his
splendour.'"

SECTION CXXI

"Narada said, 'Removed from his place and pushed away from his seat with
heart trembling in fear, and consumed by burning remorse, with his
garlands dimmed in lustre and his knowledge clouded, shorn of his crown
and bracelets, with head swimming and every limb relaxed divested of
ornaments and robes, incapable of being recognised, sometimes not seeing
the other residents of heaven, filled with despair, and his understanding
a perfect blank, king Yayati fell headlong towards the earth. And before
the king fell down, he thought within himself, "What inauspicious and
sinful thought was entertained by me in consequence of which I am hurled
from my place?" And all the kings there, as also the Siddhas and the
Apsaras, laughed at seeing Yayati losing his hold, and on the point of
falling down. And soon, O king, at the command of the king of the gods,
there came a person whose business it was to hurl down those whose merits
were exhausted. And coming there, he said unto Yayati, "Extremely
intoxicated with pride, there is none whom thou hast not disregarded. In
consequence of this thy pride, heaven is no longer for thee. Thou
deservest not a residence here, O son of a king. Thou art not recognised
here, go and fall down." Even thus the celestial messenger spoke unto
him. Nahusha's son then said, repeating the words three times, "If fall I
must, let me fall amongst the righteous." And saying this, that foremost
of persons that had won high regions by their acts, began to think of the
particular region whereon he should fall. Beholding meanwhile four mighty
kings, viz., Pratardana, Vasumanas, Sivi, the son of Usinara, and
Ashtaka, assembled together in the woods of Naimisha, the king fell
amongst them. And those monarchs were then engaged in gratifying the lord
of the celestials by performance of the sacrifice known by the name of
Vajapeya. And the smoke arising from their sacrificial altar reached the
very gates of heaven. And the smoke that rose thus, looked like a river
connecting both the earth and the heaven. And it resembled the sacred
stream Ganga while descending from heaven to earth. And smelling that
smoke and guiding his course by it, Yayati, the lord of the universe,
descended on the earth. And the king thus fell amongst those four lions
among rulers, who were all endued with great beauty, who were foremost of
all the performers of sacrifices, who were, indeed, his own relatives,
a