विशालां च महाराजः कंदर्पाकृष्टमानसः । राजोवाच- आगतोऽस्मि महाभागे विशाले चारुलोचने
The king, his mind drawn by love, beheld the broad one and said: 'O fortunate, broad-eyed one, I have come to you.'
जरात्यागःकृतो भद्रे तारुण्येन समन्वितः । युवा भूत्वा समायातो भवत्वेषा ममाधुना
'O blessed one, I have cast off old age and am endowed with youth; having become young, I have come—let this now be mine.'
यंयं हि वांछते चैषा तंतं दद्मि न संशयः । विशालोवाच- यदा भवान्समायातो जरां दुष्टां विहाय च
'Whatever you desire, I shall give you—there is no doubt.' Viśālā said: 'Since you have come, having abandoned wicked old age—'
दोषेणैकेनलिप्तोसि भवंतं नैव मन्यते । राजोवाच- मम दोषं वदस्व त्वं यदि जानासि निश्चितम्
'You are tainted by a single fault; because of that, I do not accept you.' The king said: 'Tell me my fault, if you know it for certain.'
तं तु दोषं परित्यक्ष्येगुणरूपंनसंशयः
'I will abandon that fault, and become one of good qualities and form—there is no doubt.'
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणेभूमिखंडेवेनोपाख्यानेमातापितृतीर्थवर्णने ययातिचरितेऽष्टसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Padma Purāṇa, in the section called Bhūmikhaṇḍa, in the narration describing the holy places of mother and father, in the story of Yayāti, the seventy-eighth chapter is concluded.
विशालोवाच- शर्मिष्ठा यस्य वै भार्या देवयानी वरानना । सौभाग्यं तत्र वै दृष्टमन्यथा नास्ति भूपते
Viśālā said: 'He whose wife is Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī of beautiful face—there alone is good fortune seen, O king; otherwise, it is not.'
तत्कथं त्वं महाभाग अस्याः कार्यवशो भवेः । सपत्नजेन भावेन भवान्भर्ता प्रतिष्ठितः
'So how, O fortunate one, can you be subject to her will? You are established as a husband with the feeling of a rival wife.'
ससर्पोसि महाराज भूतले चंदनं यथा । सर्पैश्च वेष्टितो राजन्महाचंदन एव हि
'You are like sandalwood on earth, O king, but surrounded by serpents; just as great sandalwood is encircled by snakes.'
तथा त्वं वेष्टितः सर्पैः सपत्नीनामसंज्ञकैः । वरमग्निप्रवेशश्च शिखाग्रात्पतनं वरम्
'In the same way, you are surrounded by those called co-wives, like serpents; better to enter fire or fall from a peak.'
रूपतेजः समायुक्तं सपत्नीसहितं प्रियम् । न वरं तादृशं कांतं सपत्नीविषसंयुतम्
'A beloved, endowed with beauty and splendor, together with co-wives, is not desirable—such a dear one, joined with the poison of co-wives, is not preferable.'
तस्मान्न मन्यते कांतं भवंतं गुणसागरम् । राजोवाच- देवयान्या न मे कार्यं शर्मिष्ठया वरानने
'Therefore, she does not regard you, the ocean of virtues, as dear.' The king said: 'I have no concern with Devayānī, O beautiful-faced one, nor with Śarmiṣṭhā.'
इत्यर्थं पश्य मे कोशं सत्वधर्मसमन्वितम् । अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच- अहं राज्यस्य भोक्त्री च तव कायस्य भूपते
'For this reason, see my treasury, endowed with strength and virtue.' Ashrubindumatī said: 'I am the enjoyer of the kingdom and of your body, O king.'
यद्यद्वदाम्यहं भूप तत्तत्कार्यं त्वया ध्रुवम् । इत्यर्थे मम देहि स्वं करं त्वं धर्मवत्सल
'Whatever I say, O king, that must certainly be done by you; therefore, give me your hand, O righteous one.'
बहुधर्मसमोपेतं चारुलक्षणसंयुतम् । राजोवाच- अन्य भार्यां न विंदामि त्वां विना वरवर्णिनि
Endowed with many virtues and adorned with beautiful marks— the king said: I will not take another wife besides you, O woman of excellent complexion.
राज्यं च सकलामुर्वीं मम कायं वरानने । सकोशं भुंक्ष्व चार्वंगि एष दत्तः करस्तव
Rule the kingdom, the whole earth, and my own body, O lovely-faced one; enjoy it all with its treasury, O graceful-limbed one— I give you my hand.
यदेव भाषसे भद्रे तदेवं तु करोम्यहम् । अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच- अनेनापि महाभाग तव भार्या भवाम्यहम्
Whatever you say, O blessed one, that I shall do. Ashrubindumati said: By this too, O highly fortunate one, I become your wife.
एवमाकर्ण्य राजेंद्रो हर्षव्याकुललोचनः । गांधर्वेण विवाहेन ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः
Hearing this, the king, his eyes brimming with joy, Yayati, lord of the earth, married her by the Gandharva rite.
उपयेमे सुतां पुण्यां मन्मथस्य नरोत्तम । तया सार्द्धं महात्मा वै रमते नृपनंदनः
The best of men took as wife the virtuous daughter of Manmatha; with her, the great-souled son of the king delighted.
सागरस्य च तीरेषु वनेषूपवनेषु च । पर्वतेषु च रम्येषु सरित्सु च तया सह
On the shores of the ocean, in forests and groves, on beautiful mountains and by rivers, he enjoyed himself with her.
रमते राजराजेंद्रस्तारुण्येन महीपतिः । एवं विंशत्सहस्राणि गतानि निरतस्य च
The king of kings, the lord of the earth, reveled in youth with her; thus twenty thousand years passed in his enjoyment.
भूपस्य तस्य राजेंद्र ययातेस्तु महात्मनः । विष्णुरुवाच- एवं तया महाराजो ययातिर्मोहितस्तदा
For that king, that lord of the earth, Yayati the great-souled— Vishnu said: Thus, with her, King Yayati was then deluded.
कंदर्पस्य प्रपंचेन इंद्रस्यार्थे महामते । सुकर्मोवाच- एवं पिप्पल राजासौ ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः
By the contrivance of Kamadeva, for the sake of Indra, O wise one— Sukarma said: Thus, O Pippala, that king Yayati, lord of the earth—
तस्या मोहनकामेन रतेन ललितेन च । न जानाति दिनं रात्रिं मुग्धः कामस्य कन्यया
By her enchanting desire and playful lovemaking, he, bewildered by the maiden of love, did not know day from night.
एकदा मोहितं भूपं ययातिं कामनंदिनी । उवाच प्रणतं नम्रं वशगं चारुलोचना
Once, as the king Yayati was thus enchanted, Kāmanandinī, with beautiful eyes, spoke to him— submissive, bowed, and under her sway.
अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच- संजातं दोहदं कांत तन्मे कुरु मनोरथम् । अश्वमेधमखश्रेष्ठं यजस्व पृथिवीपते
Ashrubindumati said: A longing has arisen in me, beloved; fulfill this wish of mine— perform the supreme horse sacrifice, O lord of the earth.
राजोवाच- एवमस्तु महाभागे करोमि तव सुप्रियम् । समाहूय सुतश्रेष्ठं राज्यभोगे विनिःस्पृहम्
The king said: So be it, O greatly fortunate one, I will do what pleases you most; summoning my excellent son, who is free from desire for the kingdom's enjoyment.
समाहूतः समायातो भक्त्यानमितकंधरः । बद्धांजलिपुटो भूत्वा प्रणाममकरोत्तदा
Summoned, he came, his head humbly bowed in devotion; with hands joined in reverence, he then offered his respects.
तस्याः पादौ ननामाथ भक्त्या नमितकंधरः । आदेशो दीयतां राजन्येनाहूतः समागतः
With devotion and head bowed, he touched her feet; 'Command me, O king, for whom I have been summoned and have come.'
किं करोमि महाभाग दासस्ते प्रणतोस्मि च । राजोवाच- अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य संभारं कुरु पुत्रक
'What shall I do, O greatly fortunate one? I am your servant and bow to you.' The king said: 'Prepare the materials for the horse sacrifice, my son.'