Vayu Purana

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—’

न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति। हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्द्धते ।। ३१.

Desire is never quenched by enjoyment of objects; like a fire fed with offerings, it only grows all the more.

यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः । नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वमिति पश्यन्न मुह्यति ।। ३१.

Whatever rice and barley, gold, cattle, and women there are on earth—all that is not enough for one man; seeing this, one does not become deluded.

यदा तु कुरुते भावं सर्व्वभूतेषु पावकम्। कर्म्मणा मनसा वाचा ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ।। ३१.

When one kindles the fire of purity in all beings—by action, mind, and speech—then one attains Brahman.

यदा परान्न बिभेति यदा त्वस्मान्न बिभ्यति। यदा नेच्छति न द्वेष्टि ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा ।। ३१.

When one does not fear others, and others do not fear him; when one neither desires nor hates—then one attains Brahman.

या दुस्त्यजा दुर्म्मतिभिर्या न जीर्यति जीर्य्यतः। दोषाप्राणान्तिको रागस्तां तृष्णान्त्यजतः सुखम् ।। ३१.

That craving which is hard to abandon by those of distorted mind, which does not wither even as the body withers, that passion, whose end is ruin—happiness comes to the one who abandons that thirst.

जीर्य्यन्ति जीर्यतः कोशा दन्ता जीर्यन्ति जर्यितः। जीविताशा धनाशा च जीर्य्यतोपि न जीर्यति ।। ३१.

The treasuries of the aging man decay, his teeth decay as he ages; but the hope for life and wealth, even as he ages, does not decay.

यच्चाकामसुखं लोके यच्च दिव्यं महत् सुखम्। तृष्णास्य च सुखस्यैव कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् ।। ३१.

Whatever happiness in the world is without desire, and whatever great divine happiness there is—the happiness of freedom from craving does not equal even a sixteenth part of it.

एवमुक्त्वा स राजर्षिः सदारः प्रस्थितो वनम्। भृगुतुङ्गे तपस्तप्त्वा तत्रैव च महायशाः। पालयित्वा व्रतशतं तत्रैव स्वर्गमाप्नुयात् ।। ३१.

Having spoken thus, that royal sage, with his wife, set out for the forest; performing austerities at Bhṛgu’s peak, that illustrious one, having observed a hundred vows, attained heaven there itself.

तस्य वंशास्तु पञ्चैते पुण्या देवर्षिसत्कृताः। यैर्व्याप्ता पृथिवी कृत्स्ना सूर्यस्येव गभस्तिभिः ।। ३१.

His five lineages, virtuous and honored by divine sages, by whom the entire earth was pervaded, just as by the rays of the sun.

धन्यः प्रजावानायुष्मान् कीर्तिमांश्च भवेन्नरः। ययातेश्चरितं सर्वं पठञ्छृण्वन् द्विजोत्तमः ।। ३१.

Blessed, prosperous, long-lived, and renowned becomes the man, especially the best of twice-born, who reads or hears the entire story of Yayāti.