Chapter 122

“Narada said, ‘As soon as that bull among men, king Yayati was recognisedby those virtuous persons, he rose again to heaven, without having had totouch the surface of the earth. And he regained his celestial form andhad all his anxieties entirely dispelled. And he rose again, decked withcelestial garlands and robes, adorned with celestial ornaments, sprinkledwith celestial scents, and furnished with heavenly attributes, andwithout having been compelled to touch the earth with his feet.Meanwhile, Vasumanas who was celebrated in the world for his liberality,first addressing the king, uttered these words in a loud voice, ‘Themerit that I have won on earth by my unblamable conduct towards men ofall orders, I give unto thee. Be it all thine, O king. The merit that onewinneth by liberality and forgiveness, the merit that is mine inconsequence of the sacrifices I have performed, let all that also bethine.’ After this, Pratardana, that bull among Kshatriyas, said, ‘Everdevoted to virtue as also to war, the fame that hath here been mine as aKshatriya, in consequence of the appellation of hero (by which I amknown),–be that merit thine. After this, Sivi, the intelligent son ofUsinara, said these sweet words, ‘Unto children and women in jest,danger, or calamity, in distress, or at dice, I have never spoken afalsehood. By that truth which I never sacrificed ascend thou to heaven.I can, O king, give up all objects of desire and enjoyment, my kingdom,yea, life itself, but truth I cannot give up. By that truth, ascend thouto heaven; that truth for which Dharma, that truth for which agni, thattruth for which he of a hundred sacrifices, have each been gratified withme, by that truth ascend thou to heaven.’ And lastly, the royal sageAshtaka, the offspring of Kusika’s son and Madhavi, addressing Nahusha’sson Yayati who had performed many hundreds of sacrifices, said, ‘I have,O lord, performed hundreds of Pundarika, Gosava and Vajapeya sacrifices.Take thou the merit of these. Wealth, gems, robes, I have spared nothingfor the performance of sacrifices. By that truth ascend thou to heaven.’And that king thereupon leaving the earth, began to ascend towardsheaven, higher and higher, as those daughter’s sons of his, one afteranother, said those words unto him. And it was thus that those kings bytheir good acts, speedily saved Yayati, who had been hurled from heaven.It was thus that those daughter’s sons born in four royal lines, thosemultipliers of their races, by means of their virtues, sacrifices, andgifts, caused their wise maternal grandfather to ascend again to heaven.And those monarchs jointly said, ‘Endued with the attributes of royaltyand possessed of every virtue, we are, O king, thy daughter’s sons! (Byvirtue of our good deeds) ascend thou to heaven.'”