Srimad Bhagavatam

Canto 9: Liberation
Chapter 18: King Yayati Regains His Youth

Text 0: Chapter Summary
Text* 1: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: O King ParÄ«ká¹£it, as the embodied soul has six senses, King Nahuá¹£a had six sons, named Yati, YayÄti, Saá¹yÄti, Ä€yati, Viyati and Ká¹›ti.
Text 2: When one enters the post of king or head of the government, one cannot understand the meaning of self-realization. Knowing this, Yati, the eldest son of Nahuá¹£a, did not accept the power to rule, although it was offered by his father.
Text* 3: Because Nahuá¹£a, the father of YayÄti, molested Indra’s wife, ÅšacÄ«, who then complained to Agastya and other brÄhmaṇas, these saintly brÄhmaṇas cursed Nahuá¹£a to fall from the heavenly planets and be degraded to the status of a python. Consequently, YayÄti became the king.
Text* 4: King YayÄti had four younger brothers, whom he allowed to rule the four directions. YayÄti himself married DevayÄnÄ«, the daughter of ÅšukrÄcÄrya, and ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ, the daughter of VṛṣaparvÄ, and ruled the entire earth.
Text 5: MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it said: ÅšukrÄcÄrya was a very powerful brÄhmaṇa, and MahÄrÄja YayÄti was a ká¹£atriya. Therefore I am curious to know how there occurred this pratiloma marriage between a ká¹£atriya and a brÄhmaṇa.
Text* 6-7: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: One day VṛṣaparvÄ’s daughter ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ, who was innocent but angry by nature, was walking with DevayÄnÄ«, the daughter of ÅšukrÄcÄrya, and with thousands of friends, in the palace garden. The garden was full of lotuses and trees of flowers and fruits and was inhabited by sweetly singing birds and bumblebees.
Text* 8: When the young, lotus-eyed girls came to the bank of a reservoir of water, they wanted to enjoy by bathing. Thus they left their clothing on the bank and began sporting, throwing water on one another.
Text* 9: While sporting in the water, the girls suddenly saw Lord Åšiva passing by, seated on the back of his bull with his wife, PÄrvatÄ«. Ashamed because they were naked, the girls quickly got out of the water and covered themselves with their garments.
Text* 10: ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ unknowingly put DevayÄnī’s dress on her own body, thus angering DevayÄnÄ«, who then spoke as follows.
Text* 11: Oh, just see the activities of this servant-maid ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ! Disregarding all etiquette, she has put on my dress, just like a dog snatching clarified butter meant for use in a sacrifice.
Text* 12-14: We are among the qualified brÄhmaṇas, who are accepted as the face of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The brÄhmaṇas have created the entire universe by their austerity, and they always keep the Absolute Truth within the core of their hearts. They have directed the path of good fortune, the path of Vedic civilization, and because they are the only worshipable objects within this world, they are offered prayers and worshiped even by the great demigods, the directors of the various planets, and even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, the supreme purifier, the husband of the goddess of fortune. And we are even more respectable because we are in the dynasty of Bhá¹›gu. Yet although this woman’s father, being among the demons, is our disciple, she has put on my dress, exactly like a śūdra taking charge of Vedic knowledge.
Text* 15: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: When thus rebuked in cruel words, ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ was very angry. Breathing heavily like a serpent and biting her lower lip with her teeth, she spoke to the daughter of ÅšukrÄcÄrya as follows.
Text 16: You beggar, since you don’t understand your position, why should you unnecessarily talk so much? Don’t all of you wait at our house, depending on us for your livelihood like crows?
Text* 17: Using such unkind words, ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ rebuked DevayÄnÄ«, the daughter of ÅšukrÄcÄrya. In anger, she took away DevayÄnī’s garments and threw DevayÄnÄ« into a well.
Text* 18: After throwing DevayÄnÄ« into the well, ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ went home. Meanwhile, King YayÄti, while engaged in a hunting excursion, went to the well to drink water and by chance saw DevayÄnÄ«.
Text* 19: Seeing DevayÄnÄ« naked in the well, King YayÄti immediately gave her his upper cloth. Being very kind to her, he caught her hand with his own and lifted her out.
Text 20-21: With words saturated with love and affection, DevayÄnÄ« said to King YayÄti: O great hero, O King, conqueror of the cities of your enemies, by accepting my hand you have accepted me as your married wife. Let me not be touched by others, for our relationship as husband and wife has been made possible by providence, not by any human being.
Text 22: Because of falling in the well, I met you. Indeed, this has been arranged by providence. After I cursed Kaca, the son of the learned scholar Bá¹›haspati, he cursed me by saying that I would not have a brÄhmaṇa for a husband. Therefore, O mighty-armed one, there is no possibility of my becoming the wife of a brÄhmaṇa.
Text 23: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« continued: Because such a marriage is not sanctioned by regular scriptures, King YayÄti did not like it, but because it was arranged by providence and because he was attracted by DevayÄnī’s beauty, he accepted her request.
Text* 24: Thereafter, when the learned King returned to his palace, DevayÄnÄ« returned home crying and told her father, ÅšukrÄcÄrya, about all that had happened because of ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ. She told how she had been thrown into the well but was saved by the King.
Text 25: As ÅšukrÄcÄrya listened to what had happened to DevayÄnÄ«, his mind was very much aggrieved. Condemning the profession of priesthood and praising the profession of uñcha-vá¹›tti [collecting grains from the fields], he left home with his daughter.
Text* 26: King VṛṣaparvÄ understood that ÅšukrÄcÄrya was coming to chastise or curse him. Consequently, before ÅšukrÄcÄrya came to his house, VṛṣaparvÄ went out and fell down in the street at the feet of his guru and satisfied him, checking his wrath.
Text 27: The powerful ÅšukrÄcÄrya was angry for a few moments, but upon being satisfied he said to VṛṣaparvÄ: My dear King, kindly fulfill the desire of DevayÄnÄ«, for she is my daughter and in this world I cannot give her up or neglect her.
Text* 28: After hearing ÅšukrÄcÄrya’s request, VṛṣaparvÄ agreed to fulfill DevayÄnī’s desire, and he awaited her words. DevayÄnÄ« then expressed her desire as follows: “Whenever I marry by the order of my father, my friend ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ must go with me as my maidservant, along with her friends.â€
Text 29: VṛṣaparvÄ wisely thought that ÅšukrÄcÄrya’s displeasure would bring danger and that his pleasure would bring material gain. Therefore he carried out ÅšukrÄcÄrya’s order and served him like a slave. He gave his daughter ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ to DevayÄnÄ«, and ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ served DevayÄnÄ« like a slave, along with thousands of other women.
Text* 30: When ÅšukrÄcÄrya gave DevayÄnÄ« in marriage to YayÄti, he had ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ go with her, but he warned the King, “My dear King, never allow this girl ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ to lie with you in your bed.â€
Text* 31: O King ParÄ«ká¹£it, upon seeing DevayÄnÄ« with a nice son, ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ once approached King YayÄti at the appropriate time for conception. In a secluded place, she requested the King, the husband of her friend DevayÄnÄ«, to enable her to have a son also.
Text 32: When Princess ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ begged King YayÄti for a son, the King was certainly aware of the principles of religion, and therefore he agreed to fulfill her desire. Although he remembered the warning of ÅšukrÄcÄrya, he thought of this union as the desire of the Supreme, and thus he had sex with ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ.
Text* 33: DevayÄnÄ« gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu, and ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ gave birth to Druhyu, Anu and PÅ«ru.
Text* 34: When the proud DevayÄnÄ« understood from outside sources that ÅšarmiṣṭhÄ was pregnant by her husband, she was frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father’s house.
Text* 35: King YayÄti, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means.
Text* 36: ÅšukrÄcÄrya was extremely angry. “You untruthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong,†he said. “I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity.â€
Text 37: King YayÄti said, “O learned, worshipable brÄhmaṇa, I have not yet satisfied my lusty desires with your daughter.†ŚukrÄcÄrya then replied, “You may exchange your old age with someone who will agree to transfer his youth to you.â€
Text* 38: When YayÄti received this benediction from ÅšukrÄcÄrya, he requested his eldest son: My dear son Yadu, please give me your youth in exchange for my old age and invalidity.
Text 39: My dear son, I am not yet satisfied in my sexual desires. But if you are kind to me, you can take the old age given by your maternal grandfather, and I may take your youth so that I may enjoy life for a few years more.
Text 40: Yadu replied: My dear father, you have already achieved old age, although you also were a young man. But I do not welcome your old age and invalidity, for unless one enjoys material happiness, one cannot attain renunciation.
Text* 41: O MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it, YayÄti similarly requested his sons Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu to exchange their youth for his old age, but because they were unaware of religious principles, they thought that their flickering youth was eternal, and therefore they refused to carry out their father’s order.
Text* 42: King YayÄti then requested PÅ«ru, who was younger than these three brothers but more qualified, “My dear son, do not be disobedient like your elder brothers, for that is not your duty.â€
Text 43: Pūru replied: O Your Majesty, who in this world can repay his debt to his father? By the mercy of one’s father, one gets the human form of life, which can enable one to become an associate of the Supreme Lord.
Text 44: A son who acts by anticipating what his father wants him to do is first class, one who acts upon receiving his father’s order is second class, and one who executes his father’s order irreverently is third class. But a son who refuses his father’s order is like his father’s stool.
Text* 45: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: In this way, O MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it, the son named PÅ«ru was very pleased to accept the old age of his father, YayÄti, who took the youth of his son and enjoyed this material world as he required.
Text* 46: Thereafter, King YayÄti became the ruler of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, and ruled the citizens exactly like a father. Because he had taken the youth of his son, his senses were unimpaired, and he enjoyed as much material happiness as he desired.
Text* 47: In secluded places, engaging her mind, words, body and various paraphernalia, DevayÄnÄ«, the dear wife of MahÄrÄja YayÄti, always brought her husband the greatest possible transcendental bliss.
Text* 48: King YayÄti performed various sacrifices, in which he offered abundant gifts to the brÄhmaṇas to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari, who is the reservoir of all the demigods and the object of all Vedic knowledge.
Text 49: The Supreme Lord, VÄsudeva, who created the cosmic manifestation, exhibits Himself as all-pervading, like the sky that holds clouds. And when the creation is annihilated, everything enters into the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, and varieties are no longer manifested.
Text 50: Without material desires, MahÄrÄja YayÄti worshiped the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart as NÄrÄyaṇa and is invisible to material eyes, although existing everywhere.
Text 51: Although MahÄrÄja YayÄti was the king of the entire world and he engaged his mind and five senses in enjoying material possessions for one thousand years, he was unable to be satisfied.