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.'
समाहूय द्विजान्पुण्यानृत्विजो भूमिपालकान् । एवमुक्तो महातेजाः पूरुः परमधार्मिकः
Summoning the virtuous twice-born, the officiating priests, and rulers of the earth— thus addressed, the mighty and supremely righteous Puru—
सर्वं चकार संपूर्णं यथोक्तं तु महात्मना । तया सार्धं स जग्राह सुदीक्षां कामकन्यया
He accomplished everything completely as instructed by the great-souled one; together with her, he undertook the excellent initiation with the maiden of desire.
अश्वमेधयज्ञवाटे दत्वा दानान्यनेकधा । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो महाराज भूरिदानमनंतकम्
In the place of the horse-sacrifice, the king gave many gifts to the Brahmins, O great king, boundless and abundant charity.
दीनेषु च विशेषेण ययातिः पृथिवीपतिः । यज्ञांते च महाराजस्तामुवाच वराननाम्
Especially to the needy, King Yayāti, lord of the earth, at the end of the sacrifice, spoke to her of beautiful face.
अन्यत्ते सुप्रियं बाले किं करोमि वदस्व मे । तत्सर्वं देवि कर्तास्मि साध्यासाध्यं वरानने
Tell me, O beloved girl, what else most dear to you shall I do? All that you desire, O radiant one, whether possible or impossible, I shall accomplish.
सुकर्मोवाच- इत्युक्ता तेन सा राज्ञा भूपालं प्रत्युवाच ह । जातो मे दोहदो राजंस्तत्कुरुष्व ममानघ
Sukarma said— Thus addressed by the king, she replied to the ruler: A longing has arisen in me, O faultless one; fulfill it for me.
इंद्रलोकं ब्रह्मलोकं शिवलोकं तथैव च । विष्णुलोकं महाराज द्रष्टुमिच्छामि सुप्रियम्
I wish to see, O great king, Indra's realm, Brahma's realm, Shiva's realm, and likewise Vishnu's realm, O beloved.
दर्शयस्व महाभाग यदहं सुप्रिया तव । एवमुक्तस्तयाराजातामुवाचससुप्रियाम्
Show me, O most fortunate one, whatever is dear to you, O beloved; thus addressed by her, the king spoke to his beloved.
साधुसाधुवरारोहेपुण्यमेवप्रभाषसे । स्त्रीस्वभावाच्चचापल्यात्कौतुकाच्चवरानने
Well spoken, well spoken, O beautiful one; you speak of virtue. Yet, O radiant one, out of feminine nature, restlessness, and curiosity, you have asked.
यत्तवोक्तं महाभागे तदसाध्यं विभाति मे । तत्साध्यं पुण्यदानेन यज्ञेन तपसापि च
What you have said, O blessed one, appears impossible to me; yet it may be accomplished by giving merit, by sacrifice, or by austerity.
अन्यथा न भवेत्साध्यं यत्त्वयोक्तं वरानने । असाध्यं तु भवत्या वै भाषितं पुण्यमिश्रितम्
Otherwise, what you have asked, O radiant one, cannot be accomplished; what you have spoken is indeed impossible, though mixed with virtue.
मर्त्यलोकाच्छरीरेण अनेनापि च मानवः । श्रुतो दृष्टो न मेद्यापि गतः स्वर्गं सुपुण्यकृत्
From the world of mortals, with this very body, no human has been heard or seen to have gone to heaven, even if greatly virtuous.
ततोऽसाध्यं वरारोहे यत्त्वया भाषितं मम । अन्यदेव करिष्यामि प्रियं ते तद्वद प्रिये
Therefore, O beautiful one, what you have spoken to me is impossible; I shall do something else dear to you, tell me that, O beloved.
देव्युवाच- अन्यैश्च मानुषै राजन्न साध्यं स्यान्न संशयः । त्वयि साध्यं महाराज सत्यंसत्यं वदाम्यहम्
The goddess said— With other humans, O king, it would not be possible, there is no doubt; but with you, O great king, it is possible—I speak the truth, the truth.
तपसा यशसा क्षात्रै र्दानैर्यज्ञैश्च भूपते । नास्ति भवादृशश्चान्यो मर्त्यलोके च मानवः
By austerity, fame, royal power, charity, and sacrifices, O ruler, there is no other man like you in the world of mortals.
क्षात्रं बलं सुतेजश्च त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । तस्मादेवं प्रकर्तव्यं मत्प्रियं नहुषात्मज
Royal strength, noble energy, and all brilliance are established in you; therefore, O son of Nahusha, you must do this for my sake.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने मातापितृतीर्थवर्णने ययातिचरित्रे एकोनाशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Purana, in the section of the earth, in the story of Vena, in the description of the holy place of parents, in the tale of Yayāti, the seventy-ninth chapter ends.
पिप्पल उवाच- कामकन्यां यदा राजा उपयेमे द्विजोत्तम । किं चक्राते तदा ते द्वे पूर्वभार्ये सुपुण्यके
Pippala said— When the king married the wish-maiden, O best of twice-born, what did those two former wives, the supremely virtuous ones, do then?
देवयानी महाभागा शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी । तयोश्चरित्रं तत्सर्वं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः
Devayani, the blessed one, and Sharmishtha, daughter of Vrishaparvan—tell me all their stories before me.
सुकर्मोवाच- यदानीता कामकन्या स्वगृहं तेन भूभुजा । अत्यर्थं स्पर्धते सा तु देवयानी मनस्विनी
Sukarma said— When the wish-maiden was brought to his house by the king, Devayani, wise in mind, became exceedingly jealous.