Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.28

v2.c19.28

and much hardship I, unhappy one, have in vain reared thee. For me there is assuredly no dying, and in the house of death there is no room for me, so that the god of death will not yet snatch me away, as the lion does violently a whimpering gazelle. My heart, it is evident, is strong, made of iron, since it breaks not—before the appointed time there is assuredly no dying” (Rām., ii, 20.32 ff.). So also Devayānī and her son in the Rāmāyaṇa (vii, 58.7 ff.) arouse the deepest pity. King Yayāti has two wives: Devayānī and Ṣarmiṣṭhā; he loves the latter, but not Devayānī. And in the same way all his tenderness goes to the favoured woman’s son; but Yadu, the child of the shunned wife is the father’s step-child. Then speaks Yadu to his mother: “Born in the race of Bhṛigu’s son, of the god of unhindered deeds, thou bearest with sorrow that goes to the heart, and with contempt that is hard to bear. We too will go together into the fire. The king may go on taking his delight for long with the daughter of the Daitya. Or if thou canst bear it, then grant me leave. Do thou submit to it, I shall not; I am going to die, that is sure.” When Devayānī heard these words from her weeping, deep-tortured son, she went in hot anger to her father, told him of her contemptible position, and threatened to kill herself, if he did not bring a change about. In his anger the holy man laid the curse on the evil-doer of falling a victim to old age now in his very youth.¹