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Matsyapurana 32

English (machine translation) 32

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32.1

Śaunaka said: / Hearing that a prince was born, that pure-smiling Devayānī, / filled with anxiety and stricken with grief on account of Śarmiṣṭhā, O descendant of Bharata,

32.2

Approached Śarmiṣṭhā and spoke these words: / 'Why has this wrongdoing been committed by you, fair-browed one, greedy for lust?'"

32.3

Śarmiṣṭhā said: / "A certain righteous ṛṣi, who has mastered the Vedas, came here; / by me a boon was solicited, a desire conjoined with dharma.

32.4

I do not practice desire unlawfully, O pure-smiling one; / my offspring is from that ṛṣi: this is the truth I speak to you."

32.5

Devayānī said: / "If this is so, Śarmiṣṭhā, I have no anger, / if your offspring was obtained from a senior and most excellent twice-born.

32.6

It is well, timid one, if it is true. How is that twice-born known? / I wish to hear of that twice-born by lineage, name, and family."

32.7

Śarmiṣṭhā said:
Blazing with vigor and brilliance like the sun, / seeing him, I had not the power to ask him, O fair-smiling one.

32.8

Śaunaka said:
Having spoken thus to one another, laughing together, / the daughter of Bhṛgu went home, believing it to be the truth.

32.9

King Yayāti begot upon Devayānī two sons, / Yadu and Turvasu, like another Śakra and Viṣṇu.

32.10

And from that same royal sage, Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, / brought forth three princes: Druhyu, Anu, and Pūru.

32.11

Then, after some time, the fair-smiling Devayānī / went with Yayāti, O king, to a verdant forest.

32.12

And she saw there boys of godlike appearance / playing with confidence; and astonished, she spoke these words:

32.13

Devayānī said:
Whose children are these, O king, splendid, resembling sons of the gods? / In radiance and in form they appear just like you.

32.14

Having thus asked the king, she then inquired of the boys: / “What are your names and lineages, little boys? What brāhmaṇa is your father?

32.15

Tell me truly, for I desire to hear it.” / They pointed with the index finger to that best of kings,

32.16

and the boys said to her that Śarmiṣṭhā was their mother. / Having said this, they approached the king together with him.

32.17

The king did not welcome them in the presence of Devayānī; / weeping, those children then ran to Śarmiṣṭhā.

32.18

Seeing the affection of those boys toward the ruler of the earth, / and grasping the truth of it, the queen said to Śarmiṣṭhā:

32.19

Devayānī said:
Being dependent upon me, why have you done what is displeasing to me? / Resorting to that very conduct of the Asuras, do you not fear?

32.20

Śarmiṣṭhā said:
What was said—that it was a sage—that is true, O sweet-smiling one; / acting in accordance with justice and dharma, I do not fear you.

32.21

When the king was chosen by you, he was chosen by me as well; / for by dharma, the friend's husband becomes one's husband, O lovely lady.

32.22

You are to be revered by me, honored, best, and the elder brāhmaṇa woman; / but the royal sage is more venerable to me than you; do you not know that?

32.23

Śaunaka said:
Hearing her words, Devayānī then said this: / “O king, I will not dwell here today; you have done what is displeasing to me.”

32.24

Seeing that dark-complexioned woman suddenly jump up with tearful eyes / and quickly set out toward Kāvya, [the king], distressed then,

32.25

confused, followed behind her, consoling her; / but she did not turn back, her eyes red with fury.

32.26

Saying nothing to the king, with tearful eyes, / before long she arrived near Kāvya Uśanas.

32.27

As soon as she saw her father, she saluted him and stood before him; / and immediately after, Yayāti worshipped the descendant of Bhṛgu.

32.28

Devayānī said:
Dharma has been conquered by adharma; an inversion of the proper order has occurred; / Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, has overstepped her bounds.

32.29

Three sons have been begotten upon her by this king Yayāti; / but unfortunate me has only two sons, father, I tell you.

32.30

This king is renowned as one who knows dharma, O bearer of the Bhṛgu line, / yet he has transgressed proper bounds; O Kāvya, I relate this to you.

32.31

Śukra said:
You know dharma, O great king, yet you have made unrighteousness pleasing; / therefore, unconquerable old age shall soon overwhelm you.

32.32

Yayāti said:
A man who, when solicited during her fertile season, does not give it to a woman who chose him, / is called a slayer of an embryo, O brāhmaṇa, by the expounders of the Veda here.

32.33

The man who, asked in secret by an approachable woman desiring her fertile period, / does not approach her according to dharma, is called a slayer of a brāhmaṇa by the wise.

32.34

Considering these reasons, O bearer of the Bhṛgu line, / agitated by the fear of adharma, I approached Śarmiṣṭhā.

32.35

Śukra said:
Was I not to be consulted by you? You were dependent upon me, O ruler of the earth! / In matters of false conduct, it constitutes theft, O son of Nahuṣa.

32.36

Śaunaka said:
Then, cursed in anger by Uśanas, Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa, / relinquishing his former youth, instantly succumbed to old age.

32.37

Yayāti said:
I am not satiated with youth with Devayānī, O bearer of the Bhṛgu line; / grant me grace, O brāhmaṇa; let not this old age enter me!

32.38

Śukra said:
I do not speak falsely; this old age has reached you, O ruler of the earth; / but transfer this old age to another if you wish.

32.39

Yayāti said:
He shall have a share in the kingdom, O brāhmaṇa, and a share in merit and fame, / whichsoever son gives me his youth—may you consent to that!

32.40

Śukra said:
You will transfer your old age as you wish, O son of Nahuṣa; / meditating upon me in truth, you will incur no sin.

32.41

The son who gives you his youth shall become king; / he will be long-lived, renowned, and possess numerous offspring as well.

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