Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/310

276 purchase as improper, I give them to ye. Take them all, O king! I shall never take them,—those regions where the wise never feel the least disquiet.'

"Yayati then answered, 'O Shivi, thou hast, indeed, obtained for thyself, possessed as thou art of the prowess of Indra, infinite worlds! But I do not desire to enjoy regions given to me by others. Therefore, I accept not thy gift.'

"Ashtaka then said, 'O king, each of us have expressed our desire to give thee the worlds that each of us have acquired by our religious merit. Thou acceptest not them. But leaving them for thee, we shall descend unto the Earth-hell.'

"Yayati answered, 'Ye all are truth-loving and wise: give me that which I deserve. I shall not be able to do that which I have never done before.'

"Ashtaka then said, 'Whose are those five golden cars that we see? Do men that repair to regions of everlasting bliss ride on them?'

"Yayati answered, 'Those five golden cars displayed in glory and blazing as fire, would, indeed, carry ye to the regions of bliss.'

"Ashtaka said, 'O king, ride those cars thyself, and repair to heaven. We can wait. We will follow thee in time.'

"Yayati then said, we can now all go together. Indeed, all of us have conquered heaven. Behold, the glorious path to heaven becomes visible!

Vaisampayana continued, "Then all those excellent monarchs riding on those cars set out for heaven, for gaining admittance into it, illuminating the whole firmament by the glory of their virtues.

"And AahtakaAshtaka [sic], again breaking silence, asked, 'I had always thought that Indra was my especial friend, and that I of all the others, should first obtain admittance into heaven. But how is it that Usinara's son Shivi, hath already left us behind."

"Yayati answered, 'This Usinara's son had given all he possessed for attaining to the region of Brahma. Therefore is he foremost among ye. Besides, Shivi's liberality, asceticism, truth, virtue, modesty, good-fortune, forgiveness, amiability,