After many years of splendid enjoyment, King Yayati, radiant with Vishvachi by his side, delighted in the celestial Nandana grove, wandered through the fabled city of Alaka, and roamed the northern heights of Mount Meru. But as the cycle of his time drew to its close, the righteous king recognized that his appointed span had been fulfilled. Gathering his wisdom, he turned to his beloved son Puru. “My son,” Yayati said, “I have savored all the pleasures of the world with all my energy, in the proper season of my youth, for your sake. Yet know this: desire is never quenched by indulgence—like a fire fed with ghee, it only grows fiercer. All the rice, barley, gold, cattle, and women on this earth would not satisfy even a single man. Therefore, one should abandon craving. “Craving is a disease hard to cure for the foolish; it does not age even as the body ages. True happiness comes to one who gives it up. For a thousand years my mind clung to pleasures, yet my longing only grew every day. Therefore, I will renounce this craving, set my mind on Brahman, become free from duality and possessiveness, and dwell peacefully in the forest among the deer. “Puru, I am pleased with you. May good fortune be yours! Take back your youth, and with it, accept this kingdom. Enjoy youth for as long as you wish, and rule with a long life, for you are my cherished son.” So it was that King Yayati, son of Nahusha, accepted old age, and Puru, self-controlled and dutiful, regained his own youth. When the time came to anoint Puru, the youngest son, as king, the Brahmins and the other orders gathered and questioned Yayati: “O lord, why do you pass over Yadu, eldest son of Devayani and grandson of Shukra, and grant the kingdom to Puru? Yadu was born first, then Turvasu; from Sharmishtha came Druhyu, then Anu, and finally Puru. How can the youngest deserve the throne, passing over his elders? Consider this well and uphold righteousness.” Yayati addressed the assembly: “Let all orders, with the Brahmanas at their head, hear my words. The kingdom must never be given to the eldest simply because of birth. My eldest son, Yadu, disobeyed me; a son who acts against his father is not considered a true son by the virtuous. Only a son who follows the words of his mother and father, who is devoted and acts for their welfare, is truly a son. “‘Puti’ is the name of hell—hell is suffering. For protection from hell, people desire a son in this world and the next. A son who resembles himself, who honors his father, the gods, and the sages, and who is a source of virtues—he alone is called the eldest son. A mute, blind, deaf, or leprous son, one who does not follow his duty, a thief, or a sinful son—even if he is the eldest—is not truly the eldest. “A virtuous son who brings honor in this world and the next, who takes the share of the eldest, he alone is truly a son, not another who is unworthy. This is the law concerning sons, for the sake of the ancestors, as declared by the knowers of dharma. The Veda says: the son is born from myself, from my heart; all that is born from him is myself. “I was disrespected by Yadu, and likewise by Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu; all of them dishonored me. But Puru obeyed my command and honored me above all. Though he is the youngest, he is my heir, by whom my old age is supported. My wish was fulfilled by Puru, who acted as a friend, and by the boon granted by Shukra, the sage Usanas himself. “The son who follows his father is king, lord of the earth; among sons, the obedient one is the true son and heir. A son endowed with virtues, who always acts for the good of his mother and father—even if he is the youngest and most excellent—deserves all prosperity. This has been declared by the sages in the Vedas and in the treatises on dharma and artha. “Puru is worthy of this kingdom, for he has acted kindly toward me. No answer can be given against the boon granted by Shukra.” After these words, Nahusha, satisfied by the assent of his citizens and countrymen, consecrated his son Puru as king over his own realm. As for Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu, Nahusha assigned them and their younger brothers to the outer regions. Having bestowed the kingdom upon Puru, King Yayati took up the vow of forest life. He departed from the city, accompanied by Brahmanas and ascetics, and with his wives Devayani and Sharmishtha, performed supreme austerities in the forest. From Yadu came the Yadavas; from Turvasu, the Yavanas; from Druhyu, the Bhojas; and from Anu, the tribes called Mlecchas. From Puru arose the Paurava lineage, O king, from which you yourself were born—a dynasty that ruled the kingdom for thousands of years. Thus, King Yayati, son of Nahusha, joyfully installed his chosen son upon the throne and entered the forest, becoming an ascetic sage. There, he dwelt among the Brahmanas, observing strict vows, eating only fruits and roots, and mastering his senses. When his time on earth was done, he departed to heaven. In the celestial realms, Yayati lived joyfully and happily. Yet, after not a very long time, he was cast down again by Shakra. O Brahmana, having reached the gods’ abode, how was it that after so short a time he was expelled by Shakra? As he fell, Yayati did not reach the earth, nor did he remain in heaven, but hung suspended in the sky—so it is told.