their ten Akshauhinis of soldiers the king of the Panchalas defeated the princes of Bharata.
Samvarana then fled in fear with his wife, sons, relatives and ministers.
He took shelter in the forest on the banks of the river Sindhu which extended up to the foot of the mountain.
There lived the Bharatas within their fort for many years; and thus full one thousand years: and thus full one thousand years passed away.
(And when they were living there), the illustrious Rishi Vasistha one day came to those exiled Bharatas. On his approach, they went out and duly worshipped him. All the Bharatas offered him Arghya and entertaining him with reverence, they told every thing to the great Rishi. When he was seated on his seat, the king himself addressed him thus, "O illustrious man, be our priest. We shall try to regain our kingdom."
Vasistha replied to the Bharatas by saying Om. We have heard that Vasistha installed the best of the Pauravas (Samvarana) as the lord over all the Kshatriya races. The king retook the capital that was lost.
He then began to make all the other kings of the world to pay tribute to him. That powerful monarch, thus getting possession of the whole earth, performed many sacrifices in which great presents were made to the Brahmanas. Samvarana begot on his wife Tapati, the daughter of Surya, a son named Kuru.
As Kuru was greatly virtuous, he was installed as the king by all the people. It is after his name that Kuru Jangala has become so famous in the world.
That great ascetic made Kurukshetra famous by his asceticism there. We have heard that Avikshit, Abhishyanta, Chaitraratha, Muni and famous Janamejaya were the five sons begot by him on his highly intelligent wife Vahini.
Avikshit begot Parikshit, powerful Sabalashva, Adiraja, Viraja, greatly strong Shalmali, Uchchaishrava, Bhangakara and the eighth Jitari. In the race of these (eight heroes) were born, as the fruits of their many virtuous acts, seven greatly powerful car-warriors, Janamejaya being at the head.
Parikshit had sons who were all learned Dharma and Artha. They were Kakshasena, Ugrasena and greatly effulgent Chitrasena, Indrasena, Susena and Bhimasena. All the sons of Janamejaya were famous in the world as being greatly powerful (princes). They were Dhritarashtra, the eldest, Pandu, Balhika, greatly effulgent Nishada, the mighty Jambunada, Kundodara, Padati and the eighth Vasati. They were all learned in Dharma and Artha and engaged in doing good to all creatures.
Amongst them Dhritarashtra became king and he had eight sons, namely Kundika, Hasti, Vitarka, Kratha, Kundina, Havishrava, Indrabha and the invincible Bhumanyu. Amongst the sons of Dhritarashtra only three were famous. O descendant of Bharata, (they were) Pratipa, Dharmanetra and Sunetra. Amongst the three Pratipa became unrivalled of all.
O best of the Bharata race, Pratipa begot three sons, namely Devapi, Shantanu and mighty car-warrior Balhika. Devapi adopted asceticism, impelled by the desire to do good to his brothers. Consequently the kingdom was obtained by Shantanu and the mighty car-warrior Balhika.
O king, besides these (I have mentioned), there were born in the Bharata race many other good monarchs all greatly effulgent and all like the celestial Rishis in virtue and ascetic power.
In this way were born in the race of Manu, many mighty car-warriors like the celestial themselves and who by their number greatly increased the Aila dynasty.
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