प्रजाश्च यौवनप्राप्ता विनशिष्यन्त्यनो तव। अग्निप्रस्कन्दनपरस्त्वं चाप्येवं भविष्यसि
Your offspring, having attained youth, will perish before you; and you, who have neglected the sacred fire, will also meet the same fate.
प्रत्याख्यातश्चतुर्भिश्च शप्त्वा तान्यदुपूर्वकान्। पूरोः सकाशमगमन्मत्त्वा पूरुमलङ्घनम्
Rejected by the four and having cursed them in turn, he went to Puru, intending to test Puru's worthiness.
पूरो त्वं मे प्रियः पुत्रस्त्वं वरीयान्भविष्यसि। जरा वली च मांतात पलितानि च पर्यगुः
Puru, you are my beloved son; you shall become greater. Old age, wrinkles, and gray hairs have surrounded me, my child.
काव्यस्योशनसः शापान्न च तृप्तोऽस्मि यौवने। पूरो त्वं प्रतिपद्यस्व पाप्मानं जरया सह। कंचित्कालं चरेयं वै विषयान्वयसातव
Because of the curse of Kavi, son of Ushanas, I am not satisfied with youth. Puru, you take upon yourself the sin along with old age, so that I may enjoy pleasures for a certain time according to my desire.
पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु पुनर्दास्यामि यौवनम्। स्वं चैव प्रतिपत्स्यामि पाप्मानं जरया सह
When a thousand years are complete, I will return youth to you, and I will take back my own sin along with old age.
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच पूरुः पितरमज्जसा। यदात्थ मां महाराज तत्करिष्यामि ते वचः
Thus addressed, Puru replied earnestly to his father: 'Whatever you say to me, O great king, I will do as you command.'
गुरोर्वै वचनं पुण्यं स्वर्ग्यमायुष्करं नृणाम्। गुरुप्रसादात्त्रैलोक्यमन्वशासच्छतक्रतुः
The words of a guru are sacred, bring heaven, and grant long life to men; by the guru's favor, even Indra ruled the three worlds.
गुरोरनुमतं प्राप्य सर्वान्कामानमाप्नुयात्। यावदिच्छसि तावच्च धारयिष्यामि ते जराम्
By obtaining the guru's consent, one attains all desires; for as long as you wish, I will bear your old age.
प्रतिपत्स्यामि ते राजन्पाप्मानं जरया सह। गृहाण यौवनं मत्तश्चर कामान्यथेप्सितान्
I will take upon myself your sin along with old age, O king; receive youth from me and enjoy pleasures as you desire.
जरयाहं प्रतिच्छन्नो वयोरूपधरस्तव। यौवनं भवते दत्त्वा चरिष्यामि यथात्थमाम्
Covered by old age, I will assume your form and age; having given you youth, I will live as you wish.
पूरो प्रीतोऽस्मि ते वत्स प्रीतश्चेदं ददामि ते। सर्वकामसमृद्धा ते प्रजा राज्ये भविष्यति
Puru, I am pleased with you, my son; since I am pleased, I grant you this: your progeny will flourish in the kingdom, endowed with every desire.
एवमुक्त्वा ययातिस्तु स्मृत्वा काव्यं महातपाः। संक्रामयामास जरां तदा पूरौ महात्मनि
Having spoken thus, the great ascetic Yayati, remembering Kavi, transferred old age at that time to the great-souled Puru.
पौरवेणाथ वयसा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः। `रूपयौवनसंपन्नः कुमारः समपद्यत।' प्रीतियुक्तो नृपश्रेष्ठश्चरा विषयान्प्रियान्
Then Yayati, son of Nahusha, with the youth of Puru, became a handsome and youthful prince, filled with delight, O best of kings, and enjoyed beloved pleasures.
यथाकामं यथोत्साहं यथाकालं यथासुखम्। धर्माविरुद्धं राजेन्द्रो यथा भवति सोऽन्वभूत्
As he wished, with enthusiasm, at the right time, and with happiness, the king enjoyed, without violating dharma, as is fitting.
देवानतर्पयद्यज्ञैः श्राद्धैस्तद्वित्पितॄनपि। दीनाननुग्रहैरिष्टैः कामैश्च द्विजसत्तमान्
He satisfied the gods with sacrifices, his ancestors with offerings to the departed, the poor with gifts, and the best of twice-born with desired rewards.
अतिथीनन्नपानैश्च विशश्च परिपालनैः। आनृशंस्येन शूद्रांश्च दस्यून्सन्निग्रहेण च
He honored guests with food and drink, protected the people, showed compassion to the lowly, and restrained wrongdoers.
धर्मेण च प्रजाः सर्वा यथावदनुरञ्जयन्। ययातिः पालयामास साक्षादिन्द्र इवापरः
Yayati ruled over all his subjects with righteousness, winning their affection as was proper, like another Indra in person.
स राजा सिंहविक्रान्तो युवा विषयगोचरः। अविरोधेन धर्मस्य चचार सुखमुत्तमम्
That king, lion-like in valor, young and master of his realm, moved freely within the bounds of righteousness, enjoying supreme happiness without opposition.
स संप्राप्य शुभान्कामांस्तृप्तः खिन्नश्च पार्थिवः। कालं वर्षसहस्रान्तं सस्मार मनुजाधिपः
Having attained all auspicious desires, the king was both satisfied and weary; the lord of men then remembered the time that was to end after a thousand years.
परिसंख्याय कालज्ञः कलाः काष्ठाश्च वीर्यवान्। यौवनं प्राप्य राजर्षिः सहस्रपरिवत्सरान्
Knowing the reckoning of time, strong in vigor, the royal sage, having reached his youth, counted the moments and hours through a thousand years.
विश्वाच्या सहितो रेमे व्यभ्राजन्नन्दने वने। अलकायां स कालं तु मेरुशृङ्गे तथोत्तरे
He enjoyed himself with Vishvachi, shining in the Nandana grove, and spent time in Alaka and on the northern peak of Meru.
यदा स पश्यते कालं धर्मात्मा तं महीपतिः। पूर्णं मत्वा ततः कालं पूरुं पुत्रमुवाच ह
When that righteous king saw that his time was fulfilled, considering it complete, he spoke to his son Puru.
यथाकामं यथोत्साहं यथाकालमरिन्दम। सेविता विषयाः पुत्र यौवनेन मया तव
O subduer of foes, I have enjoyed the pleasures as I wished, with all my energy, and at the proper time, through my youth, for your sake.
न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति। हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते
Desire is never quenched by enjoyment of objects; like a fire fed with clarified butter, it only grows all the more.
यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः। एकस्यापि न पर्याप्तं तस्मान्नृष्णां परित्यजेत्
All the rice, barley, gold, cattle, and women on earth are not enough for even one man; therefore, one should abandon craving.
या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्या न जीर्यति जीर्यतः। योऽसौ प्राणान्तिको रोगस्तांतृष्णां त्यजतः सुखम्
That craving, hard to abandon by the foolish, which does not age even as the body ages, is the fatal disease—happiness comes to one who gives it up.
पूर्णं वर्षसहस्रं मे विषयासक्तचेतसः। तथाप्यनुदिनं तृष्णा ममैतेष्वभिजायते
For a full thousand years, my mind was attached to pleasures, yet every day my craving for these only increased.
तस्मादेनामहं त्यक्त्वा ब्रह्मण्याधाय मानसम्। निर्द्वन्द्वो निर्ममो भूत्वा चरिष्यामि मृगैः सह
Therefore, giving this up, I will set my mind on Brahman, becoming free from duality and possessiveness, and will live with the deer.
पूरो प्रीतोऽस्मि भद्रं ते गृहाणेदं स्वयौवनम्। राज्यं चेदं गृहाण त्वं `यावदिच्छसि यौवनम्। तावद्दीर्घायुषा भुङ्ख' त्वं हि मे प्रियकृत्सुतः
Puru, I am pleased with you—may good befall you! Take this, my youth, and also accept this kingdom; enjoy youth as long as you wish, and rule with long life, for you are my beloved son.
प्रतिपेदे जरां राजा ययातिर्नाहुषस्तदा। यौवनं प्रतिपेदे च पूरुः स्वं पुनरात्मवान्
Then King Yayati, son of Nahusha, accepted old age, and Puru, self-controlled, took back his own youth.