एवमाकर्ण्यतद्वाक्यं पुत्राणां पृथिवीपतिः । आचचक्षे पुनस्तेषु हर्षेणाकुलमानसः
Hearing these words of his sons, the lord of the earth, his mind filled with joy, explained the matter to them again.
ययातिरुवाच- एकेन गृह्यतां पुत्रा जरा मे दुःखदायिनी । धीरेण भवतां मध्ये तारुण्यं मम दीयताम्
Yayāti said: Let one of you, my sons, take my old age, which brings suffering, and let one of you, steadfast among you, give me your youth.
स्वकीयं हि महाभागाः स्वरूपमिदमुत्तमम् । संतप्तं मानसं मेद्य स्त्रियां सक्तं सुचंचलम्
Indeed, O highly fortunate ones, this is my own true nature: my mind, scorched and restless, is attached to women and easily agitated.
भाजनस्था यथा आप आवर्त्तयति पावकः । तथा मे मानसं पुत्राः कामानलसुचालितम्
Just as fire stirs water placed in a vessel, so too, O sons, my mind is agitated by the fire of desire.
एको गृह्णातु मे पुत्रा जरां दुःखप्रदायिनीम् । स्वकं ददातु तारुण्यं यथाकामं चराम्यहम्
Let one of you, my sons, take upon himself my old age, which brings suffering, and give me his youth, so that I may live as I wish.
यो मे जरापसरणं करिष्यति सुतोत्तमः । स च मे भोक्ष्यते राज्यं धनुर्वंशं धरिष्यति
That excellent son of mine who will remove my old age shall enjoy the kingdom and uphold the royal lineage.
तस्य सौख्यं सुसंपत्तिर्धनं धान्यं भविष्यति । विपुला संततिस्तस्य यशः कीर्तिर्भविष्यति
He will have happiness, great prosperity, wealth, and grain; his lineage will flourish, and he will gain fame and renown.
पुत्रा ऊचुः- भवान्धर्मपरो राजन्प्रजाः सत्येन पालकः । कस्मात्ते हीदृशो भावो जातः प्रकृतिचापलः
The sons said: You are devoted to righteousness, O King, and protect your subjects with truth; why then has such a fickle disposition arisen in you?
राजोवाच- आगता नर्तकाः पूर्वं पुरं मे हि प्रनर्तकाः । तेभ्यो मे कामसंमोहे जातो मोहश्च ईदृशः
The king said: Previously, dancers came to my city, and from them, through the delusion of desire, such confusion has arisen in me.
जरया व्यापितः कायो मन्मथाविष्टमानसः । संबभूव सुतश्रेष्ठाः कामेनाकुलव्याकुलः
Though my body is afflicted by old age, my mind is seized by love; thus, O best of sons, I have become greatly disturbed by desire.
काचिद्दृष्टा मया नारी दिव्यरूपा वरानना । मया संभाषिता पुत्राः किंचिन्नोवाच मे सती
I saw a certain woman, divine in form and beautiful-faced; I spoke to her, O sons, but that virtuous lady said little to me.
विशालानाम तस्याश्च सखी चारुविचक्षणा । सा मामाह शुभं वाक्यं मम सौख्यप्रदायकम्
Her friend, named Vishala, wise and lovely-eyed, spoke to me auspicious words that would bring me happiness.
जराहीनो यदा स्यास्त्वं तदा ते सुप्रिया भवेत् । एवमंगीकृतं वाक्यं तयोक्तं गृहमागतः
She said, 'When you are free from old age, then she will become truly dear to you.' Having accepted these words, I returned home.
मया जरापनोदार्थं तदेवं समुदाहृतम् । एवं ज्ञात्वा प्रकर्तव्यं मत्सुखं हि सुपुत्रकाः
Therefore, I have spoken thus for the removal of my old age; knowing this, you should act accordingly, O good sons, for my happiness.
तुरुरुवाच- शरीरं प्राप्यते पुत्रैः पितुर्मातुः प्रसादतः । धर्मश्च क्रियते राजञ्शरीरेण विपश्चिता
Turu said: The body is obtained by sons through the grace of father and mother, and it is with the body that the wise perform righteousness, O King.
पित्रोः शुश्रूषणं कार्यं पुत्रैश्चापि विशेषतः । न च यौवनदानस्य कालोऽयं मे नराधिप
Sons must especially serve their parents, but this is not the time for me, O King, to give away my youth.
प्रथमे वयसि भोक्तव्यं विषयं मानवैर्नृप । इदानीं तन्न कालोयं वर्तते तव सांप्रतम्
In the first stage of life, O King, men should enjoy worldly pleasures; now is not the time for you to do so.
जरां तात प्रदत्वा वै पुत्रे तात महद्गताम् । पश्चात्सुखं प्रभोक्तव्यं न तु स्यात्तव जीवितम्
If, father, you give your great old age to your son, then afterwards you may enjoy happiness, but your life would not remain.
तस्माद्वाक्यं महाराज करिष्ये नैव ते पुनः । एवमाभाषत नृपं तुरुर्ज्येष्ठसुतस्तदा
Therefore, O great king, I will not carry out your command again; thus spoke Turu, the eldest son, to the king.
तुरोर्वाक्यं तु तच्छ्रुत्वा क्रुद्धो राजा बभूव सः । तुरुं शशाप धर्मात्मा क्रोधेनारुणलोचनः
Hearing Turu's words, the king became angry; with eyes reddened by wrath, the righteous king cursed Turu.
अपध्वस्तस्त्वयाऽदेशो ममायं पापचेतन । तस्मात्पापी भव स्वत्वं सर्वधर्मबहिष्कृतः
Because you, wicked-minded one, have violated my command, therefore become sinful, deprived of all righteousness.
शिखया त्वं विहीनश्च वेदशास्त्रविवर्जितः । सर्वाचारविहीनस्त्वं भविष्यसि न संशयः
You shall be without a topknot, devoid of Vedic knowledge and scriptures; you shall certainly be bereft of all proper conduct, without doubt.
ब्रह्मघ्नस्त्वं देवदुष्टः सुरापः सत्यवर्जितः । चंडकर्मप्रकर्ता त्वं भविष्यसि नराधमः
You shall become a slayer of a Brahmin, corrupt toward the gods, a drinker of liquor, devoid of truth, and a perpetrator of cruel deeds, the lowest among men.
सुरालीनः क्षुधी पापी गोघ्नश्च त्वं भविष्यसि । दुश्चर्मा मुक्तकच्छश्च ब्रह्मद्वेष्टा निराकृतिः
You shall become addicted to liquor, hungry, sinful, a killer of cows, wearing impure skins, with loose garments, a hater of Brahmins, and without proper form.
परदाराभिगामी त्वं महाचंडः प्रलंपटः । सर्वभक्षश्च दुर्मेधाः सदात्वं च भविष्यसि
You shall approach another’s wife, be exceedingly fierce, deceitful, of perverse mind, eating anything and everything, and always of wicked intellect.
सगोत्रां रमसे नारीं सर्वधर्मप्रणाशकः । पुण्यज्ञानविहीनात्मा कुष्ठवांश्च भविष्यसि
You shall consort with a woman of your own lineage, destroyer of all righteousness, devoid of merit and knowledge, and you shall become afflicted with leprosy.
तव पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च भविष्यंति न संशयः । ईदृशाः सर्वपुण्यघ्ना म्लेच्छाः सुकलुषीकृताः
Your sons and grandsons, without doubt, shall be just like this—destroyers of all virtue, outcastes, thoroughly corrupted.
एवं तुरुं सुशप्त्वैव यदुं पुत्रमथाब्रवीत् । जरां वै धारयस्वेह भुंक्ष्व राज्यमकंटकम्
Thus having cursed Turvasu, he then spoke to his son Yadu: 'Take upon yourself old age here and enjoy the kingdom without hindrance.'
बद्धाञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा यदू राजानमब्रवीत् । यदुरुवाच- जराभारं न शक्नोमि वोढुं तात कृपां कुरु
With hands joined in reverence, Yadu spoke to the king: 'Yadu said: I am unable to bear the burden of old age, father; show me compassion.'
शीतमध्वा कदन्नं च वयोतीताश्च योषितः । मनसः प्रातिकूल्यं च जरायाः पंचहेतवः
Cold, long journeys, coarse food, women past their youth, and the mind’s aversion—these are the five causes of suffering from old age.