For a thousand years, the king dedicated himself to a life of rigorous austerity. For thirty autumns, he lived by breath alone, restraining both his speech and his mind. Then, for an entire year, he subsisted only on wind, never tiring in his resolve. He performed severe penance, standing amidst five blazing fires for another year. His discipline grew ever more intense: for six months, he stood on one foot, sustained solely by the air he breathed. Renowned for his virtue and steadfastness, the king at last ascended to heaven, traversing the realms of earth and sky. Upon reaching the celestial worlds, the king took his place in the abode of the gods. There, he was honored by the Thirty—the principal deities—as well as by the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and the Vasus. He roamed freely among the worlds of the gods and of Brahma, dwelling there for a long time, his virtue and self-mastery earning him great respect. One day, this foremost of kings, Yayāti, approached Indra, the king of the gods. After their conversation, Indra addressed him with curiosity, asking, "When your son Puru, taking your form, accepted your old age and ruled the earth, and you gave him the kingdom, what did you say to him? Speak truly." Yayāti replied, recalling his words to Puru: "Between the Ganges and the Yamuna, this entire realm is yours. In the heart of the earth you are king, while your brothers rule the outer lands. A man should never act out of dejection, deceit, or anger, nor should he bring about defeat, envy, or enmity anywhere. The wise should never despise their mother, father, elders, the learned, ascetics, or those who are patient. "It is the strong who forgive; the weak are quick to anger. The wicked hate the good, and the powerless resent the powerful. The unattractive envy the beautiful, the poor resent the wealthy, the idle begrudge the active, and the unrighteous resent the righteous. This, my son, is the mark of the wicked: the unvirtuous hate the virtuous. The opposite is the mark of the good. "Whether Brahmin, king, merchant, or servant—if they are devoted to the noble, they are praised as illustrious. Therefore, set your mind on the noble; those who do not are ignorant, as are your brothers. You, O king, know the law and boast of supreme righteousness. Tell me again the highest tale of worldly conduct. "The one who does not become angry is superior to the angry; the patient surpasses the impatient. Among non-humans, humans are foremost; among the unlearned, the learned are supreme. When insulted, the patient man does not respond with harsh words; he burns the abuser and gains merit. One should not be a reviler nor speak cruel words, nor take from those who are inferior. If one's speech disturbs another, one should refrain from such blameworthy words. "A reviler, whose words are sharp and wounding, brings ruin upon himself, bound to his mouth. The virtuous should honor such a person from the front and protect him from behind, always enduring the words of the wicked and following the noble path. Words, like arrows, can wound deeply; those struck by them grieve day and night. Therefore, a wise person should never use words that strike at another's heart. "Nowhere in the three worlds is there greater harmony than in compassion, friendship toward all beings, generosity, and sweet speech. Always speak soothing words, never harsh ones. Honor those worthy of honor, give to others, and never beg." Indra then said to Yayāti, "Having completed all your duties, you have left your home for the forest. By what austerity are you equal to Yayāti himself?" Yayāti replied, "Among gods, humans, gandharvas, and sages, I see none equal to myself in austerity, O Vasava." Indra then spoke, "When you disregarded those who were your equals, superiors, or inferiors—whose power was unknown to you—your merit was exhausted, and your heavenly worlds came to an end. Thus, O king, you have fallen today. Because my heavenly realms perished due to my own disrespect for gods, sages, gandharvas, and men, I now wish, deprived of the world of the gods, to fall among the virtuous, O king of the gods." Indra continued, "You have fallen among the virtuous, O King, and here you have regained your standing. Remember this, Yayāti: do not again disregard those who are your equals or superiors." As Yayāti fell from the blessed worlds enjoyed by the king of the immortals, the foremost royal sage Ashtaka, protector of righteousness, saw him and spoke: "Who are you, young man, radiant as Indra, shining with your own brilliance like fire? You descend from the darkness of the clouds, the foremost among sky-dwellers, like the sun itself. Seeing you fall from the path of the sun, blazing with immeasurable radiance, we are bewildered, wondering what it is that falls. "Standing on the path of the gods, with a splendor equal to Indra, the sun, and Vishnu, we have all come to you, eager to know the truth of your descent. Yet, neither do we dare to ask you first, nor do you ask who we are. Therefore, I ask: whose are you, or for what reason have you come?" Ashtaka then reassured him, "Let your fear depart. Abandon sorrow and confusion at once, O one of Indra-like splendor. Even Indra could not endure you dwelling among the virtuous. The virtuous are a refuge for those deprived of happiness, always like the king of the immortals among the good. Wherever they gather, you are established among your equals, among the virtuous. Agni is sovereign in burning, the earth in sustaining, the sun in shining, and among the virtuous, the guest is sovereign." Yayāti replied, "I am Yayāti, son of Nahusha, father of Puru. I have been cast down from the worlds of the gods, siddhas, and sages, fallen because I disrespected all beings, my merit exhausted. I am older than you in age, and so I do not offer you my salutation; among the twice-born, one is honored who is elder by knowledge, austerity, or birth." Ashtaka responded, "You have spoken well. He who is advanced in age is called superior, O King. But among the twice-born, only he who is advanced in knowledge and austerity is truly worthy of honor.