SAMBHAVA PARVA: Chapter 83

History of Yayati

वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा कुमारं जातं तु देवयानी शुचिस्मिता। चिन्तयामास दुःखार्ता शर्मिष्ठां प्रति भारत॥ अभिगम्य च शर्मिष्ठा देवयान्यब्रवीदिदम्।
Vaishampayana said : O descendant of the Bharata race, when Devayani heard of the birth of this boy, she ! became very sorry and Sharmishtha became an object of her sad reflections. Going to Sharmishtha, Devayani thus spoke to her.

देवयान्युवाच किमिदं वृजिनं सुभ्र कृतं वै कामलुब्धया।॥
Devayani said: O girl of fair-eye-brows, what sin is this you have committed out of lust!

शर्मिष्ठोवाच ऋषिरभ्यागतः कश्चिद् धर्मात्मा वेदपारगः। स मया वरदः कामं याचितो धर्मसंहितम्॥
Sharmishtha said: A Rishi of virtuous mind, learned in the Vedas, came to me. He was capable of granting boons and he was solicited by me to grant my wishes based on virtue.

नाहमन्यायत: काममाचरामि शुचिस्मिते। तस्मादृषेर्ममापत्यमिति सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते॥
O lady of sweet smiles, I would never seek the fulfillment of my desires by sinful means. I tell you truly, this child was begotten by a Rishi.

देवयान्युवाच शोभनं भीरु यद्येवमथ स ज्ञायते द्विजः। गोत्रनामाभिजनतो वेत्तुमिच्छामि तं द्विजम्॥
Devayani said: O timid maiden, it is all right if that is the case. If you know the lineage, the name and the family of that Brahmana, tell me I wish to hear them. my

शर्मिष्ठोवाच तपसा तेजसा चैव दीप्यमानं यथा रविम्। तं दृष्ट्वा मम सम्प्रष्टुं शक्तिर्नासीच्छुचिस्पिते॥
Sharmishtha said : O lady of sweet smiles, that Rishi was as effulgent in asceticism and energy as the sun. Seeing him, I had no power of making these enquiries.

देवयान्युवाच यद्येतदेवं शर्मिष्ठे न मन्युर्विद्यते मम। अपत्यं यदि ते लब्धं ज्येष्ठाच्छ्रेष्ठाच वै द्विजात्॥
Devayani said : O Sharmishtha, If this be true, if you have received this your son from such a great Brahmana, I have then no cause for anger.

वैशम्पायन उवाच अन्योन्यमेवमुक्त्वा तु सम्प्रहस्य च ते मिथः। जगाम भार्गवी वेश्म तथ्यमित्यवजग्मुषी॥
Vaishampayana said: They talked and laughed with each other and then they separated, (Devayani) the daughter of the Bhrigu race going to her mansion and believing what Sharmishtha told her.

ययातिर्देवयान्यां तु पुत्रावजनयनृपः। यदुं च तुर्वसुं चैव शक्रविष्णू इवापरौ॥
O king, Yayati begot on Devayani two more sons (namely) Yadu and Turvasu, who were like Indra and Vishnu.

तस्मादेव तु राजर्षेः शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी। दुह्यं चानुं च पूरुं च त्रीन् कुमारानजीजनत्॥
The daughter of Vrishaparva, Sharmishtha, by that royal sage gave birth to three sons in all, namely Druhyu, Anu and Puru.

ततः काले तु कस्मिंश्चिद् देवयानी शुचिस्मिता। ययातिसहिता राजञ्जगाम रहितं वनम्॥
O king, one day Devayani of sweet smiles went with Yayati into a solitary part of the royal park.

ददर्श च तदा तत्र कुमारान् देवरूपिणः। कुमारान् पर्यपृच्छता क्रीडमानान् सुविश्रब्धान् विस्मिता चेदमब्रवीत्॥
There she saw three children of celestial beauty, playing with perfect ease. She was surprised and thus spoke to the king.

देवयान्युवाच कस्यैते दारका राजन् देवपुत्रोपमाः शुभाः। वर्चसा रूपतश्चैव सदृशा मे मतास्तव॥
Devayani said : O king, whose children are these, so handsome, so like the children of the celestial? They are exactly like you in splendour and beauty.

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं पृष्ट्वा तु राजानं
Vaishampayana said : Having asked the king, she asked the children.

देवयान्युवाच किं नामधेयं वंशो व: पुत्रकाः कश्च वः पिता। प्रब्रूत मे यथातथ्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तं ह्यहम्॥
Devayani said : O children, what if your lineage! Who is your father? Answer me truly. I desire to know all.

तेऽदर्शयन् प्रदेशिन्या तमेव नृपसत्तमम्। शर्मिष्ठा मातरं चैव तथाऽऽचख्युश्च दारकाः॥
The children then pointed to the king with their fingers and said that Sharmishtha was their mother.

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा सहितास्ते तु राजानमुपचक्रमुः। नाभ्यनन्दत तान् राजा देवयान्यास्तदान्तिके॥
Vaishampayana said : Having said this, they came to the king to clasp his knees. But the king dared not caress them before Devayani.

रुदन्तस्तेऽथ शर्मिष्ठामभ्ययुर्बालकास्ततः। श्रुत्वा तु तेषां बालानां सव्रीड इव पार्थिवः॥
The boys wept in grief and they left the place, going towards their mother. The king became very much abashed of this conduct of the boys.

दृष्ट्वा तु तेषां बालानां प्रणयं पार्थिवं प्रति। बुद्ध्वा च तत्त्वं सा देवी शर्मिष्ठामिदमब्रवीत्॥
Seeing the affection of the boys towards the king, (Devayani) understood all. All the addressed Sharmishtha thus :

देवयान्युवाच मदधीना सती कस्मादकार्षीविप्रियं मम। तमेवासुरधर्मं त्वमास्थिता न बिभेषि मे॥
Devayani said : How have you dared to do me an injury, dependant as you are on me? Do you not fear to have recourse once more to your Asura conduct?

शर्मिष्ठोवाच यदुक्तमृषिरित्येव तत् सत्यं चारुहासिनि। न्यायतो धर्मतश्चैव चरन्ती न बिभेमि ते॥
Sharmishtha said: O lady of sweet smiles! all that I told you about the Rishi is quite true. My acts were according to the precepts of virtue and right.

यदा त्वया वृतो भर्ता वृत एव तदा मया। सखीभर्ता हि धर्मेण भर्ता भवति शोभने॥ पूज्यासि मम मान्या च ज्येष्ठा च ब्राह्मणी ह्यसि। त्वत्तोऽपि मे पूज्यतमो राजर्षिः किं न वेत्थ तत्॥
Therefore, I am not afraid of you. When you chose the king as your husband, I too did the same. O beautiful lady, a friend's husband is one's own husband according to the precept of religion. You are a daughter of a Brahmana and therefore you deserve my greatest worship and regard. Do you no know that this royal sage (Yayati) is the object of greater esteem to me?

वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा तस्यास्ततो वाक्यं देवयान्यब्रवीदिदम्। राजन् नाघेह वत्स्यामि विप्रियं मे कृतं त्वया।॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard these words, Devayani said, "O king, you have wronged me, I will not live here any longer."

सहसोत्पतितां श्यामां दृष्ट्वा तां साश्रुलोचनाम्। तूर्णं सकाशं काव्यस्य प्रस्थितां व्यथितस्तदा॥
Having said this, she with tearful eyes quickly rose to go away to her father. And the king was grieved to see her thus angry.

अनुवव्राज सम्भ्रान्तः पृष्ठतः सान्त्वयन् नृपः। न्यवर्तत न चैव स्म क्रोधसंरक्तलोचना॥
He became very much alarmed; and he followed her, trying to appease her wrath. But she did not return. Her eyes were red in anger.

आविब्रुवन्ती किंचित् सा राजानं साश्रुलोचना। अचिरादेव सम्प्राप्ता काव्यस्योशनसोऽन्तिकम्॥
She did not speak a word to the king, but she, with her eyes full of tears, soon reached her father, Ushanas, the son of Kavi.

सा तु दृष्ट्वैव पितरमभिवाद्याग्रतः स्थिता। अनन्तरं ययातिस्तु पूजयामास भार्गवम्॥
Seeing her father, she made to him due salutation and stood before him. Yayati also came immediately after her and he saluted and worshipped the son of Bhrigu.

देवयान्युवाच अधर्मेण जितो धर्मः प्रवृत्तमधरोत्तरम्। शर्मिष्ठयातिवृत्तास्मि दुहित्रा वृषपर्वणः॥
Devayani said: O father, virtue has been defeated by vice. The low have risen and the high have fallen. I have been insulted by the daughter of Vrishaparva.

त्रयोस्यां जनिताः पुत्रा राज्ञानेन ययातिना। दुर्भगाया मम द्वौ तु पुत्रौ तात ब्रवीमि ते॥
Three sons have been begotten on her by this king Yayati. O father, unfortunate am I! I have got only two sons.

धर्मज्ञ इति विख्यात एष राजा भृगूद्वह। अतिक्रान्तश्च मर्यादां काव्यैतत् कथयामि ते॥
O son of Bhrigu, this king is renowned for his knowledge in religion and virtue. But, O son of Kavi, I tell you, he has fallen from the path of virtue.

शुक्र उवाच धर्मज्ञः सन् महाराज योऽधर्ममकृथाः प्रियम्। तस्माजरा त्वामचिराद् धर्षयिष्यति दुर्जया।। ३१!
Shukra said: ( king, as you have made vice your favourite pursuit, though well-acquainted with the precepts of virtue, terrible decrepitude will overtake you.

ययातिरुवाच ऋतुं वै याचमानाया भगवन् नान्यचेतसा। दुहितुर्दानवेन्द्रस्य धर्म्यमेतत् कृतं मया॥ ऋतुं वै याचमानाया न ददाति पुमानृतुम्। भ्रूणहेत्युच्यते ब्रह्मन् स इह ब्रह्मवादिभिः॥ अभिकामां स्त्रियं यश्च गम्यां रहसि याचितः। नोपैति स च धर्मेषु भ्रूणहेत्युच्यते बुधैः॥
Yayati said: Adorable Rishi, I was solicited by the daughter of the Danava king to make her season fruitful. I did grant her prayer from a sense of virtue. O Rishi, men learned in the Vedas say that he, who does not grant the prayer of a woman in season, commits the sin of killing an embryo. He, who, being solicited in secret by a woman full of desire and in season, does not grant her wishes, loses virtue. The learned say that he becomes a killer of embryo.

इत्येतानि समीक्ष्याहं कारणानि भृगूद्वह। अधर्मभयसंविग्नः शर्मिष्ठामुपजग्मिवान्॥
O son of Bhrigu, for these reason and being afraid of committing a sin, I went to Sharmishtha.

शुक्र उवाच नन्वहं प्रत्यवेक्ष्यस्ते मदधीनोऽसि पार्थिवा मिथ्याचारस्य धर्मेषु चौर्यं भवति नाहुष॥
Shukra said: O king, you are dependent on me. You should have waited to receive my command. O son of Nahusha, having acted falsely in the matter of your duty, you have committed the sin of theft.

वैशम्पायन उवाच क्रुद्धेनोशनसा शप्तो ययाति हुषस्तदा। पूर्व वयः परित्यज्य जरां सद्योऽन्वपद्यत॥
Vaishampayana said :; Thus being cursed by the angry Ushanas, Yayati, the son of Nahusha, was then deprived of his youth and terrible decrepitude soon overcame him.

ययातिरुवाच अतृप्तो यौवनस्याहं देवयान्यां भृगूद्वह। प्रसादं कुरु मे ब्रह्मञ्जरेयं न विशेच माम्॥
Yayati said : O son of Bhrigu, I have not been as yet satiated with youth of Devayani. Therefore, O Brahmana, be graceful to Let not decrepitude overcome me. me.

शुक्र उवाच नाहं मृषा द्रवीभ्येतज्जरां प्राप्तोऽसि भूमिप। जरां त्वेतां त्वमन्यस्मिन् संक्रामय यदीच्छसि॥
Shukra said : I never speak an untruth, O king, (see), you have been immediately attacked by old age. But if you like, you can transfer this decrepitude to some other man.

ययातिरुवाच राज्यभाक् स भवेद् ब्रह्मन् पुण्यभाक् कीर्तिभाक् तथा। यो मे दद्याद् वयः पुत्रस्तद् भवाननुमन्यताम्॥
Yayati said : O Brahmana, let this be ordered by you that, the son of mine who will accept my this old age will enjoy my kingdom and gain both virtue and fame.

शुक्र उवाच संक्रामयिष्यसि जरां यथेष्टं नहुषात्मज। मामनुध्याय भावेन न च पापमवाप्स्यसि॥ वयो दास्यति ते पुत्रो यः स राजा भविष्यति। आयुष्मान् कीर्तिमांश्चैव बह्वपत्यस्तथैव च॥
Shukra said: O son of Nahusha, remembering me you will be able to transfer your this decrepitude to whomever you like. Your that son who will give you his youth will become your successor on the throne. He will have long life, widespread fame and a large progeny.