Yayati as King (1-4)
Sage Shuka said:
1. Just as embodied beings have six senses, Nahusha had six sons-Yati, Yayati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati, and Kriti.
2. Of these, Yati did not accept the kingdom that his father offered him as his successor because he was aware of the evil consequences that would follow. For, one who has entered into the affairs of the State will totally forget the Self.
3. Yayati became the king when Nahusha was expelled from heaven for his attempt on Indra's wife and cursed to become a python by the sages. (Note: When Indra was hiding after killing Vrittra, Nahusha was briefly appointed as the King of Gods. He coveted Indra's wife's marital company which landed him into trouble by being cursed by Rishis whom he offended by making him his palanquin bearers and also insulted them in a moment of heady arrogance. The curse was to be banished to a life as a python on earth).
4. Yayati appointed his four younger brothers as governors of the four quarters. He governed the country, having married the daughters of the Maharshi Shukra and of King Vrishaparva.
The quarrel between Devayani and Sarmishtha (5-14)
Parikshit asked: 5. Shukra is a Brahmarshi, and Yayati, the son of Nahusha, was only an ordinary Kshatriya. How was it that a pratiloma marriage took place? (Pratiloma is a marriage in which a man of
Sage Shuka said: 6-7. Once Sarmishtha, the daughter of the king of the Asuras, who was well-known for her beauty, along with many of her companions including Devayani, the daughter of the Asura preceptor Shukra, was walking about in a pleasure garden full of trees and sandy embankments of lakes covered with lotuses, over which buzzing honey-suckers hovered.
8. Reaching the banks of a lake, those beautiful girls put aside their garments on the shore and began to sport in the water, splashing water on one another.
9. They now saw Parameswara riding on his ox-mount Nandita with Parvati. Feeling abashed, they rushed up and put on their garments.
10. Now Sarmishtha unwittingly put on the garments of Devayani, the preceptor's daughter. Devayani was terribly annoyed at this and said:
11. "Look at the audacity of this servant maid! Like a dog eating up the offerings made ready for a Yajna, she has put on the dress that I should have worn.
12. We are Brahmanas, by whose austerity the universe itself was created, who represent the face of the Supreme Being, who exhibit Brahmic splendour in this world, and who teach and practise the beneficent way of the Vedas.
13. We belong to that great community of Brahmanas, who are respected even by the Divinities, nay, who even the Supreme Lord salutes and serves!
वयं तत्रापि भृगवः शिष्योऽस्या नः पितासुरः । अस्मद्धार्यं धृतवती शूद्रो वेदमिवासती ॥
14. Not only that, among the Brahmanas, we belong to the highly superior line of Bhrigus. Besides, the Asura, her father, is our disciple. She has put on my cloth, as a Sudra learns the Veda! What audacity on her part!"
Yayati marries Devayani (15-23)
15. To the preceptor's daughter, who was railing at her like this, Sarmishtha, now infuriated like a trampled snake, said, biting her lips and releasing long breaths.
16. "O beggar girl! Think of your condition before you talk in this fashion. You are like a watchdog in our house, eating the crumbs we give."
17. After hurling such scandalously abusive words at the good daughter of the preceptor, she disrobed her and pushed her into a well out of burning anger.
18. After Sarmishtha and the party had gone home, Yayati, who was on a hunting expedition, approached that well by chance in search of water, and he happened to see Devayani in the well.
19. The merciful Yayati threw down his upper cloth to her to cover her nakedness, and then lifted her up, holding her by the hand.
20. Devayani, the daughter of Usanas (Shukra), now spoke to that heroic king in a way expressive of her love for him. She said "O King! You have held my hand in yours.
21. Let there not be another man to hold my hand which you have held in yours! O, great king! This union between us is not made by man but by the very Divine.
22. It is by the will of Providence that you happened to meet me clinging to the sides of the well. Besides, no Brahmana can possibly become my husband, because of the curse of Kacha, the son of Brihaspati, that I had incurred in the past." (Note: Kacha had become a disciple of Shukra to learn the Sanjivani vidya when he had been chased by Devayani and whom he had cursed).
23. Though Yayati did not like that marriage alliance because of its being not sanctioned by scriptures, he, however, submitted to it, as he believed it was ordained by the Lord and as he felt his mind was fascinated by her.
Sarmishtha's Humiliation (24-33)
24. After king Yayati had gone, Devayani went to her father, sage Shukra, weeping, and informed him of all that Sarmishtha had said and done.
25. The worshipful Rishi Shukra felt very sad after hearing about it. He went away with his daughter from that palace, condemning the priestly occupation and praising the excellence of Unchhavritti, a livelihood gained by the collection of fallen grains from fields and grain markets.
26. On knowing this, the Asura king Vrishaparva, afraid that his enemies might take the sage into their service, went after him and propitiated him with prostrations
27. The sage whose rage was only momentary said to his disciple: "Do what my daughter wants. I cannot abandon her".
28. When the Asura king had agreed to this, Devayani gave out her mind as follows:" Wherever I go after my father gives me in marriage, let this Sarmishtha follow me as my handmaid along with her attendant maids."
29. Realising the critical condition of his people, and the advantage that they would gain by the presence of Shukra in their midst, it was arranged that Sarmishilia should attend on Devayani along with a thousand others.
30. When the sage sent his daughter away as Yayati's wife with Sarmishtha attending on her, be especially instructed the king that he should never share the bed with the latter.
31. The virtuous Sarmishtha soon saw Devayani big carrying within her a child. Desirous of begetting children herself, Sarmishtha approached the king. the husband of her mistress, in privacy, during her fertile period, and chose him as her husband too.
32. The King knew that according to Dharmasastra, the solicitation of a woman in that condition should not be rejected, and so agreed to her request as ordained by Providence, though he remembered Shukra's prohibition.
33. Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu; and Sarmishtha. the daughter of Vrishaparva, bore three sons, Druhyu, Anu and Puru.
Shukra's Curse and After (34-51)
34. On coming to know that her husband, the king, had fathered the children borne by Sarmishtha, the proud Devayani was moved to great anger and went away to her father Shukra's house,
35. The love-infatuated Yayati went after her and tried to pacify her with sweet words and personal endearments, but failed
शुक्रस्तमाह कुपितः स्त्रीकामानृतपूरुष । त्वां जरा विशतां मन्द विरूपकरणी नृणाम् ॥ ३६॥
ययातिरुवाच
अतृप्तोस्म्यद्य कामानां ब्रह्मन् दुहितरि स्म ते । व्यत्यस्यतां यथाकामं वयसा योऽभिधास्यति ॥ ३७॥
36. Angry Shukra now cursed the king, "O you liar and a slave of lust! Old age which makes the human form ugly shall now set on you!"
Yayati said: 37. "Sir, I have not yet been satisfied with life with your daughter." So Shukra replied, "If any person is willing to take over your old age, may you be capable of transferring it to him and yourself receiving his youth".
38. Under this settlement, the king called his eldest son Yadu and said, "O dear son Yadu! You take over for the time being this old age of mine and let me have your youth.
39. It is your maternal grandfather who conferred this old age on me. I have not yet been satisfied with worldly enjoyment. Let me enjoy the pleasures of life for some time more with the help of your youth."
Yadu said: 40. "I am not ready to take on the old age that has overtaken you in the middle of my own life. For, I have only just started enjoying life's pleasures, and without sufficient enjoyment of them, a man cannot get a distaste for them."
41. In spite of their father's pleading, the other sons Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu also refused to accept the proposal, being ignorant of Dharma and being under the mistaken notion that their fleeting youth was perpetual.
42. Next, Yayati made the same request to his last son Puru, who was young in years but advanced in virtue. He said: "Dear one! Do not refuse my request like your elder brothers."
Puru replied: 43. "O best of men, who can make an adequate return to one's father for the gift of this body, which is the means for attaining the highest values? The father's grace helps us to realise our highest destiny."
44. "The best son is the one who performs the father's wish even without telling. The one who does what is asked is middling. The bad one is one who executes the father's command in a careless and imperfect way. And he who totally refuses to do anything even when asked by the father, cannot be called the father's son, but only his excreta."
45. So saying, Puru took over his father's old age on himself with joy, and Yayati, assuming his youth, enjoyed the pleasures of life to his heart's content.
46. The king ruled over the seven continents of the earth like a father to his subjects and enjoyed the good things of life with unfading vigour of the senses.
47. And his beloved wife Devayani gave him the most intense joy in privacy with all the endowments of her mind, word and body.
48. By the performance of several Yajnas, accompanied by plentiful Dakshinas, he adored the Supreme Being Sri Hari, the recipient of all Yajnas, the embodiment of all Vedas and of all deities and the eraser of all miseries.
49-50. Establishing in his heart Bhagavan Vasudeva, the indweller, the subtlest of the subtle-based on whom this universe shines like clouds in the sky or like objects seen in dream, magical show, or reverie, and in whom it subsides when the mind has become calm- establishing Him, known also as Narayana, in the heart, he adored Him with Yajnas giving up all selfish motives.
एवं वर्षसहस्राणि मनःषष्ठैर्मनःसुखम् । विदधानोऽपि नातृप्यत्सार्वभौमः कदिन्द्रियैः ॥
51. Thus for a thousand years the emperor enjoyed by means of the five roguish senses and the mind the pleasures which are really mental. Yet he found no satiety.
