तस्मात् सर्वाणि भूतानि कर्मणा सिद्धिम् आप्नुयुः कर्मैव विश्वतोव्यापि तदृते नास्ति किंचन
Therefore, all beings attain perfection through action; action alone pervades everything—apart from it, nothing exists.
विद्याभ्यासो यज्ञकृतिर् योगाभ्यासः शिवार्चनम् सर्वं कर्मैव नाकर्मी प्राणी क्वाप्य् अत्र विद्यते
Study of knowledge, performance of sacrifice, practice of yoga, worship of Śiva—all are indeed action; there is no living being here who is without action.
कर्मैव कारणं तस्माद् अन्यद् उन्मत्तचेष्टितम् ऋषीणां यत्र संवादो यत्र देवो महेश्वरः
Therefore, only action is the cause; anything else is the behavior of the deluded. Where the sages converse, there is the god Maheśvara.
चकार निर्णयं सर्वं कर्मणावाप्यते नृभिः मार्कण्डं मुख्यतः कृत्वा ततो मार्कण्डम् उच्यते
He made the final decision: everything is attained by people through action, especially by making Mārkaṇḍa central—thus it is called Mārkaṇḍa.
तीर्थम् ऋषिगणाकीर्णं गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे पितॄणां पावनं पुण्यं स्मरणाद् अपि सर्वदा
A sacred place thronged by hosts of sages, on the northern bank of the Ganges, purifying and holy for the ancestors, always sanctifying even by remembrance.
तत्राष्टौ नवतिस् तात तीर्थान्य् आह जगन्मयः वेदेन चापि तत् प्रोक्तम् ऋषयो मेनिरे च तत्
There, O dear one, the Lord of the Universe declared there are ninety-eight sacred places; this was also stated in the Veda, and the sages agreed.
यायातम् अपरं तीर्थं यत्र कालञ्जरः शिवः सर्वपापप्रशमनं तद्वृत्तम् उच्यते मया
Go to another sacred place, where Kālañjara is Śiva, the remover of all sins; I shall tell you its story.
ययातिर् नाहुषो राजा साक्षाद् इन्द्र इवापरः तस्य भार्याद्वयं चासीत् कुललक्षणभूषितम्
Yayāti, son of Nahusha, a king like another Indra, had two wives, both adorned with the marks of noble lineage.
ज्येष्ठा तु देवयानीति नाम्ना शुक्रसुता शुभा शर्मिष्ठेति द्वितीया सा सुता स्याद् वृषपर्वणः
The elder, named Devayānī, was the auspicious daughter of Śukra; the second, named Śarmiṣṭhā, was the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan.
ब्राह्मण्य् अपि महाप्राज्ञा देवयानी सुमध्यमा ययातेर् अभवद् भार्या सा तु शुक्रप्रसादतः
Devayānī, wise and of noble form, became Yayāti’s wife by the favor of Śukra, though she was a Brāhmaṇa woman.
शर्मिष्ठा चापि तस्यैव भार्या या वृषपर्वजा देवयानी शुक्रसुता द्वौ पुत्रौ समजीजनत्
Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, was also his wife. Devayānī, daughter of Śukra, bore two sons.
यदुं च तुर्वसुं चैव देवपुत्रसमाव् उभौ शर्मिष्ठा च नृपाल् लेभे त्रीन् पुत्रान् देवसंनिभान्
She gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, both equal to the sons of the gods; and Śarmiṣṭhā, the king’s wife, had three sons, resembling the gods.
द्रुह्युं चानुं च पूरुं च ययातेर् नृपसत्तमात् देवयान्याः सुतौ ब्रह्मन् सदृशौ शुक्ररूपतः
From the noble king Yayāti and Devayānī were born two sons, Druhyu and Anu, and Pūru, all resembling Śukra in form.
शर्मिष्ठायास् तु तनयाः शक्राग्निवरुणप्रभाः देवयानी कदाचित् तु पितरं प्राह दुःखिता
Śarmiṣṭhā’s sons shone with the brilliance of Indra, Agni, and Varuṇa. But once, Devayānī, distressed, spoke to her father.
मम त्व् अपत्यद्वितयम् अभाग्याया भृगूद्वह मम दास्याः सभाग्याया अपत्यत्रितयं पितः
O best of Bhṛgus, though I am unfortunate and have only two children, my servant, who is fortunate, has three children, father.
तद् एतद् अनुमृश्यायं दुःखम् अत्यन्तम् आगता मरिष्ये दानवगुरो ययातिकृतविप्रियात् मानभङ्गाद् वरं तात मरणं हि मनस्विनाम्
Reflecting on this, I am overcome by great sorrow; I shall die because of the wrong done by Yayāti, O preceptor of the Dānavas. For those of noble mind, death is better than dishonor.
तद् एतत् पुत्रिकावाक्यं श्रुत्वा शुक्रः प्रतापवान् कुपितो ऽभ्याययौ शीघ्रं ययातिम् इदम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing these words of his daughter, the mighty Śukra, enraged, swiftly approached Yayāti and spoke to him thus:
यद् इदं विप्रियं मे त्वं सुतायाः कृतवान् असि रूपोन्मत्तेन राजेन्द्र तस्माद् वृद्धो भविष्यसि
Because you have done this grievous wrong to my daughter, O king, driven by infatuation with beauty, therefore you shall become old.
न च भोक्तुं न च त्यक्तुं शक्नोति विषयातुरः स्पृहयन् मनसैवास्ते निःश्वासोच्छ्वासनष्टधीः
One tormented by desire is unable either to enjoy or to renounce; longing in his mind alone, he remains, his understanding lost in sighs and breaths.
वृद्धत्वम् एव मरणं जीवताम् अपि देहिनाम् तस्माच् छीघ्रं प्रयाहि त्वं जरां भूपातिदुर्धराम्
Old age is itself death for living beings, even while alive; therefore, quickly go and accept this old age, O king, most difficult to bear.
एतच् छ्रुत्वा ययातिस् तु शापं शुक्रस्य धीमतः कृताञ्जलिपुटो राजा ययातिः शुक्रम् अब्रवीत्
Hearing this curse from the wise Śukra, King Yayāti, with hands joined in reverence, spoke to Śukra:
नापराध्ये न संकुप्ये नैवाधर्मं प्रवर्तये अधर्मकारिणः पापाः शास्या एव महात्मनाम्
I do not offend, nor do I become angry, nor do I act unrighteously; only those who commit unrighteous deeds are to be punished by the great-souled.
धर्मम् एव चरन्तं वै कथं मां शप्तवान् असि देवयानी द्विजश्रेष्ठ वृथा मां वक्ति किंचन
How have you cursed me, who acts only in accordance with righteousness? O best of Brāhmaṇas, Devayānī speaks falsely against me.
तस्मान् न मम विप्रेन्द्र शापं दातुं त्वम् अर्हसि विद्वांसो ऽपि हि निर्दोषे यदि कुप्यन्ति मोहिताः तदा न दोषो मूर्खाणां द्वेषाग्निप्लुष्टचेतसाम्
Therefore, O best of Brāhmaṇas, you ought not to give me this curse; for even the learned, when deluded, may become angry at the innocent—then there is no fault in the ignorant, whose minds are burned by the fire of hatred.
ययातिवाक्याच् छुक्रो ऽपि सस्मार सुतया कृतम् असकृद् विप्रियं तस्य दिवा रात्रौ प्रचण्डया
At Yayāti’s words, Śukra too recalled the many wrongs done to his daughter, both by day and by night, with fierce intensity.
गतकोपो ऽहम् इत्य् उक्त्वा काव्यो राजानम् अब्रवीत्
Having said, 'I am no longer angry,' Kāvyā spoke to the king:
ज्ञातं मयानयाकारि विप्रियं न वदे ऽनृतम् शापस्येमं करिष्यामि शृणुष्वानुग्रहं नृप
I know now, by her actions, the wrong that was done; I do not speak untruth. I shall carry out this curse—listen, O king, to my favor.
यस्मै पुत्राय संदातुं जराम् इच्छसि मानद तस्य सा यात्व् इयं राजञ् जरा पुत्राय मद्वरात्
To whichever son you wish to transfer this old age, O giver of honor, let this old age, by my boon, go to that son, O king.
पुनर् ययातिः श्वशुरं शुक्रं प्राह विनीतवत्
Again Yayāti respectfully addressed his father-in-law Śukra:
यो गृह्णाति मया दत्तां जरां भक्तिसमन्वितः स राजा स्याद् दैत्यगुरो तद् एतद् अनुमन्यताम्
Whoever, with devotion, accepts from me this old age that I give, let him become king, O preceptor of the Daityas; let this be approved.