Chapter 85
“Vaisampayana said, ‘The excellent monarch Yayati, the son of Nahusha,having received Puru’s youth, became exceedingly gratified. And with ithe once more began to indulge in his favourite pursuits to the fullextent of his desires and to the limit of his powers, according toseasons, so as to derive the greatest pleasure therefrom.
And, O king, innothing that he did, he acted against the precepts of his religion asbehoved him well. He gratified the gods by his sacrifices; the pitris, bySraddhas; the poor, by his charities; all excellent Brahmanas, byfulfilling their desires; all persons entitled to the rites ofhospitality, with food and drink; the Vaisyas, by protection; and theSudras, by kindness. And the king repressed all criminals by properpunishments. And Yayati, gratifying all sections of his subjects,protected them virtuously like another Indra. And the monarch possessedof the prowess of a lion, with youth and every object of enjoyment undercontrol, enjoyed unlimited happiness without transgressing the preceptsof religion. And the king became very happy in thus being able to enjoyall the excellent objects of his desires. And he was only sorry when hethought that those thousand years would come to an end. And havingobtained youth for a thousand years, the king acquainted with themysteries of time, and watching proper Kalas and Kashthas sported with(the celestial damsel) Viswachi, sometimes in the beautiful garden ofIndra, sometimes in Alaka (the city of Kuvera), and sometimes on thesummit of the mountain Meru on the north. And when the virtuous monarchsaw that the thousand years were full, he summoned his son, Puru, andaddressed him thus, ‘O oppressor of foes, with thy youth, O son, I haveenjoyed the pleasures of life, each according to its season to the fullextent of my desires, to the limit of my powers. Our desires, however,are never gratified by indulgence. On the other hand, with indulgence,they only flame up like fire with libations of sacrificial butter. If asingle person were owner of everything on Earth–all her yields of paddyand barley, her silver, gold, and gems, her animals and women, he wouldnot still be content. Thirst of enjoyment, therefore, should be given up.Indeed, true happiness belongeth to them that have cast off their thirstfor worldly objects–a thirst which is difficult to be thrown off by thewicked and the sinful, which faileth not with the failing life, and whichis truly the fatal disease of man. My heart hath for a full thousandyears been fixed upon the objects of desires. My thirst for these,however, increaseth day by day without abating. Therefore, I shall castit off, and fixing my mind on Brahma I shall pass the rest of my dayswith the innocent deer in the forest peacefully and with no heart for anyworldly objects. And O Puru, I have been exceedingly gratified with thee!Prosperity be thine! Receive back this thy youth! Receive thou also mykingdom. Thou art, indeed, that son of mine who has done me the greatestservices.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Then Yayati, the son of Nahusha, received backhis decrepitude. And his son Puru received back his own youth. And Yayatiwas desirous of installing Puru, his youngest son, on the throne. But thefour orders, with the Brahmanas at their head, then addressed the monarchthus, ‘O king, how shall thou bestow thy kingdom on Puru, passing overthy eldest son Yadu born of Devayani, and, therefore, the grandson of thegreat Sukra? Indeed, Yadu is thy eldest son; after him hath been bornTurvasu; and of Sarmishtha’s sons, the first is Drahyu, then Anu and thenPuru. How doth the youngest deserve the throne, passing all his elderbrothers over? This we represent to thee! O, conform to virtuouspractice.’
“Yayati then said, ‘Ye four orders with Brahmanas at their head, hear mywords as to why my kingdom should not be given to my eldest son. Mycommands have been disobeyed by my eldest son, Yadu. The wise say that heis no son who disobeyeth his father. That son, however, who doth thebidding of his parents, who seeketh their good, who is agreeable to them,is indeed, the best of sons. I have been disregarded by Yadu and byTurvasu, too. Much I have been disregarded by Drahyu and by Anu also. ByPuru alone hath my word been obeyed. By him have I been much regarded.Therefore, the youngest shall be my heir. He took my decrepitude. Indeed,Puru is my friend. He did what was so agreeable to me. It hath also beencommanded by Sukra himself, the son of Kavi, that, that son of mine whoshould obey me will become king after me and bring the whole Earth underhis sway. I, therefore, beseech thee, let Puru be installed on thethrone.’
“The people then said, ‘True it is, O king, that, that son who isaccomplished and who seeketh the good of his parents, deservethprosperity even if he be the youngest. Therefore, doth Puru, who hathdone the good, deserve the crown. And as Sukra himself hath commanded it,we have nothing to say to it.’
“Vaisampayana continued., ‘The son of Nahusha, thus addressed by thecontented people, then installed his son, Puru, on the throne. And havingbestowed his kingdom on Puru, the monarch performed the initiatoryceremonies for retiring into the woods. And soon after he left hiscapital, followed by Brahmanas and ascetics.
“The sons of Yadu are known by the name of the Yadavas: while those ofTurvasu have come to be called the Yavanas. And the sons of Drahyu arethe Bhojas, while those of Anu, the Mlechchhas. The progeny of Puru,however, are the Pauravas, amongst whom, O monarch, thou art born, inorder to rule for a thousand years with thy passions under completecontrol.'”
