Adi Parva, Mahabharata/Book I Chapter 80
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 80:English
"Vaisampayana said, 'Yayati then, on returning to his capital which was like unto the city of Indra, entered his inner apartments and established there his bride Devayani. And the monarch, directed by Devayani, established Vrishaparvan's daughter Sarmishtha in a mansion especially erected near the artificial woods of Asokas in his gardens. And the king surrounded Vrishaparvan's daughter Sarmishtha with a thousand maids and honoured her by making every arrangement for her food and garments. But it was with Devayani that the royal son of Nahusha sported like a celestial for many years in joy and bliss. And when her season came, the fair Devayani conceived. And she brought forth as her first child a fine boy. And when a thousand years had passed away, Vrishaparvan's daughter Sarmishtha having attained to puberty saw that her season had come. She became anxious and said to herself, 'My season hath arrived. But I have not yet chosen a husband. O, what hath happened, what should I do? How am I to obtain the fruition of my wishes? Devayani hath become mother. My youth is doomed to pass away in vain. Shall I choose him also for my husband whom Devayani hath chosen? This is, indeed, my resolve: that monarch should give me a son. Will not the virtuous one grant me a private interview?'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'While Sarmishtha was thus busy with her thoughts, the king wandering listlessly came to that very wood of Asokas, and beholding Sarmishtha before him, stood there in silence. Then Sarmishtha of sweet smiles seeing the monarch before her with nobody to witness what might pass, approached him and said with joined palms, 'O son of Nahusha, no one can behold the ladies that dwell in the inner apartments of Soma, of Indra, of Vishnu, of Yama, of Varuna, and of thee! Thou knowest, O king, that I am both handsome and well-born. I solicit thee, O king! My season hath arrived. See that it goeth not in vain.'
"Yayati answered, 'Well do I know that honour of birth is thine, born as thou art in the proud race of the Danavas. Thou art also gifted with beauty. I do not, indeed, see even the speck of a fault in thy feature. But Usanas commanded me, while I was united with Devayani, that never should Vrishaparvan's daughter he summoned to my bed.'
p. 180
"Sarmishtha then said, 'It hath been said, O king, that it is not sinful to lie on the occasion of a joke, in respect of women sought to be enjoyed, on occasions of marriage, in peril of immediate death and of the loss of one's whole fortune. Lying is excusable on these five occasions. O king, it is not true that he is fallen who speaks not the truth when asked. Both Devayani and myself have been called hither as companions to serve the same purpose. When, therefore, thou hadst said that you wouldst confine thyself to one only amongst as, that was a lie thou hadst spoken.' Yayati replied, 'A king should ever be a model in the eyes of his people. That monarch certainly meets with destruction who speaks an untruth. As for myself, I dare not speak an untruth even if the greatest loss threatens me!' Sarmishtha answered, 'O monarch, one may look upon her friend's husband as her own. One's friend's marriage is the same as one's own. Thou hast been chosen by my friend as her husband. Thou art as much my husband, therefore.' Yayati then said, 'It is, indeed my vow always to grant what one asketh. As thou askest me, tell me then what I am to do.' Sarmishtha then said, 'Absolve me, O king, from sin. Protect my virtue. Becoming a mother by thee, let me practise the highest virtue in this world. It is said, O king, that a wife, a slave, and a son can never earn wealth for themselves. What they earn always belongeth to him who owneth them. I am, indeed, the slave of Devayani. Thou art Devayani's master and lord. Thou art, therefore, O king, my master and lord as much as Devayani's! I solicit thee! O, fulfil my wishes!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Sarmishtha, the monarch was persuaded into the truth of all she spoke. He therefore, honoured Sarmishtha by protecting her virtue. And they passed some time together. And taking affectionate farewell of each other, they then parted, each returning to whence he or she had come.
"And it came to pass that Sarmishtha of sweet smiles and fair eyebrows conceived in consequence of that connection of hers with that best of monarchs. And, O king, that lotus-eyed lady then in due course of time brought forth a son of the splendour of a celestial child and of eyes like-lotus-petals.'"
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 80:Sanskrit
1 [व]
पौरवेणाद वयसा ययातिर नहुषात्मजः
परीतियुक्तॊ नृपश्रेष्ठश चचार विषयान परियान
2 यदाकामं यदॊत्साहं यदाकालं यदासुखम
धर्माविरुथ्धान राजेन्थ्रॊ यदार्हति स एव हि
3 थेवान अतर्पयथ यज्ञैः शराथ्धैस तथ्वत पितॄन अपि
थीनान अनुग्रहैर इष्टैः कामैश च थविजसत्तमान
4 अतिदीन अन्नपानैश च विशश च परिपालनैः
आनृशंस्येन शूथ्रांश च थस्यून संनिग्रहेण च
5 धर्मेण च परजाः सर्वा यदावथ अनुरञ्जयन
ययातिः पालयाम आस साक्षाथ इन्थ्र इवापरः
6 स राजा सिंहविक्रान्तॊ युवा विषयगॊचरः
अविरॊधेन धर्मस्य चचार सुखम उत्तमम
7 स संप्राप्य शुभान कामांस तृप्तः खिन्नश च पार्दिवः
कालं वर्षसहस्रान्तं सस्मार मनुजाधिपः
8 परिसंख्याय कालज्ञः कलाः काष्ठाश च वीर्यवान
पूर्णं मत्वा ततः कालं पूरुं पुत्रम उवाच ह
9 यदाकामं यदॊत्साहं यदाकालम अरिंथम
सेविता विषयाः पुत्र यौवनेन मया तव
10 पूरॊ परीतॊ ऽसमि भथ्रं ते गृहाणेथं सवयौवनम
राज्यं चैव गृहाणेथं तवं हि मे परियकृत सुतः
11 परतिपेथे जरां राजा ययातिर नाहुषस तथा
यौवनं परतिपेथे च पूरुः सवं पुनर आत्मनः
12 अभिषेक्तु कामं नृपतिं पूरुं पुत्रं कनीयसम
बराह्मण परमुखा वर्णा इथं वचनम अब्रुवन
13 कदं शुक्रस्य नप्तारं थेव यान्याः सुतं परभॊ
जयेष्ठं यथुम अतिक्रम्य राज्यं पूरॊः परथास्यसि
14 यथुर जयेष्ठस तव सुतॊ जातस तम अनु तुर्वसुः
शर्मिष्ठायाः सुतॊ थरुह्युस ततॊ ऽनुः पूरुर एव च
15 कदं जयेष्ठान अतिक्रम्य कनीयान राज्यम अर्हति
एतत संबॊधयामस तवां धर्मं तवम अनुपालय
16 [य]
बराह्मण परमुखा वर्णाः सर्वे शृण्वन्तु मे वचः
जयेष्ठं परति यदा राज्यं न थेयं मे कदं चन
17 मम जयेष्ठेन यथुना नियॊगॊ नानुपालितः
परतिकूलः पितुर यश च न सपुत्रः सतां मतः
18 मातापित्रॊर वचनकृथ धितः पद्यश च यः सुतः
सपुत्रः पुत्रवथ यश च वर्तते पितृमातृषु
19 यथुनाहम अवज्ञातस तदा तुर्वसुनापि च
थरुह्युना चानुना चैव मय्य अवज्ञा कृता भृशम
20 पूरुणा मे कृतं वाक्यं मानितश च विशेषतः
कनीयान मम थायाथॊ जरा येन धृता मम
मम कामः स च कृतः पूरुणा पुत्र रूपिणा
21 शुक्रेण च वरॊ थत्तः काव्येनॊशनसा सवयम
पुत्रॊ यस तवानुवर्तेत स राजा पृदिवीपतिः
भवतॊ ऽनुनयाम्य एवं पूरू राज्ये ऽभिषिच्यताम
22 [परकृतयह]
यः पुत्रॊ गुणसंपन्नॊ मातापित्रॊर हितः सथा
सर्वम अर्हति कल्याणं कनीयान अपि स परभॊ
23 अर्हः पूरुर इथं राज्यं यः सुतः परियकृत तव
वरथानेन शुक्रस्य न शक्यं वक्तुम उत्तरम
24 [व]
पौरजानपथैस तुष्टैर इत्य उक्तॊ नाहुषस तथा
अभ्यषिञ्चत ततः पूरुं राज्ये सवे सुतम आत्मजम
25 थत्त्वा च पूरवे राज्यं वनवासाय थीक्षितः
पुरात स निर्ययौ राजा बराह्मणैस तापसैः सह
26 यथॊस तु यादवा जातास तुर्वसॊर यवनाः सुताः
थरुह्यॊर अपि सुता भॊजा अनॊस तु मलेच्छ जातयः
27 पूरॊस तु पौरवॊ वंशॊ यत्र जातॊ ऽसि पार्दिव
इथं वर्षसहस्राय राज्यं कारयितुं वशी
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 80:Transliteration
1 [v]
pauraveṇātha vayasā yayātir nahuṣātmajaḥ
prītiyukto nṛpaśreṣṭhaś cacāra viṣayān priyān
2 yathākāmaṃ yathotsāhaṃ yathākālaṃ yathāsukham
dharmāviruddhān rājendro yathārhati sa eva hi
3 devān atarpayad yajñaiḥ śrāddhais tadvat pitṝn api
dīnān anugrahair iṣṭaiḥ kāmaiś ca dvijasattamān
4 atithīn annapānaiś ca viśaś ca paripālanaiḥ
ānṛśaṃsyena śūdrāṃś ca dasyūn saṃnigraheṇa ca
5 dharmeṇa ca prajāḥ sarvā yathāvad anurañjayan
yayātiḥ pālayām āsa sākṣād indra ivāparaḥ
6 sa rājā siṃhavikrānto yuvā viṣayagocaraḥ
avirodhena dharmasya cacāra sukham uttamam
7 sa saṃprāpya śubhān kāmāṃs tṛptaḥ khinnaś ca pārthivaḥ
kālaṃ varṣasahasrāntaṃ sasmāra manujādhipaḥ
8 parisaṃkhyāya kālajñaḥ kalāḥ kāṣṭhāś ca vīryavān
pūrṇaṃ matvā tataḥ kālaṃ pūruṃ putram uvāca ha
9 yathākāmaṃ yathotsāhaṃ yathākālam ariṃdama
sevitā viṣayāḥ putra yauvanena mayā tava
10 pūro prīto 'smi bhadraṃ te gṛhāṇedaṃ svayauvanam
rājyaṃ caiva gṛhāṇedaṃ tvaṃ hi me priyakṛt sutaḥ
11 pratipede jarāṃ rājā yayātir nāhuṣas tadā
yauvanaṃ pratipede ca pūruḥ svaṃ punar ātmanaḥ
12 abhiṣektu kāmaṃ nṛpatiṃ pūruṃ putraṃ kanīyasam
brāhmaṇa pramukhā varṇā idaṃ vacanam abruvan
13 kathaṃ śukrasya naptāraṃ deva yānyāḥ sutaṃ prabho
jyeṣṭhaṃ yadum atikramya rājyaṃ pūroḥ pradāsyasi
14 yadur jyeṣṭhas tava suto jātas tam anu turvasuḥ
śarmiṣṭhāyāḥ suto druhyus tato 'nuḥ pūrur eva ca
15 kathaṃ jyeṣṭhān atikramya kanīyān rājyam arhati
etat saṃbodhayāmas tvāṃ dharmaṃ tvam anupālaya
16 [y]
brāhmaṇa pramukhā varṇāḥ sarve śṛṇvantu me vacaḥ
jyeṣṭhaṃ prati yathā rājyaṃ na deyaṃ me kathaṃ cana
17 mama jyeṣṭhena yadunā niyogo nānupālitaḥ
pratikūlaḥ pitur yaś ca na saputraḥ satāṃ mataḥ
18 mātāpitror vacanakṛd dhitaḥ pathyaś ca yaḥ sutaḥ
saputraḥ putravad yaś ca vartate pitṛmātṛṣu
19 yadunāham avajñātas tathā turvasunāpi ca
druhyunā cānunā caiva mayy avajñā kṛtā bhṛśam
20 pūruṇā me kṛtaṃ vākyaṃ mānitaś ca viśeṣataḥ
kanīyān mama dāyādo jarā yena dhṛtā mama
mama kāmaḥ sa ca kṛtaḥ pūruṇā putra rūpiṇā
21 śukreṇa ca varo dattaḥ kāvyenośanasā svayam
putro yas tvānuvarteta sa rājā pṛthivīpatiḥ
bhavato 'nunayāmy evaṃ pūrū rājye 'bhiṣicyatām
22 [prakṛtayah]
yaḥ putro guṇasaṃpanno mātāpitror hitaḥ sadā
sarvam arhati kalyāṇaṃ kanīyān api sa prabho
23 arhaḥ pūrur idaṃ rājyaṃ yaḥ sutaḥ priyakṛt tava
varadānena śukrasya na śakyaṃ vaktum uttaram
24 [v]
paurajānapadais tuṣṭair ity ukto nāhuṣas tadā
abhyaṣiñcat tataḥ pūruṃ rājye sve sutam ātmajam
25 dattvā ca pūrave rājyaṃ vanavāsāya dīkṣitaḥ
purāt sa niryayau rājā brāhmaṇais tāpasaiḥ saha
26 yados tu yādavā jātās turvasor yavanāḥ sutāḥ
druhyor api sutā bhojā anos tu mleccha jātayaḥ
27 pūros tu pauravo vaṃśo yatra jāto 'si pārthiva
idaṃ varṣasahasrāya rājyaṃ kārayituṃ vaśī