देवानतर्पयद्यज्ञैः पितॄञ्छ्राद्धैस्तथैव च। दीनांश्चानुग्रहैरिष्टैः कामैश्च द्विजसत्तमान् ।। ३१.
He satisfied the gods with sacrifices, and the ancestors with śrāddha offerings; he gratified the poor with gifts, and the best of twice-born with desired boons.
अतिथीनन्नपानैश्च वैश्यांश्च परिपालनैः। आनृशंस्येन शूद्रांश्च दस्यून् संनिग्रहेण च ।। ३१.
He honored guests with food and drink, protected the Vaiśyas, showed compassion to the Śūdras, and subdued the robbers.
धर्म्मेण च प्रजाः सर्व्वा यथावदनुरञ्जयन्। ययातिः पालयामास साक्षादिन्द्र इवापरः ।। ३१.
By righteousness, Yayati delighted all his subjects as was proper, ruling like another Indra himself.
स राजा सिंहविक्रान्तो युवा विषयगोचरः। अविरोधेन धर्मस्य चचार सुखमुत्तमम् ।। ३१.
That king, lion-like in stride, young and enjoying pleasures, lived in supreme happiness without violating dharma.
स मार्गमाणः कामानामन्तर्दोषनिदर्शनात्। विश्वासहेतो रेमे वै वैब्राजे नन्दने वने ।। ३१.
Seeking pleasures, and seeing the faults within them, he delighted for a time in the splendid Nandana forest, trusting in its joys.
अपश्यत्स यदा तां वै वर्द्धमानां नृपस्तदा। गत्वा पूरोः सकाशं वै स्वां जरा प्रत्यपद्यत ।। ३१.
But when the king saw her, growing old, he went to his city and accepted his own old age.
स सम्प्राप्य तु तान् कामांस्तृप्तः खिन्नश्च पार्थिवः। कालं वर्षसहस्रं वै सस्मार मनुजाधिपः। ।। ३१.
Having attained those pleasures, the king was satisfied yet weary; for a thousand years he remembered the passage of time.
परिसङ्ख्याय कालञ्च कलाकाष्ठास्तथैव च। पूर्णं मत्त्वा ततः कालं पूरुं पुत्रमुवाच ह ।। ३१.
Counting the time, the divisions and moments, and knowing the period was complete, he spoke to his son Puru.
यथासुखं यथोत्साहं यथाकालमरिंदम। सेविता विषयाः पुत्र यौवनेन मया तव ।। ३१.
O subduer of enemies, my son, I have enjoyed the pleasures as I wished, with vigor and in due season, through your youth.
पूरो प्रीतोऽस्मि भद्रं ते गृहाण त्वं स्वयौवनम्। राष्ट्रञ्च नृपं पूरुं पुत्रं कनीयसम्। ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णा इदं वचनमब्रुवन् ।। ३१.
Puru, I am pleased; blessings to you! Take back your own youth, and the kingdom, O prince. The Brahmins and the other classes, led by the Brahmins, spoke these words.
प्रतिपेदे जरां राजा ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः। यौवनं प्रतिपेदे च पूरुः स्वं पुनरात्मनः ।। ३१.
The king Yayati, son of Nahusha, accepted old age, and Puru regained his own youth.
अभिषेक्तुकामञ्च नृपं पूरुं पुत्रं कनीयसम्। ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णा इदं वचनमब्रुवन् ।। ३१.
Desiring to anoint his youngest son Puru as king, the Brahmins and the other classes, led by the Brahmins, spoke these words.
कथं शुक्रस्य नप्तारं देवयान्याः सुतं प्रभो। श्रेष्ठं यदुमतिक्रम्य पूरो राज्यं प्रदास्यसि ।। ३१.
O lord, how will you give the kingdom to Puru, passing over Yadu, the eldest son of Devayani and grandson of Shukra, who is the best?
यदुर्ज्येष्ठस्तव सुतो जातस्तमनु तुर्वसुः। शर्मिष्ठायाः सुतो द्रुह्युस्तनोऽनुः पूरुरेव च ।। ३१.
Yadu, your eldest son, was born first, then Turvasu after him; from Sharmishtha came Druhyu, then Anu, and Puru as well.
कथं ज्येष्ठानतिक्रम्य कनीयान् राज्यमर्हति । अतः सम्बोधयामि त्वां धर्म्मं समनुपालय ।। ३१.
How does the youngest deserve the kingdom, passing over the elders? Therefore I remind you: uphold righteousness.
ययातिरुवाच।। ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा वर्णाः सर्वे श्रृण्वन्तु मे वचः। ज्येष्टं प्रति यथा रार्ष्ट्रं न देयं मे कथञ्चन ।। ३१.
Yayati said: Let all the Brahmins and the other classes listen to my words. In no way should the kingdom be given to the eldest, in my view.
माता पित्रोर्वचनकृत्स हि पुत्रः प्रशस्यते । मम ज्येष्ठेन यदुना नियोगो नानुपालितः ।। ३१.
A son who obeys his mother and father is praised; my eldest, Yadu, did not follow my command.
प्रतिकूलं पितुर्यश्च न स पुत्रः सतां मतः। स पुत्रः पुत्रवद् यश्च वर्त्तते पितृमातृषु ।। ३१.
He who acts against his father is not considered a true son by the virtuous; but he who behaves as a son towards his parents is truly a son.
यदुनाहमवज्ञातस्तथा तुर्वसुनापि च। द्रुह्युणा चानुना चैवमप्यवज्ञा कृता भृशम् ।। ३१.
I was disrespected by Yadu, and likewise by Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu; thus, I was greatly dishonored.
पूरुणा तु कृतं वाक्यं मानितश्च विशेषतः। कनीयान् मम दायादो जरा येन धृता मम। सर्वकामः सर्वकृतः पूरुणा पुत्रकारिणा ।। ३१.
But Puru fulfilled my word and especially honored me; though the youngest, he is my heir, who bore my old age. Puru, my son, accomplished all and did all for me.
शुक्रेण च वरो दत्तः काव्ये नोशनसा स्वयम्। पुत्रो यस्त्वानुवर्त्तेत स राजा ते महामते ।। ३१.
A boon was given by Shukra, the sage Usanas himself: 'O wise one, the son who follows you, he shall be king.'
भवतोऽनुमतोप्येवं पूरु राष्ट्रेऽभिषिच्यताम् । यःपुत्रो गुणसम्पन्नो मातापित्रोर्हितः सदा। सर्वमर्हति कल्याणं कनीयानपि स प्रभुः ।। ३१.
With your approval, let Puru be consecrated as king in the kingdom. The son endowed with virtues, always devoted to his parents, deserves all good things, even if he is the youngest; he is the lord.
अर्हः पूरुरिदं राष्ट्रं यः प्रियः प्रियकृत्तव। वरदानेन शुक्रस्य न शक्यं वक्तुमुत्तरम् ।। ३१.
He, Pūru, is worthy of this kingdom, for he is dear and does what is dear; it is not possible to speak further in response to Śukra’s granting of a boon.
पौरजानपदैस्तुष्टैरित्युक्तो नाहुषस्तदा। अभिषिच्य ततः पूरुं स्वराष्ट्रे सुतमात्मनः ।। ३१.
Then, addressed thus by the pleased citizens and countrymen, Nahusha consecrated his own son Pūru as king over his own kingdom.
दिशि दक्षिणपूर्वस्यां तुर्वसुं तु न्यवेशयत्। दक्षिणापरतो राजा यदुं श्रेष्ठं न्यवेशयत् ।। ३१.
In the southeast direction he settled Turvasu, and in the southwest the king settled the excellent Yadu.
प्रतीच्यामुत्तरस्याञ्च द्रुह्युञ्चानुञ्च तावुभौ। सप्तद्वीपां ययातिस्तु जित्त्वा पृथ्वीं ससागराम्। व्यभजत् पञ्चधा राजा पुत्रेभ्यो नाहुषस्तदा ।। ३१.
In the northwest and north he settled Druhyu and Anu, both of them; Yayāti, having conquered the earth with its seven continents and oceans, then divided it into five parts among his sons, O Nahusha.
तैरियं पृथिवी सर्वा सप्तद्वीपा सपत्तना। यथाप्रदेशं धर्मज्ञैर्धर्म्मेण प्रतिपाल्यते ।। ३१.
By them, this entire earth with its seven continents and cities is protected according to their regions, by the righteous, in accordance with dharma.
एवं विसृज्य पृथिवीं पुत्रेभ्यो नाहुषस्तदा। पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु प्रीतिमानभवन्नृपः ।। ३१.
Thus, having entrusted the earth to his sons, Nahusha at that time, his prosperity having passed to his sons, became content.
धनुर्न्यस्य पृषत्कांश्च राज्यञ्चैव सुतेषु तु। प्रीतिमानभवद्राजा भारमावेश्य बन्धुषु ।। ३१.
Laying down his bow and arrows, and the kingdom as well, with his sons, the king became content, having placed his burdens upon his relatives.
अत्र गाथा महाराज्ञा पुरा गीता ययातिना। योऽभिप्रेत्याहरन् कामान् कूर्मोङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।। ३१.
Here, a verse was once sung by the great king Yayāti: ‘He who, having come to the end, gathers desires as a tortoise draws in its limbs, entirely—’