Vasuman said: I am Vasuman, 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.

Vasuman 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 pur hase 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?

Vasuman 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 thein, therefore, be yours.

Sibi said : I am Sibi, 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.

Sibi 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 Sibi, 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 also 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 Sibi, 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 Sibi 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 (Universal monarch) 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 offerings. For such pious acts the celestials become propitious to those that perform them.

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, the 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 Vasuman, the son of Uşadasva is the truth itself. I know that all the worlds, all the Rishis and all the celestials 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.