किंचित्कालं चरेयं वै विषयान्वयसा तव पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु प्रतिदास्यामि यौवनम् स्वं चैव प्रतिपत्स्ये ऽहं पाप्मानं जरया सह
Let me enjoy sensual pleasures for a little while with your vigor; when a thousand years are complete, I will return your youth and take back old age with its affliction.
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच पूरुः पितरमञ्जसा यथात्थ त्वं महाराज तत्करिष्यामि ते वचः
Thus addressed, Puru replied straightforwardly to his father: 'As you say, great king, so I will do your bidding.'
प्रतिपत्स्यामि ते राजन् पाप्मानं जरया सह गृहाण यौवनं मत्तश् चर कामान् यथेप्सितान्
'I will take upon myself, O king, old age with its affliction; receive youth from me and enjoy pleasures as you desire.'
जरयाहं प्रतिच्छन्नो वयोरूपधरस्तव यौवनं भवते दत्त्वा चरिष्यामि यथेच्छया
'Covered by old age, I will bear your form and age; having given you my youth, I will live as you wish.'
पूरो प्रीतो ऽस्मि ते वत्स वरं चेमं ददामि ते सर्वकामसमृद्धार्था भविष्यति तव प्रजा
'Puru, I am pleased with you, my child; I grant you this boon: your progeny will be prosperous in all desires and wealth.'
एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिः काव्यं स्मृत्वा महाव्रतम् संक्रामयामास जरां तदा पुत्रे महात्मनि
Thus addressed, that royal sage, remembering the great vow of Kāvya, then transferred old age to his noble son.
पौरवेणाथ वयसा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः प्रीतियुक्तो नरश्रेष्ठश् चचार विषयान्प्रियान्
Then Yayāti, son of Nahusha, endowed with Puru's youth, delighted, best of men, enjoyed his beloved pleasures.
यथाकामं यथोत्साहं यथाकालं यथासुखम् धर्माविरुद्धान्राजेन्द्रो यथार्हति स एव हि
As he wished, with enthusiasm, at the right time, and with happiness, the king enjoyed pleasures not opposed to righteousness, as was fitting for him.
देवान् अतर्पयद् यज्ञैः श्राद्धैरपि पितामहान् दीनाननुग्रहैरिष्टैः कामैश्च द्विजसत्तमान्
He satisfied the gods with sacrifices, his ancestors with offerings, the distressed with acts of compassion, and the best of twice-born with desired gifts.
अतिथीनन्नपानैश्च विशश्च प्रतिपालनैः आनृशंस्येन शूद्रांश्च दस्यून्निग्रहणेन च
He honored guests with food and drink, protected the people, showed kindness, and subdued the Shudras and robbers.
धर्मेण च प्रजाः सर्वा यथावद् अनुरञ्जयन् ययातिः पालयामास साक्षादिन्द्र इवापरः
By righteousness, Yayāti delighted all his subjects as was proper, ruling as another Indra in person.
स राजा सिंहविक्रान्तो युवा विषयगोचरः अविरोधेन धर्मस्य चचार सुखमुत्तमम्
That king, lion-like in stride, youthful and engaged in pleasures, enjoyed supreme happiness without violating righteousness.
स सम्प्राप्य शुभान्कामांस् तृप्तः खिन्नश्च पार्थिवः कालं वर्षसहस्रान्तं सस्मार मनुजाधिपः
Having attained his auspicious desires, the king was satisfied yet weary, and the lord of men remembered the time when a thousand years would end.
परिचिन्त्य स कालज्ञः कलाकाष्ठाश्च वीर्यवान् पूर्णम् मत्वा ततः कालं पूरुं पुत्रमुवाच ह
That powerful one, knowing the proper time and reflecting upon the divisions of time, considered the period to be complete and thus spoke to his son Puru.
न जातु कामः कामानाम् उपभोगेन शाम्यति हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते
Desire is never quenched by the enjoyment of objects; like fire fed with ghee, it only grows all the more.
यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वम् इति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत्
Whatever rice, barley, gold, cattle, or women exist on earth—all of that is not enough for one man; considering this, one should seek contentment.
यथासुखं यथोत्साहं यथाकाममरिंदम सेविता विषयाः पुत्र यौवनेन मया तव
O subduer of foes, with joy, with vigor, and as I wished, I have enjoyed the pleasures of youth, my son, together with you.
पूरो प्रीतो ऽस्मि भद्रं ते गृहाणेदं स्वयौवनम् राज्यं चैव गृहाणेदं त्वं हि मे प्रियकृत्सुतः
Puru, I am pleased; blessings to you! Accept this, your own youth, and also accept this kingdom, for you are my beloved son.
प्रतिपेदे जरां राजा ययातिर्नाहुषस्तदा यौवनं प्रतिपेदे स पूरुः स्वं पुनरात्मनः
Then King Yayati, son of Nahusha, accepted old age, and Puru received back his own youth.
अभिषेक्तुकामं च नृपं पूरुं पुत्रं कनीयसम् ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णा इदं वचनमब्रुवन्
When the king wished to anoint his younger son Puru, the classes headed by the Brahmins spoke these words.
कथं शुक्रस्य दौहित्रं देवयान्याः सुतं प्रभो ज्येष्ठं यदुमतिक्रम्य राज्यं पूरोः प्रदास्यसि
O lord, how will you give the kingdom to Puru, the son of Devayani and grandson of Shukra, bypassing your eldest son Yadu?
ज्येष्ठो यदुस्तव सुतस् तुर्वसुस्तदनन्तरम् शर्मिष्ठायाः सुतो द्रुह्युस् तथानुः पूरुरेव च
Your eldest son is Yadu, then comes Turvasu; Druhyu is the son of Sharmishtha, then Anu, and Puru as well.
कथं ज्येष्ठमतिक्रम्य कनीयान् राज्यमर्हति एतत्संबोधयामस्त्वां स्वधर्ममनुपालय
How does the younger deserve the kingdom, passing over the eldest? We make this clear to you: uphold your own duty.
ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णाः सर्वे शृण्वन्तु मे वचः ज्येष्ठं प्रति यतो राज्यं न देयं मे कथंचन
Let all the classes, with the Brahmins at their head, hear my words: I will never give the kingdom to the eldest.
मम ज्येष्ठेन यदुना नियोगो नानुपालितः प्रतिकूलः पितुर्यश्च न स पुत्रः सतां मतः
My eldest, Yadu, did not obey my command; he acted against his father, and such a son is not considered a true son among the virtuous.
मातापित्रोर्वचनकृद् धितः पथ्यश्च यः सुतः स पुत्रः पुत्रवद्यश्च वर्तते पितृमातृषु
He who acts according to the words of his mother and father, who is beneficial and follows the right path—that son is truly a son and behaves as a son should toward his parents.
यदुनाहमवज्ञातस् तथा तुर्वसुनापि वा द्रुह्युणा चानुना चैवम् अप्यवज्ञा कृता भृशम्
I was disrespected by Yadu, and likewise by Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu; thus, I was greatly dishonored.
पूरुणा मे कृतं वाक्यं मानितं च विशेषतः कनीयान्मम दायादो जरा येन धृता मम
Puru fulfilled my command and especially honored me; though younger, he is my heir, for he bore my old age.
मम कामः स च कृतः पूरुणा पुत्ररूपिणा शुक्रेण च वरो दत्तः काव्येनोशनसा स्वयम्
My wish was accomplished by Puru, who is in the form of a son; and a boon was granted to me by Shukra, the sage Kavya Ushanas, himself.
पुत्रो यस्त्वानुवर्तेत स राजा पृथिवीपतिः भवन्तः प्रतिजानन्तु पूरू राज्ये ऽभिषिच्यताम्
He who follows his father is the son who should be king and lord of the earth; let all of you agree—let Puru be anointed as king.