Yayati
| Yayati | |
|---|---|
Chandravamsha |
Yayati (
He is considered in some texts to the son of King
He married
Genealogy and early life
Upon
The Mahabharata mentions about Yayati's achievements. He performed 100
Legend
The legend of Yayati appears in the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of the ninth canto of the Bhagavata Purana.[5]
Yayati's father,
Marriage
One day, Sharmishtha, daughter of the
When Devayani moves to Yayati's palace after her marriage, Sharmishtha, now her maidservant, also goes along. Shukra, however, sternly warns Yayati never to have any affairs with Sharmishtha.
Curse
After a long while, Sharmishtha comes to Yayati, and requests him to give her a child. He refuses, stating that if he were to do so, he would face the wrath of Shukra. Nevertheless, Sharmishtha manages to convince him, saying that it would be against dharma if he were to refuse her request; he being the king, it was his responsibility to ensure the needs of the citizens, and she is desperate to have a child. He reluctantly agrees, and they begin an affair, in the hopes that she would conceive. In due course, Devayani gives birth to two sons: Yadu and Turvasu, while Sharmishtha begets three sons: Druhyu, Anudruhyu, and Puru.
Eventually, Devayani learns of her husband's affair with Sharmishtha, and complains to her father. Enraged at his son-in-law's disobedience, Shukra curses Yayati with premature old age in punishment for inflicting such pain upon his daughter. However, on learning Sharmishtha's desire to become a mother, he later relents, telling Yayati that if he could persuade one of his (Yayati's) sons to swap ages with him, he will be able to escape the curse, and regain his lost youth for a while. Yayati asks his sons if one of them would give up his youth to rejuvenate his father, but all refuse except the youngest, Puru (one of his sons by Sharmishtha). In grateful recognition of Puru's filial devotion, Yayati makes him his legitimate heir, and it is from the line of Puru - later
In the words of the story, Yayati enjoys all the pleasures of the senses 'for a thousand years' and, by experiencing passion to the full, comes to realise its utter futility, saying: "Know this for certain... not all the food, wealth and women of the world can appease the lust of a single man of uncontrolled senses. Craving for sense-pleasures is not removed but aggravated by indulgence even as ghee poured into fire increases it....One who aspires to peace and happiness should instantly renounce craving and seek instead that which neither grows old, nor ceases - no matter how old the body may become."[5] Having found wisdom by following the road of excess, Yayati gratefully returns the youth of his son Puru, and takes back his old age in return, renouncing the world to spend his remaining days as a forest ascetic. His spiritual practices are, at long last, blessed with success and, alone in the deep woods, he is rewarded with ascension to Svarga - the heavenly realm of the righteous, ruled by Indra, that is but one step below the ultimate liberation of moksha.[5]
Afterlife
Yayati ascended to heaven due to his virtues. He was so virtuous that he could travel to many celestial regions. Sometimes, he went to the region of Brahma and sometimes stayed at Amaravati, the region of Indra. One day, when Yayati and Indra were conversing, Indra asked him questions. Indra asked him how many sacrifices he did and whom he was equal to in sacrifices. Yayati boastingly said the number of his sacrifices was innumerable, and proclaimed his superiority. Indra was angered by this bragging, and threw Yayati out of heaven. Yayati begged his pardon, so Indra said even though he would be thrown out of heaven, he would fall amidst virtuous and wise humans. Thus, while Yayati fell from the celestial region, he got stuck in the firmament. His grandsons: Ashtaka, Vasuman, Prattarddana, and Sivi (kings and sons of Mamata or Madhavi) met him. They enquired who he was, and why he was thus. They asked about heaven, about hell, about rebirth. Yayati recited everything. Then, out of compassion, they offered their own meritorious powers to Yayati. With these merits, Yayati attained again the realm of heaven. Five golden chariots arrived and took them to the region of eternal bliss, because of the merits of his grandsons and his own.
Descendants
From Devayani
- Yadu gave rise to the Yaduvamsha, the ancestral lineage of Krishna
- Yavana Kingdom
- Madhavi or Mamata married four times and had one son with each husband. She married Haryaśva, who belonged to the Vishvamitra.
- With the Ikshvaku King Haryaśva, she had a son named Vasumanas, who became a wealthy king, and practised charity
- With Divodasa, the King of Kaśi, she had the mighty warrior King Pratarddana who acquired weapons from Sage Bharadvaja, and defeated the Haihayas and the Videhas in battle
- With the Bhoja king Ushinara, she had Shibi, who became a Chakravarti and conquered the world, and practised dharma and charity
- With Sage Vishvamitra, she had a son named Ashtaka, who became famous for performing sacrifices and charity
From Sharmishtha
- Druhyu and his descendants, the Vaibhoja Vamsha, according to Tripura tradition, are believed to have formed the Twipra Kingdom.[8]
- Tusharas (Tukharas), with their kingdom being located in the north west of India as per the epic Mahabharata. In Bhagavata Purana, the Uśīnaras, the Sibi, the Madras, and the Kekayas are the direct descendants of Anudruhyu. Sibi or Sivi is stated to be son of Usinara.[9]
- Puru
Another one of his descendants (through
Influence
In modern language and usage, trading conscientious behaviour for external gain is sometimes called Yayati Syndrome.[10][11]
Playwright Girish Karnad's debut play Yayati (1961) is based on the story of King Yayati found in the Mahabharata.[13]
See also
- Lunar dynasty
- Kuru
- Puru
- Yaduvamsha
Further reading
- Adiparva, verse. 71-80.
- Yayati (Marathi). 1959. ISBN 978-81-7161-588-9
- Yayati: A Classic Tale of Lust, by V. S. Khandekar (English), Tr. by Y. P. Kulkarni. Orient Paperbacks. ISBN 81-222-0428-7.
- Yayati, by Girish Karnad. Oxford University Press.
References
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (24 June 2012). "Yayati, Yāyati, Yayāti: 18 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ Bibek Debroy, Dipavali Debroy (2002). The holy Puranas. p. 152. "Nahusha and Ashokasundari had a son named Yayati.”
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (14 November 2020). "Account of the King Yayati [Chapter 30]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ Laura Gibbs: Yayati
- ^ ISBN 9781438422831.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Yayāti". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ISBN 978-81-8957491-8.
- Kings of Tripura.
- ^ "Anu, the fourth son of Yayāti, had three sons, named Sabhanara, Caksu and Paresnu. From Sabhanara came a son named Kalanara, and from Kalanara came a son named Srnjaya. From Srnjaya came a son named Janamejaya. From Janamejaya came Mahasala; from Mahasala, Mahamana; and from Mahamana two sons, named Usinara and Titiksu. The four sons of Usinara were Sibi, Vara, Krmi and Daksa, and from Sibi again came four sons, named Vrsadarbha, Sudhira, Madra and atma-tattva-vit Kekaya...." (Bhagavata Purana, 9.23.1-4).
- ^ Management and the Bhagavad Gita
- ^ BJP's Yayati Syndrome
- ^ Jnanpith website – list of laureates Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-415-05933-X.
- Dowson, John (1888). A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature. Trubner & Co., London.
- Mani, Vettam (1964). Puranic Encyclopaedia. Motilal Banarsidas, Delhi. ISBN 08426-0822-2.
External links
- Story of King Yayati from Mahabharata
- Devayani and Yayati Retold by P. R. Ramachander
- Yayati in Brahma Purana
