Shloka 4
ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint
निपतन प्रच्युत: स्वर्गादप्राप्तो मेदिनीतलम् । स्थित आसीदन्तरिक्षे स तदेति श्रुतं मया,स्वर्गलोकमें जाकर वे बड़ी प्रसन्नताके साथ सुखपूर्वक रहने लगे और बहुत कालके बाद इन्द्रद्वारा वे पुनः स्वर्गसे नीचे गिरा दिये गये। स्वर्गसे भ्रष्ट हो पृथ्वीपर गिरते समय वे भूतलतक नहीं पहुँचे, आकाशमें ही स्थिर हो गये, ऐसा मैंने सुना है
nipatann apacyutaḥ svargād aprāpto medinī-talam | sthita āsīd antarikṣe sa tad eti śrutaṃ mayā ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Falling down from heaven, cast out from Svarga, he did not reach the surface of the earth. Instead, he remained suspended in mid-air—so I have heard.” The passage underscores the moral logic of heaven: enjoyment gained by merit is finite, and when that merit is exhausted, a fall follows; yet the fall itself can be portrayed as a liminal, instructive state between worlds.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heavenly enjoyment is not permanent; it lasts only as long as one’s accumulated merit. When that merit is spent, a fall occurs, illustrating the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on karma and the impermanence of reward without enduring dharma.
A person, expelled from Svarga (by Indra), begins to fall toward earth but does not reach the ground; he remains suspended in the antarikṣa. Vaiśaṃpāyana presents this as a received report, setting up a liminal moment between celestial and earthly realms.