Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/298

264 behold my equal among men, the clestialscelestials [sic], the Gandharvas, and the great Rishis!' Indra then said, 'O monarch, because thou dost disregard those that are thy superiors, thy equals, and even thy inferiors, without, in fact, knowing their real merits, therefore, thy virtues have suffered a diminution and thou must fall from heaven!' Yayati then said, 'O Sakra, if, indeed, my virtues have really sustained a diminution and I must on, that account fall down from heaven, I desire, O chief of the celestials, that I may at least fall among the virtuous and the honest.' Indra then replied, 'Yes O king, thou shalt fall among those that are virtuous and wise; and thou shalt acquire also much renown. And after this experience of thine, O Yayati, never more disregard those that are thy superiors or even thy equals.

Vaisampayana continued, "Upon this, Yayati fell from the region of the celestials. And as he was falling, he was beheld by the foremost of royal sages Ashtaka, the protector of his own religion. And Ashtaka beholding him enquired, 'Who art thou, O youth, of beauty equal to that of Indra himself, in splendour blazing as the fire, thus falling from high! Art thou that foremost of sky-ranging bodies—the sun—emerging from dark masses of clouds? Indeed, beholding thee falling from the solar course, possessed of immeasurable energy and the splendour of fire or the sun, every one is exercised as to what it is that is so falling, and is, besides, deprived of consciousness! Beholding thee in the path of the celestials, possessed of energy like that of either Sakra, Surya, or Vishnu, we have approached thee to ascertain the truth! If thou hadst first asked us to who we are, we would never have been guilty of the incivility of asking thee first. We now ask thee who thou art and why dost thou approach hither? Let thy fears be dispelled; let thy woes and afflictions cease! Thou art now in the presence of the virtuous and the wise. Even Sakra himself—the slayer of Vala—can not here do thee an injury! O thou of the prowess of the chief of the celestials, the wise and the virtuous are the support of their brethren in grief. Here there are none but the wise and virtuous like thee, assembled together! Therefore stay thou here in peace.