Linga Purana

एते संबोधयामस्त्वां धर्मं च अनुपालय

We instruct you thus; uphold righteousness.

ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णाः सर्वे शृण्वन्तु मे वचः ज्येष्ठं प्रति यथा राज्यं न देयं मे कथञ्चन

Let all the Brahmins, led by their chief, listen to my words: the kingdom must never be given to the eldest in my case.

मम ज्येष्ठेन यदुना नियोगो नानुपालितः प्रतिकूलमतिश्चैव न स पुत्रः सतां मतः

My eldest, Yadu, did not obey my command; his mind was contrary, and he is not considered a son by the virtuous.

मातापित्रोर्वचनकृत् सद्भिः पुत्रः प्रशस्यते स पुत्रः पुत्रवद् यस् तु वर्तते मातृपितृषु

A son who acts according to the words of his parents is praised by the good; he is truly a son who behaves as a son towards his mother and father.

यदुनाहमवज्ञातस् तथा तुर्वसुनापि च द्रुह्येन चानुना चैव मय्यवज्ञा कृता भृशम्

Yadu disregarded me, as did Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu; they all greatly disrespected me.

पुरुणा च कृतं वाक्यं मानितश् च विशेषतः कनीयान्मम दायादो जरा येन धृता मम

But Puru fulfilled my words and especially honored me; though he is the youngest, he is my heir, for my old age was sustained by him.

शुक्रेण मे समादिष्टा देवयान्याः कृते जरा प्रार्थितेन पुनस्तेन जरा संचारिणी कृता

Shukra instructed me, and for Devayani’s sake, old age was sought; thus, again, by him, old age was made to pass to another.

शुक्रेण च वरो दत्तः काव्येनोशनसा स्वयम् पुत्रो यस्त्वनुवर्तेत स ते राज्यधरस्त्विति

And Śukra himself granted a boon to Kāvya Uśanas: 'That son of yours who follows you shall be the ruler of your kingdom.'

भवन्तो ऽप्यनुजानन्तु पूरू राज्ये ऽभिषिच्यते यः पुत्रो गुणसम्पन्नो मातापित्रोर्हितः सदा

You all should also consent: let that son who is endowed with virtues and always devoted to his mother and father be anointed as king.

सर्वमर्हति कल्याणं कनीयान् अपि स प्रभुः अर्हः पूरुरिदं राज्यं यः सुतो वाक्यकृत्तव

Even the youngest, if he is worthy, deserves all good fortune and lordship; Pūru is worthy of this kingdom, for he is the son who obeys commands.

वरदानेन शुक्रस्य न शक्यं कर्तुमन्यथा एवं जानपदैस्तुष्टैर् इत्युक्तो नाहुषस्तदा

By the boon given by Śukra, it cannot be otherwise; so said Nāhuṣa, pleased by the people of the realm.

अभिषिच्य ततो राज्यं पूरुं स सुतम् आत्मनः दिशि दक्षिणपूर्वस्यां तुर्वसुं पुत्रमादिशत्

Then he anointed his own son Pūru as king, and assigned his son Turvasu to the southeast direction.

दक्षिणायामथो राजा यदुं ज्येष्ठं न्ययोजयत् प्रतीच्यामुत्तरस्यां तु द्रुह्युं चानुं च तावुभौ

The king appointed his eldest son Yadu to the south, and to the west and north he assigned Druhyu and Anu, those two.

सप्तद्वीपां ययातिस्तु जित्वा पृथ्वीं ससागराम् व्यभजच्च त्रिधा राज्यं पुत्रेभ्यो नाहुषस्तदा

Having conquered the earth with its seven continents and oceans, Yayāti, son of Nāhuṣa, then divided the kingdom into three parts among his sons.

पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु हर्षनिर्भरमानसः प्रीतिमानभवद्राजा भारम् आवेश्य बन्धुषु

Having transferred his royal splendor to his sons, the king, his heart full of joy, became content, entrusting the burden to his relatives.

अत्र गाथा महाराज्ञा पुरा गीता ययातिना याभिः प्रत्याहरेत् कामान् सर्वतो ऽङ्गानि कूर्मवत्

Here are the verses once sung long ago by the great king Yayāti, by which one may recall desires from all sides, as a tortoise draws in its limbs.

ताभिर् एव नरः श्रीमान् नान्यथा कर्मकोटिकृत् न जातु कामः कामानाम् उपभोगेन शाम्यति

By these alone, not by performing countless actions, does a fortunate man attain; desire is never quenched by the enjoyment of desires.

हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः

Like fire fed by offerings, it grows ever more; whatever rice, barley, gold, cattle, or women there are on earth.

नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वम् इति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत् यदा न कुरुते भावं सर्वभूतेषु पापकम्

Thinking, 'All this is not enough for one person,' one should seek peace, when one no longer harbors evil intent toward any being.

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा यदा परान्न बिभेति परे चास्मान्न बिभ्यति

When, by deed, mind, and speech, one attains Brahman—when one does not fear others, nor do others fear him.

यदा न निन्देन्न द्वेष्टि ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर् यानजीर्यति जीर्यतः

When one neither reviles nor hates, then one attains Brahman; that craving which is hard to abandon by the foolish, withers as the body withers.

यो ऽसौ प्राणान्तिको रोगस् तां तृष्णां त्यजतः सुखम् जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः केशा दन्ता जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः

That disease which ends life—craving—brings happiness to him who abandons it; as hair and teeth wither with age, so too does craving wither.

चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च जीर्येते तृष्णैका निरुपद्रवा जीर्यन्ति देहिनः सर्वे स्वभावादेव नान्यथा

The eyes and ears grow old, but craving alone is untroubled; all the bodily faculties age naturally, there is no other way.

जीविताशा धनाशा च जीर्यतो ऽपि न जीर्यते यच्च कामसुखं लोके यच्च दिव्यं महत्सुखम्

The hope for life and wealth does not age, even as the body ages; whatever pleasure of desire exists in this world, and whatever great pleasure in heaven—

तृष्णाक्षयसुखस्यैतत् कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् एवमुक्त्वा स राजर्षिः सदारः प्राविशद्वनम्

—does not equal even a sixteenth part of the happiness from the extinction of craving. Having spoken thus, the royal sage, with his wife, entered the forest.

भृगुतुङ्गे तपस्तप्त्वा तत्रैव च महायशाः साधयित्वा त्वनशनं सदारः स्वर्गमाप्तवान्

There at the peak of Bhrigu, the illustrious one performed austerities, accomplished the vow of fasting, and, together with his wife, attained heaven.

तस्य वंशास्तु पञ्चैते पुण्या देवर्षिसत्कृताः यैर्व्याप्ता पृथिवी कृत्स्ना सूर्यस्येव मरीचिभिः

His five lineages, virtuous and honored by divine sages, spread across the entire earth like the rays of the sun.

धनी प्रजावान् आयुष्मान् कीर्तिमांश् च भवेन्नरः ययातिचरितं पुण्यं पठञ्छृण्वंश् च बुद्धिमान्

A person who reads or listens to the sacred deeds of Yayāti becomes wealthy, prosperous in offspring, long-lived, and renowned, and gains wisdom.

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोके महीयते

Freed from all sins, he is honored in the realm of Śiva.