Yayati's Fall from Heaven and Janamejaya's Inquiry
Vaishampayana tells Janamejaya that King Yayati, after a life of asceticism, attained heaven only to be thrown out by Indra later, left suspended in the sky. Janamejaya demands the full story: what deeds allowed the great king to regain his celestial place?
Vaishampayana told the story of a king who reached heaven twice.
First, he described the ascent. Having instated his beloved son as king, Nahusha’s son, King Yayati, retired happily to the forest. There he lived as a sage, rigid in his vows, surviving on roots and fruit. After a life of self-control, he ascended to heaven and lived there in bliss.
Then came the fall. After a long time, Shakra (Indra) threw him out. When he was hurled down, he did not crash to earth. He remained suspended in the sky, caught between realms. But the story did not end there. Vaishampayana added, almost as an afterthought, that Yayati later went back to heaven, accompanied by other kings — Vasumana, Ashtaka, the valorous Pratardana, and Shibi.
Janamejaya, the listener, was not satisfied with this summary. He wanted the mechanics of the reversal. “Through what deeds did the lord of the earth again attain heaven?” he asked. “O Brahmana! Before all these Brahmanas who are rishis, I wish to hear all the details.”
He framed his request with Yayati’s stature: a king like the king of the gods, lord of the earth, the one who extended the Puru lineage, as resplendent as the sun. His fame was extensive, his deeds based on truth. The incomplete tale was an affront to that greatness. Janamejaya wanted the sacred account, the full story of his exploits in heaven and on earth.
Vaishampayana agreed to tell it. The stage was set for a story of fall and redemption, of deeds that could reclaim a place even after the gods had revoked it.