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.
यः पुत्रो गुणसम्पन्नो मातापित्रोर्हितः सदा सर्वं सो ऽर्हति कल्याणं कनीयानपि स प्रभुः
A son endowed with virtues, who always acts for the benefit of his mother and father, deserves all auspiciousness; even if he is the youngest, he is master.
अर्हं पूरोरिदं राज्यं यः प्रियः प्रियकृत् तव वरदानेन शुक्रस्य न शक्यं वक्तुमुत्तरम्
This kingdom belongs to the worthy eldest; he who is dear to you and does what pleases you. By granting a boon to Śukra, it is not possible to speak otherwise.
पौरजानपदैस् तुष्टैर् इत्युक्तो नाहुषस्तदा अभिषिच्य ततः पूरुं राज्ये स्वसुतमात्मजम्
Then Nahusha, addressed by the satisfied citizens and subjects, anointed Pūru, his own son, as king.
दत्त्वा च पूरवे राज्यं वनवासाय दीक्षितः पुरात्स निर्ययौ राजा ब्राह्मणैस्तापसैः सह
Having given the kingdom to Pūru, the king undertook a vow for forest-dwelling, and departed from the city together with Brahmins and ascetics.
यदोस्तु यादवा जातास् तुर्वसोर्यवनाः सुताः द्रुह्योश्चैव सुता भोजा अनोस्तु म्लेच्छजातयः
From Yadu came the Yādavas, from Turvasu the Yavanas, from Druhyu the Bhojas, and from Anu the Mleccha tribes.
पूरोस्तु पौरवो वंशो यत्र जातो ऽसि पार्थिव इदं वर्षसहस्रात्तु राज्यं कुरुकुलागतम्
From Pūru came the Paurava lineage, in which you were born, O king. After a thousand years, the kingdom came to the Kuru dynasty.
एवं स नाहुषो राजा ययातिः पुत्रमीप्सितम् राज्ये ऽभिषिच्य मुदितो वानप्रस्थो ऽभवन्मुनिः
Thus King Nahusha, Yayāti, joyfully installed his desired son in the kingdom, and became a forest-dwelling sage.
उषित्वा वनवासं स ब्राह्मणैः सह संश्रितः फलमूलाशनो दान्तो यथा स्वर्गमितो गतः
Having lived in the forest with Brahmins, subsisting on fruits and roots, self-controlled, he departed as one who attained heaven.
स गतः स्वर्गवासं तु न्यवसन्मुदितः सुखी कालस्य नातिमहतः पुनः शक्रेण पातितः
He went to dwell in heaven, joyful and happy; but after not much time, he was cast down again by Śakra.
विवशः प्रच्युतः स्वर्गाद् अप्राप्तो मेदिनीतलम् स्थितश्चासीद् अन्तरिक्षे स तदेति श्रुतं मया
Helpless, he fell from heaven, not reaching earth, and remained in the intermediate space; this I have heard.