SECTION CXXII
"Narada said, 'As soon as that bull among men, king Yayati was recognised
by those virtuous persons, he rose again to heaven, without having had to
touch the surface of the earth. And he regained his celestial form and
had all his anxieties entirely dispelled. And he rose again, decked with
celestial garlands and robes, adorned with celestial ornaments, sprinkled
with celestial scents, and furnished with heavenly attributes, and
without 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, 'The
merit that I have won on earth by my unblamable conduct towards men of
all orders, I give unto thee. Be it all thine, O king. The merit that one
winneth by liberality and forgiveness, the merit that is mine in
consequence of the sacrifices I have performed, let all that also be
thine.' After this, Pratardana, that bull among Kshatriyas, said, 'Ever
devoted to virtue as also to war, the fame that hath here been mine as a
Kshatriya, in consequence of the appellation of hero (by which I am
known),--be that merit thine. After this, Sivi, the intelligent son of
Usinara, said these sweet words, 'Unto children and women in jest,
danger, or calamity, in distress, or at dice, I have never spoken a
falsehood. By that truth which I never sacrificed ascend you 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 thou
to heaven; that truth for which Dharma, that truth for which agni, that
truth for which he of a hundred sacrifices, have each been gratified with
me, by that truth ascend you to heaven.' And lastly, the royal sage
Ashtaka, the offspring of Kusika's son and Madhavi, addressing Nahusha's
son Yayati who had performed many hundreds of sacrifices, said, 'I have,
O lord, performed hundreds of Pundarika, Gosava and Vajapeya sacrifices.
Take you the merit of these. Wealth, gems, robes, I have spared nothing
for the performance of sacrifices. By that truth ascend you to heaven.'
And that king thereupon leaving the earth, began to ascend towards
heaven, higher and higher, as those daughter's sons of his, one after
another, said those words unto him. And it was thus that those kings by
their good acts, speedily saved Yayati, who had been hurled from heaven.
It was thus that those daughter's sons born in four royal lines, those
multipliers of their races, by means of their virtues, sacrifices, and
gifts, caused their wise maternal grandfather to ascend again to heaven.
And those monarchs jointly said, 'Endued with the attributes of royalty
and possessed of every virtue, we are, O king, your daughter's sons! (By
virtue of our good deeds) ascend you to heaven.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 122 ---------------------
