Chapter 79 - Youthful Yayāti Enjoys with Aśrubindumatī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Viśālā said:

1-2. There (i.e. in that king) only, whose wife is Śarmiṣṭḥā and whose wife is beautiful Devayānī, good fortune is seen. This cannot be false, O king; then O glorious king, how are you fascinated by (the beauty of) this maiden’s body^[1] since you are known as a husband having two wives?

3-4a. Like sandal, O king, you are with serpents (around) you. O king, as a great sandal-tree is surrounded by serpents, so you are surrounded by serpents called co-wives.

4b-6a. It is better to enter fire, it is better to fall from (mountain) top, but not good to have the dear husband, possessing handsomeness and lustre, (but) with co-wives—with the poison in the form of co-wives. Therefore she does not prize you, an ocean of mertis, as her lover.

The king said:

6b-7a. O beautiful lady, I have nothing to do with Devayānī, nor with Śarmiṣṭḥā; for this purpose see my treasure full of righteousness.

Aśrubindumatī said:

7b-9a. O king, I shall be the enjoyer ofyour kingdom and your body. O king you will certainly (have to) do whatever I shall tell you to do. For this purposes, O you who love piety, give me your hand endowed with many virtues and having auspicious marks.

The King said:

9b-11a. O you of an excellent complexion, I shall not have any other wife than you. O you beautiful lady, O you lady of charming body, enjoy my entire kingdom with its wealth, so also the whole earth and my body. (In proof of this) I have offered this my hand to you. O good lady, I (shall) do whatever you (will) tell (me).

Aśrubindumatī said:

11b. Just with this (promise), O noble one, I shall be your wife.

12-16a. Hearing this, Yayāti, the lord of the earth, the king of kings, with his eyes full of joy, married by the Gāndharva way that auspicious daughter of Cupid. The noble son of king (Nahuṣa) enjoyed with her, on sea-beaches, in forests and parks. The king, lord of kings, youthfully sported with her on mountains and in beautiful rivers. In this way, O best king, that noble king Yayāti passed twenty thousand (years) in sporting with her.

Viṣṇu said:

16b-17a. O very intelligent one, through the fraudulent act of Cupid, that great king Yayāti was thus allured by her for the benefit of Indra at that time.

Sukarman said:

17b-19. O Pippala, that lord of the earth, Yayāti, stupefied by Cupid’s daughter by means of her alluring passion and charming union, was not aware of day or night. Once that daughter of Cupid of charming eyes said to that stupefied, submissive, obedient king Yayāti, who had bowed down:

Aśrubindumatī said:

20. O dear one, a desire is produced (in me); so satisfy (that) desire of me: perform the best sacrifice, viz. Aśvamedha, O lord of the earth.

The king said:

21-24a. O glorious one, let it be so; I shall do what you very much like.

He invited his eldest son, who had no desire to enjoy the kingdom. (The son), when called, came there with his neck (i.e. head) bent with devotion, and joining the palms of his hands, saluted (Yayāti) at that time. With his neck (i.e. head) bent, he also saluted her feet. “O King, give me an order since I, who was called, have come. O noble one, what should I do? I am your servant who has bowed to you.”

The king said:

24b-29. O son, inviting brāhmaṇas, meritorious priests officiating at sacrifices, and kings, make preparations for a horse-sacrifice.

Thus addressed, that very lustrous and highly religious Pūru did everything in full as told by the glorious one. With the daughter of Cupid he took proper initiation (i.e. got himself consecrated for the sacrifice). Yayāti, the lord of the earth, gave various gifts to brāhmaṇas at the place of the sacrifice, so also endless, profuse gifts especially to the poor, O great king; and at the end of the sacrifice he said to that beautiful lady: “O young lady, tell me what else dear to you I should do. O beautiful lady, I shall do all that which is attainable and not attainable.”

Sukarman said:

30-37. Thus addressed by the king, she spoke in reply “O king, a desire is produced in me; O innocent one, do (i.e. satisfy) it. O great king, I desire to see the very pleasing heaven of Indra, of Brahmā, so also of Śiva and of Viṣṇu. O noble one, show (these} to me, if I am very dear to you.” Thus addressed by her, the king said to her who was very dear to him: “O you beautiful one, well, well, you are just saying pious things. O you beautiful lady, I think what you said due to feminine nature, fickleness and curiosity, is unattainable, O noble one. That is attainable by means of pious gifts, sacrifice, and austerities; what you told cannot be attained by any other means, O beautiful lady. You have just said something that is unattainable as it is mixed up (i.e. connected with) religious merit. I have not as yet seen or heard about a very meritorious man who has gone to heaven with his (human) body from the mortal world. Therefore, O you beautiful lady, what you said is unattainable for me. I shall do something else. O dear one tell me that.”

The respectable lady said:

38-40. O king, it is certainly not attainable for other human beings; but it is attainable for you; I am telling the truth (and) truth only. O king, in the mortal world there is no other human being like you in (practising) penance, in fame, in doing valou-rous acts, (giving) gifts and (performing) sacrifices. Everything—the power of a kṣatriya, fire of energy—is established in you. Therefore, O son of Nahuṣa, this (thing) dear to me should be done (by you).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The existing reading “kāryavaśo” does not give any sense. It should better be replaced by “kāyavaśo” which we have translated here. (Ed.)