स शाश्वतीः समा राजन्प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्। जरामार्च्छन्महाघोरां नाहुषो रूपनाशिनीम्
O king, ruling his subjects with righteousness for many years, Nahusha's son Yayati encountered the dreadful old age that destroys beauty.
जराऽभिभूतः पुत्रान्स राजा वचनमब्रवीत्। यदुं पूरुं तुर्वसुं च द्रुह्युं चानुं च भारत
Overcome by old age, the king spoke to his sons—Yadu, Puru, Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu—O Bharata.
यौवनेन चरन्कामान्युवा युवतिभिः सह। बिहर्तुमहमिच्छामि साह्यं कुरुत पुत्रकाः
While still youthful, enjoying desires with young women, I wish to continue to delight in pleasures; my sons, make this possible for me.
तं पुत्रो दैवयानेयः पूर्वजो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। किं कार्यं भवतः कार्यमस्माकं यौवनेन ते
Then his eldest son by Devayani spoke: What is the use for you, and for us, of your youth?
ययातिरब्रवीत्तं वै जरा मे प्रतिगृह्यताम्। यौवनेन त्वदीयेन चरेयं विषयानहम्
Yayati said: Let my old age be accepted by you; with your youth, I will enjoy the pleasures of the senses.
यजतो दीर्घसत्रैर्मे शापाच्चोशनसो मुनेः। कामार्थः परिहीणोऽयं तप्येयं तेन पुत्रकाः
Because of my long sacrifices and the curse of the sage Usanas, my desire has been diminished; therefore, my sons, I am afflicted.
मामकेन शरीरेण राज्यमेकः प्रशास्तु वः। अहं तन्वाऽभिनवया युवा काममवाप्नुयाम्
Let one of you rule the kingdom with my body, while I, possessing a new and youthful form, may fulfill my desires.
ते न तस्य प्रत्यगृह्णन्यदुप्रभृतयो जराम्। तमब्रवीत्ततः पूरुः कनीयान्सत्यविक्रमः
None of them accepted his old age; then Puru, the youngest and true to his word, spoke to him.
राजंश्चराभिनवया तन्वा यौवनगोचरः। अहं जरां समादाय राज्ये स्थास्यामि तेज्ञया
"O King, you may roam with a new and youthful body, enjoying youth; I will take on old age and remain in the kingdom by your command."
एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिस्तपोवीर्यसमाश्रयात्। संचारयामास जरां तदा पुत्रे महात्मनि
Thus addressed, the royal sage, by the power of his austerity, transferred his old age at that time to his great-souled son.
पौरवेणाथ वयसा राजा यौवनमास्थितः। यायातेनापि वयसा राज्यं पूरुरकारयत्
Then the king, endowed with Puru's youth, enjoyed youthfulness, and Puru, with Yayati's age, governed the kingdom.
ततो वर्षसहस्राणि ययातिरपराजितः। स्थितः स नृपशार्दूलः शार्दूलसमविक्रमः
Thereafter, for a thousand years, Yayati, unconquered and tiger among kings, remained, possessing the vigor of a tiger.
ययातिरपि पत्नीभ्यां दीर्घकालं विहृत्य च। विश्वाच्या सहितो रेमे पुनश्चैत्ररथे वने
Yayati, after spending a long time with his wives, enjoyed himself with Vishvachi again in the Chaitraratha forest.
नाध्यगच्छत्तदा तृप्तिं कामानां स महायशाः। अवेत्य मनसा राजन्निमां गाथां तदा जगौ
Yet, that illustrious one did not attain satisfaction in desires; realizing this in his mind, O King, he then recited this verse.
न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति। इविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते
Desire is never quenched by the enjoyment of desired objects; like fire fed with clarified butter, it only grows stronger.
यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः। नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वमिति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत्
Whatever rice, barley, gold, cattle, and women exist on earth—all that is not enough for one person; knowing this, one should seek contentment.
यदा न कुरुते पापं सर्वभूतेषु कर्हिचित्। कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा
When one does not commit sin toward any being, by deed, mind, or speech, then one attains Brahman.
न बिभेति यदा चायं यदा चास्मान्न बिभ्यति। यदा नेच्छति न द्वेष्टि ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा
When a person does not fear, nor causes fear in others, and neither desires nor hates, then one attains Brahman.
इत्यवेक्ष्य महाप्राज्ञः कामानां फल्गुतां नृप। समाधाय मनो बुद्ध्या प्रत्यगृह्णाज्जरां सुतात्
Thus reflecting on the insignificance of desires, the wise king, having steadied his mind with understanding, accepted old age back from his son.
ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते ययातिरपराजितः।' दत्वा च यौवनं राजा पूरुं राज्येऽभिषिच्य च। अतृप्त एव कामानां पूरुं पुत्रमुवाच ह
Then, at the end of a thousand years, the unconquered Yayati, after giving back youth and installing Puru as king, though still unsatisfied in desires, spoke to his son Puru.
त्वया दायादवानस्मि त्वं मे वंशकरः सुतः। पौरवो वंश इति ते ख्यातिं लोके गमिष्यति
"Through you I have an heir; you are the perpetuator of my line, my son. The lineage will be known in the world as the Paurava line because of you."
ततः स नृपशार्दूल पूरुं राज्येऽभिषिच्य च। ततः सुचरितं कृत्वा भृगुतुङ्गे महातपाः
Then that tiger among kings, having installed Puru in the kingdom, performed virtuous deeds and practiced great austerity on the Bhṛgu mountain.
कालेन महता पश्चात्कालधर्ममुपेयिवान्। कारयित्वा त्वनशनं सदारः स्वर्गमाप्तवान्
After a long time, in accordance with the law of time, he departed this world; having performed the rite of fasting with his wife, he attained heaven.
ययातिः पूर्वजोऽस्माकं दशमो यः प्रजापतेः। कथं स शुक्रतनयां लेभे परमदुर्लभाम्
Yayāti, our ancestor, the tenth son of Prajāpati—how did he obtain the exceedingly rare daughter of Śukra?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विस्तरेण तपोधन। आनुपूर्व्या च मे शंस राज्ञो वंशकरान्पृथक्
This I wish to hear from you in detail, O sage rich in austerity; also tell me, in order, the separate progenitors of the king's lineage.
ययातिरासीन्नृपतिर्देवराजसमद्युतिः। तं शुक्रवृषपर्वाणौ वव्राते वै यथा पुरा
Yayāti was a king, radiant as the lord of the gods; as before, Śukra and Vṛṣaparvan gave him their daughter.
तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि पृच्छते जनमेजय। देवयान्याश्च संयोगं ययातेर्नाहुषस्य च
Now I shall fully recount to you, O Janamejaya, as you ask, the union of Devayānī and Yayāti, son of Nahusha.
सुराणामसुराणां च समजायत वै मिथः। ऐश्वर्यं प्रति संघर्षस्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
There arose a great conflict between the gods and the asuras throughout the three worlds, moving and unmoving, for the sake of sovereignty.
जिगीषया ततो देवा वव्रिरेऽङ्गिरसं मुनिम्। पौरोहित्येन याज्यार्थे काव्यं तूशनसं परे
Desiring victory, the gods chose the sage Aṅgiras as their priest for officiating at sacrifices, while the others chose Kāvya Uśanas.
ब्राह्मणौ तावुभौ नित्यमन्योन्यस्पर्धिनौ भृशम्। तत्र देवा निजघ्नुर्यान्दानवान्युधि संगतान्
Those two brāhmaṇas, ever rivals, competed intensely; there, the gods defeated the assembled dānavas in battle.