YAYATI'S RENUNCIATION
The Parable of rhe Goats (1-11)
l. Sage Shuka now continued the story of Yayati's emancipation: Immersed in sensual indulgences, uxorious Yayati became aware after some time of his steep spiritual tall. (This escaped Ravana!). He then developed a revulsion for sensuality, and narrated the following story to his wife.
2. "O daughter of Sage Shukra! Hear a story that is a parallel to mine-in which story, some sages living in the forest bemoan the fate of one who had given himself up to sensuous indulgences.
3. A he-goat (ram) was once moving about in the forest eating whatever he liked. He came across a she-goat that had fallen into a well owing to the force of its past Karmas.
4. The sex-intoxicated he-goat, on seemg the female in the well. began to think of the ways and means of lifting her out. Digging the sides of the well with his horns. he made a passage for the she-goat to come out of the well.
5-6. On coming out of the well, that beautiful she-goat desired to have that he-goat as her mate. Seeing him mated with her, many other she-goats seeking mates also sought him, seeing htm so plump. hairy, lusty and tireless in mating. A slave to lust, the he-goat never thought of his own true nature (beyond animal lust).
7. But the she-goat that was rescued from the well could not bear the sight of her husband mating with another she-goat.
8. Thus seeing her husband unfaithful, hypocritical, lascivious and bent on enjoyment only, she went away to her master's place in great grief.
9. But that pitiable he-goat, addicted to female company, ran after her bleating in many ways, to cajole and please her. but in vain.
10. In great anger, the owner of the she-goat, a Brahmana, now cut off the hangmg testicles of the he-goat. But through his occult powers, he later united the testicles back with the body of the he-goat, so that his she-goat might continue to mate with him!
11. The he-goat, after the restoration of his virility, has been indulging in several pleasures with its mate, the she-goat from the well, but he has not reached the satiation point yet. "
Yayati's Sermon on Renunciation ( 12-20)
12."O beautiful lady! I too have been like that—a pitiable creature, bound by love of you and infatuated with your charms, going about without any understanding of my spiritual self.
यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः । न दुह्यन्ति मनःप्रीतिं पुंसः कामहतस्य ते ॥
न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति । हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥
13. All roods under one's control in the world, all domesticated animals in one's establishment, all of one's wealth, and all the women in his inner chambers cannot bring sanity to a man whose mind is a victim of inordinate desire.
14. Desire is never satisfied by the enjoyment of its objects, like fire fed with ghee. It only flames up all the more.
15. When a man's mind. established in same-sightedness, ceases to be moved by vile attachment and antagonism to others, then he finds happiness in all situations.
16. A man who seeks his own good, should at once abandon his hankering for sense-enjoynents. which evil-minded men find diffcult to do. It does not decay even when he himself decays through old age!
17. A person should not sit on thc same seat in solitude even with a mother, a sister, or a daughter. For, the senses arc strong, and even a wise man cannot resist their pull.
18. For a full thousand years, I have bccn having every kind of sensuous enjoynent, but instead of subsiding, the craving for them becomes greater whenever situations anse.
19. Therefore, I shall now abandon hankering for everything, and then giving over my mind entirely to Him, I shall wander with the ammals in the forest without caring for the extremes of weather and abandoning every trace of self-esteem.
20. Realizing the ephemerality of all objects of the senses, one should not longingly think of them or actually enjoy them. He who is able to recognise bondage and destruction in the thought and enjoyment of objects delighting the senses, he is the learned man. He is the spiritually enhghtcned person."
The End of Yayati's Srory (21-29)
21. Saying so to his wife, Yayati gave back to Puru the youth he had taken from him and resumed his own old age. He was now without any desire for enjoyments.
22. Regarding his sons. he appointed Druhyu as ruler of the southeastern parts of his empire; Yadu, of the southern parts. Turvanu, of the western parts; and Anu, of the northern parts.
23. When he finally departed to the forest as an ascetic, he made the noble Puru the emperor of the whole earth and its peoples, his elder brothers being only subordinate rulers under him.
आसेवितं वर्षपूगान् षड्वर्गं विषयेषु सः । क्षणेन मुमुचे नीडं जातपक्ष इव द्विजः ॥
24. Just as fledglings leave their nests immediately after they develop wings, so did Yayati in an instant abandon the senses after having all kinds of indulgences through them for the past several thousand years.
25. That famous king abandoned there itself all attachments and material objects catering to sense life, established himself in the Atman, the spiritual Self, and through that Self-intuition attained to Brahman, thc Supreme Vasudeva—ever-pure, the transcendent, the support of all.
26. Devayani, who had listened to the story of the goats, understood that it was meant to prompt her to take the path of renunciation through a funny parable of goats reflecting on the nature of the relationship between man and woman.
27-28. Now she realized that the life of loving association with relatives and frrnds who are all but mere puppets of the Divine Will, is like the gathering of travellers in a wayside rest-house, extremely temporary and fleeting like a dream, brought about by the Maya af the Lord. So she abandoned attachment for everything in life, made up her mind to be fully absorbed in the Lord, and dissolved even her subtle body. (This is a great spiritual milestone for a seeker).
29. Thus, Sage Shuka concluded, with his prayer:
नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते वासुदेवाय वेधसे । सर्वभूताधिवासाय शान्ताय बृहते नमः ॥
Salutation to the worsbippable Vasudeva, endowed with the fullness of all divine excellences, the creator of all, the indweller of all, the Infinite Being. and the source of all peace!
