Yayati
The sun was shining; the royal garden was full of flowers and trees swayed with the weight of abundance of fruit such as Amra (mango) and Satphala (pomegranate). The royal deer grazed peacefully and the parakeets sang on the branches. His two beautiful wives were by his side on the swing. All was well with the world of King Yayati. He was the master of an empire extending from the Pariyatra parvatha in the west (present day Hindukush) to the sea (present day Bay of Bengal) in the east and the Himalayas in the north to the ocean in the south (present day Arabian Sea). He had five lovely children just coming of age and supporting him rule the vast empire of Ilavarta. The heady perfume of Sharmishta whose lap he was lying on, was stimulating the excellent wine he had just had. The gentle breeze in the royal garden and twittering of parakeets was suddenly disturbed by the thundering voice of Sage Shukra,
“King Yayati, what is happening here? This is a disgraceful behaviour? How can you be consorting with her in front of my daughter?”
King Yayati jumped off the swing nearly dropping Sharmishta on the ground. He fell at the feet of the Sage and said,
“My sincere apologies, oh great sage. If I had only known that you were coming ….”
As Yayati stood up, the Sage took some holy water from his kamandalu and sprayed it on Yayati. Devayani looked at her beloved with a shocked expression and said,
The sage stepped back and continued, “You would have carried on with your amorous activities with Devayani’s servant despite my express command not to do so. She was sent to serve my daughter, not you. You have forgotten your promise at the time of your marriage to my daughter, Devayani.” His face was full of rage and ears were red. “It is not your fault. Your rampant youth is leading you astray. I curse you to lose your youth now.”
“My Lord, your face.” And ran to the sage and said, “Father, what have you done? What is to become of me?”
Sage Shukra took his beloved daughter in his arms and could feel her little heart sobbing against his chest. He could hear the heart wrenching cry of his daughter who he had brought up on his own since the death of the mother. The rage that he had felt on seeing his son-in-law in the arms of a servant girl, gradually calmed down and the red mist lifted from his eyes. He looked down at his sobbing little girl and felt a stabbing pain in his heart. ‘What have I done to my only daughter? I have ruined her life in an instant.’ He turned to King Yayati and said,
“A curse once uttered cannot be taken back. But, I’ll let you exchange your old age with one of your five children.”
“Thank you, great Sage for showing me mercy.” Yayati croaked and sat down tired. Devayani sent the royal servants to bring the five children to the garden. The eldest son Yadu was the first one to come. He was a tall, strapping young man with good looks as well as strength. He came into the garden and touched the feet of the great Sage and both the mothers’ feet. The other four followed suit. Both of them blessed all of them with “Dheergayushman Bhava!”
Yadu was the first one to speak,
“You sent for me mother. What can we do for you? Where is our father? Who is this elderly gentleman wearing our fathers regalia?” He was staring at the old man intently as he spoke.
“I am your unfortunate father, son. I have been cursed because of my actions. Sage Shukra has granted that I can regain my youth by exchanging with one of my sons.” Yayati replied looking at Yadu with pleading eyes.
“But father, that is shocking news. I have only started my youth and I have not had the taste of it yet. How can I give it away before I even know what it feels like?”
Yayati looked at Turavsha next who would not consider it either. He then turned to the sons of Sharmishta. Dhruhyu turned his head down and refused his request. Anu had contempt in his eyes when he said,
“Was not that you who told me that a man has to pay for his actions father? Why are you asking others to pay for your actions now?” He had always felt that he was the ‘neglected one’ of the children.
Puru, the youngest son who was watching quietly all this time spoke up,
“Father, I don’t know the taste of youth and hence I am not going to miss it. If it means that much to you, please have my youth. I will gladly take your place in the forest with Sage Shukra.”
He went to the sage and touched his feet. The sage blessed him with “Dheergayushman Bhava” and lifted him up holding his shoulders. There was an immediate transformation of young Puru into an old man and Yayati regained his good looks. He took Puru in his arms and said,
“You are the real son for me. From today on you will be called Sudas because of your actions.” Sharmishta held her son in her arms and kissed his forehead. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she bid goodbye to him. Puru struggled to bend down to touch the feet of his two mothers and his father before leaving to the forest with sage Shukra. The royal couple and the four sons stood there as the cart carrying Puru and sage Shukra disappeared in the distance.
Yayati went back to ruling the empire and enjoying his youth with his two beautiful wives. The empire of Ilavarta was flourishing with surplus of sacred plant Soma, bountiful forests and happy subjects. He developed several cities along the river Sindhu to the same level as those along Sarasvathi. He built ports at the mouth of Sarasvathi for large ocean going ships. He provided safe drinking water and food for all the subjects. The knowledge of medicine, science, engineering and astronomy grew in the kingdom. Men from far flung countries such as Sumeria, Elam, China and Egypt were visiting Ilavarta to learn. He soon forgot his son Puru and the episode with sage Shukra. His sons were growing up strong and powerful allies to look after the empire. But, it was not the same. He always thought that there was something missing.
One day while in the forest for a hunt, he saw a group of young deer grazing in a clearing. He stopped his horse and took careful aim at one of the deer. As he let the arrow from the bow, an older deer ran across and was hit by the arrow. As the King came close to the dying deer, he realised what had happened. The father of the group had put himself in line of arrow to protect the little deer. Yayati was taken aback. An animal sacrificed himself to save his baby. He pulled the arrow out and ordered his servants to help the deer back to health and rode his horse hard towards the sage Shukra’s ashram.
It was getting towards evening by the time he reached the ashram and the sage was getting ready for the evening Yajna. He waited till the rituals were finished and approached the sage in front of his hut.
“Welcome King Yayati, I know why you are here. I knew you would realise your folly and come to your senses sooner or later. Are you now ready to fulfil your obligations?” Shukra said.
“I have made a great error of judgement oh great sage. Please forgive me. I am prepared to accept my punishment and responsibilities.”
“It is not me who should forgive you. You have to ask your son Puru to forgive you. You have wronged him deeply.”
Yayati turned to Puru who was standing silently in the side and held him in his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he said,
“Please forgive me son. You have made the ultimate sacrifice for your father and showed me who is a greater man. I want to give back your youth to you. Please accept it.”
“I did what any dutiful son would do, father. I will do it again if asked for willingly.”
Yayati turned back at the sage with pleading eyes and begged him to change him back. The sage closed his eyes and uttered some hymns and sprayed both of them with water from his kamandalu. Puru stood in front of him as a beautiful young man and Yayati changed back to a wizened old man.
“I am eternally grateful to you oh great sage. Now, it is time for me to retire deep into the forest to meditate. My children are old enough to look after the empire.” Yayati said. Young Puru took his father’s hand and led him to a seat covered in grass. “Please bring your brothers to me.”
The five brothers and the king’s two wives assembled in the courtyard of the sage’s hut. Yayati was lead in by the sage himself.
“Sons, our land is filled with bounty from Pariyatra parvatha to the mouth of Jahnavi river (present day Ganges) in the east and from the holy Himalayas to the ocean in the south. I have consulted sage Shukra and come to a decision.” Yayati said looking at the five sons. “Son Yadu. You are the eldest and I feel most mature. I want you to look after the lands where our two great rivers, Sindhu and Sarasvathi join the ocean. I want you to look further across the seas in the future.”
Yadu smiled and thanked his father.
“I will make you proud father. I will take the flag of our land, Ilavarta to the world.”
“I am sure you will son. I am certain of that. Your descendants will make the land proud. (Lord Krishna is one of the descendants).” Turning to Turvasa he said, “Son, I want you to take care of the sacred banks of Rasa (present day River Narmada) and the sacred Arbuda mountains (present day Mount Abu). The sages of Arbuda need protection from the demons and dasyus.”
“Father, you can rest assured that I will not let any harm befall on our sages and elders of Arbuda.” Turvasa replied. (The descendants of Turvasa are the Yavanas of the future).
Yayati could see Sharmishta looking anxiously at Yayati to see what he would do with her sons. Yayati smiled when he spoke to Dhruhyu,
“Son, you are the strongest of all my sons. Our land needs someone to protect its mountains and the source of our waters and sacred Soma. I want you to look after the valleys and mountains of Pariyatra parvatha.”
“You can rely on me to protect our treasures, father.” Dhruhyu replied with a serious look on his face. His descendants eventually go on to become the famous Gandharis. He called Puru to come forward and held his hands when he said,
“My dear Puru, you are the only son who fulfilled a father’s desire without thinking. You are the true Sudas (‘good disciple’). You will carry the name of the family and your sons will glorify the land of Ilavarta. You will take care of the rest of the empire from the most sacred land of all on river Sarasvathi. The land will be known by the name of your descendants (Bharatvarsha or Bharathakanda was named after King Bharata, a descendant of Puru).”
There was a sharp intake of breath from the sons and for a minute there was nothing but silence. It was Devayani who broke the silence with,
“My Lord. What about our son Anu? What is to become of him?”
Yayati gave a croaking laugh and looked at both Devayani and at Sharmishta.
“True to motherhood, both of you treat all the sons equally. But unfortunately, our sons don’t show the same affection. You have forgotten that, Anu could not even be bothered to help me when I was struck down by sage Shukra so many years ago. By rights he should not be given anything. But I will do my duty as a father.” Turned to Anu and said, “You can look after the end of the land where the two great rivers Jahnavi and Brahmaputra rage into the sea, where marsh lands are covered by dense forests.”
“Thank you father. I will look after the land and make it as it should be, a fertile fruitful land you can be proud of. I will work hard and it will be my penance for neglecting my duty as your son.” Anu replied with a bowed head. (His descendants become the Angas and Kalingas of the future).
As an old wizened and now wise, Yayati left Shukra’s ashram to the deep forest for silent meditation in search of salvation with his two wives, he was content with one thing. He had left the vast empire of Ilavarta intact as one country in the hands of his five dutiful sons. The empire had stood the test of time and he was now assured that it will stand intact as one country for millennia to come.
Yayathi ruled the country of Ilavarta, which was essentially the whole extent of southern Asia, extending from eastern districts of Afghanistan such as Gandhara in the west to the kingdoms of Angas in the east Bengal during third millennium BCE. His successors maintained this integrity of culture and civilisation which was larger than the great contemporary civilisations of Mesopotamia and Egypt put together. This vast sub-continent changed its name to Bharata after the great descendant of Puru towards the latter half of third millennium BCE. This integrity continued into the vast empire of Mauryas and Magadhas in first millennium BCE.
Life
Life is a perennial river
Virtue is its bathing place
Truth is its base water
Moral convictions are its waves
In such a place you bathe ever
Discard vain in your life my man
Vain is like rain on the ocean
It is but sumptuous food for a full man
Vain is a torch at the moon on the ocean
Vain is bountiful charity for the rich
Don’t show your power and might
Superiority does not follow from age
But from virtue humility and insight
An insight of the most powerful sage
Truly good is one dumb to others faults
Who is blind in seeing others fail
Who is lame in chasing others wealth
Dogs learn by smell
Wise by reading
Kings by counsel
Common man by seeing
Sun is red at dawn and sunset
So do great men in success and distress
Shankar Kashyap
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