Story 18 – Yayāti defying the orders of Sukracharya – Marriage with Sarmishta[i]

Background of the Story

The Kshatriya king Yayāti married Devayani, a Brahmin on the orders of Sukracharya and Sukracharya exonerated the sin of Varna Sankara attaching to the king. Sukracharya cautioned Yayāti that he should not marry Sarmishta, the daughter of king Vrushaparva who accompanied Devayani as her Dasi (servant).

The Story

Yayāti came back from the hermitage of Sukracharya and started ruling the country with Mahendrapuram as his capital. When Devayani attained puberty, she was blessed with a son.

ऋतुकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते देवयानी वराङ्गना I

लेभे गर्भं प्रथमतः कुमारञ्च व्यजायत II[ii] – Adi Parva 82. 5

(When she attained puberty, she became pregnant and gave birth to her first son).

After a passage of one thousand years, Sarmishta also attained puberty. She wanted to marry a right person, but the question is how to get hold of such person while serving as Dasi to Devayani? She looked at Devayani and her success in life. ‘While she can marry a king of her choice, why can’t I marry as per my choice?’ she thought. She was looking for an opportunity.

One day she saw the king Yayāti was roaming in his garden. Without any hesitation, she approached the king and praised him profusely and she modestly asked him, ‘Oh king! You know my lineage, my character and my features. I belong to Kshatriya clan and out of necessity I became the Dasi of Devayani. Now that I attained puberty, I beg your great self to do justice to me’.

But Yayāti was hesitant as Sukracharya cautioned him not to marry Sarmishta at any cost. How can he now defy him? Can he not attain the sin of asatyam (not following his promise – untruth)?

But Sarmishta said, ‘Oh King! The Sastras say that in the matters of helping ladies, on the occasion of marriages, when there is a threat to one’s own life, or when there is threat of absolute loss of everything – in all these five situations, one can speak untruth and need not stick to old promises.

She continued, ‘Oh King! Devayani is your wife, and you have every right over her and her possessions. I am her Dasi, and you have authority over me also. Moreover, in the kingdom, you have proclaimed to accomplish the desires and wishes of all your subjects. I am in your kingdom, and if you do not accomplish my desire, your words will remain futile, and you will attract the epithet of untruthful person’.

‘No, not at any point of time!’, interrupted Yayāti. ‘I cannot be untruthful. Tell me your wish’.

Sarmishta said,

अधर्मात् पाहि मां राजन् धर्मञ्च प्रतिपादय I

त्वत्तोपत्यवती लोके चरेयं धर्ममुत्तमम् II[iii] Adi Parva 82.21

(Oh king, perform Dharma and protect me from adharma. With your grace I will become mother and practice the great Dharma’)

‘One’s own wife, one’s own servant, and one’s own son – all the three have no authority over wealth. Their wealth belongs to those who have authority over them (Adi Parva 82. 22). This is Dharma.  I am the property of Devayani and you, being her husband, have control over all her wealth’.

The intellectual argument of Sarmishta had the final sway. The king could not refute her arguments, and he honoured her request.

In due course of time, Sarmishta gave birth to a child.

Devayani’s anger – Sukracharya’s curse

 The news of Sarmishta giving birth to a child was a bolt from the blue to Devayani. With a curt voice she demanded Sarmishta to reveal the father of the boy. But Sarmishta knew the art of handling Devayani. She said, ‘A Dharmic Vedic Brahmin came to my house one day as a guest. I earnestly requested him to fulfil my Dharmic wish, and he obliged. I could not ask his identity as he was resplendent with aura over his face’. Devayani had no objection if it were a Brahmin. She congratulated Sarmishta and left the place.

Now Yayāti had two sons – Yadu and Turvasu from Devayani; and three sons – Druhya, Anu, and Pooru from Sarmishta. One day Devayani saw all the children playing together and she went and asked Druhyu as to who his father was. The boy pointed his finger at Yayāti. Devayani got wild and she rushed towards her father’s home and complained against the king.  With an anxiety Yayāti also rushed towards Sukracharya.

He said, Hi Acharya! I believe that I have not transgressed Dharma. Sarmishta approached me and begged to fulfil her wish – ऋतु दानं (ṛtu dānaṃ). If a virgin requests ṛtu dānaṃ after attaining puberty, it is Dharma to fulfil her request. If it is not fulfilled, I attract the sin of भ्रूण हत्य (bhrūṇa hatya – killing of a foetus) as per Sastras and Dharmic Pandits. Further I follow a vratam – that I give whatever being asked by my people. In that way I fulfilled the wish of Sarmishta’.

But Sukracharya did not agree. He said, ‘You are my son-in-law, and you are under my control. You should have waited for my orders. Since you have transgressed Dharma, I here by curse you that you shall become old immediately. Instantaneously the young Yayāti became old with grey hair and dilapidated limbs.

Yayāti regaining youth

Yayāti could not bear the brunt of old age. He fell on the feet of Sukracharya and said, ‘Acharya! I have not yet fully satisfied with the nuptial bliss of Devayani. Kindly restore my youth’.

Sukracharya said, ‘I agree with you. But I cannot take back my curse. I bless that you can pass on the old age to any of your sons and gain back the youth just by remembering my name. The son who takes your old age shall be your successor to the kingdom’.

Yayāti had two sons- Yadu and Thurvasu from Devayani; and three sons- Druhyu, Anu and Pooru from Sarmishta. No son except Pooru was willing to sacrifice the youth for the sake of the father. Yayāti was pleased with the pleasant sacrifice of his son Pooru and blessed him that he shall be the future king of Mahendrapuram. He was wild with his other sons and cursed them individually. He cursed his eldest son Yadu that his progeny can never become kings.

Yayathi enjoyed the pleasures of worldly life for thousand years. His desires did not still come down. Yet he got back his old age and gave the youth back to Pooru.

He famously said:

न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मैव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥[iv] (Adi Parva 85.12)

यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहि यवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः ।
एकस्यापि न पर्याप्तं तस्मात्तृष्णाम् परित्यजेत् ॥[v] (Adi Parva 85.13)

(As long as you are enjoying sensual pleasures, they keep on increasing. Just as the flakes of fire flare up on consuming each firewood, the desires keep on growing on enjoying them again and again’

‘Whatever the wealth- gold, grains, and girls that is there in this world is not sufficient for a single person. They don’t satiate his desires. So, one should abandon or drop out the desires from the mind’)

The Coronation of Pooru

Now Yayāti wanted to enthrone Pooru and consulted his Purohits. The Chief Purohit said, ‘Oh King! Your eldest son Yadu is alive. How can you pass on the kingdom to your youngest son? It is not Dharma’.

Yayāti said, ‘I agree with your proposition. But Yadu is not a good son. A son is good if he obliges his father’s wishes. All my sons except Pooru refused to help me when I was in distress. Pooru is one who obliged my request and suffered the ordeal of old age. Further Sukracharya had given me the boon that whichever son adhere my words shall become the future king’.

The Purohits agreed for the proposition and coronated Pooru with all pomp and pleasure. Yayāti took Vānaprastha (वानप्रस्थ) and proceeded to forests with the aim of peaceful meditation and for attaining higher lokas.

Pooru became the progenitor of Puru clan (later on the famous Kuru clan of Kauravas); Yadu for Yadavas (Sri Krishna was born in this clan); Thurvasa became the progenitor for Yavanas (Alexander is said to belong to this clan) and Anu was the progenitor of Mlechhas (said to be the current tribes of Assam).

What happened to Yayāti later? We shall discuss in our next episode.

Understanding the Story

1. From the story it is quite evident that Devayani was not biologically mature by the time of her marriage. Even Sarmishta attained puberty after a thousand years from Devayani’s marriage with Yayā How can a girl become adolescent after thousand years? We need to understand that the setting of the story is not from that of current Kali Yug. According to Sastras, the average longevity in Satya Yug was one lakh years; ten thousand years in Treta Yug; one thousand years in Dwapar Yug and hundred years in Kali Yug. Mahabharata story happened in Dwapar Yug when the average longevity was ten one thousand years. The onset of puberty in Dwapar Yug cannot be compared with present Kali Yug.
2. In the matters of marriage, girls enjoyed freedom in ancient societies. Devayani chose her husband and got consent from her father. The general principle was that on attaining puberty, it is ok for the girl to approach a suitable bridegroom for ऋतु दानं (ṛtu dānaṃ) if her marriage was not decided by the father by that time. Society was tolerant and the girl had a choice to choose the husband. We also find that if the man refuses the genuine request, he attains the sin of भ्रूण हत्य (bhrūṇa hatya – killing of a foetus).
3. Dharma was the bedrock upon which the society was functioning in Mahabharata times. But by the fag end of Dwapar Yug, there was visible, but slow deterioration of Dharma. Truth or Satyam was put on high pedestal for leading the life. But certain exceptions were always made for speaking untruth, viz, in the matters of helping ladies, on the occasion of marriages, when there is a threat to one’s own life, or when there is threat of absolute loss of everything – in all these five situations, one can speak untruth and need not stick to old promises. The law books or Dharma Sastras were accommodating the realities of social life, and the society was certainly flexible.
4. In Mahabharata times, there was no concept of woman enjoying physical wealth. Husband had full control over the wealth of his wife. This does not mean that the wife was deprived of all luxuries of life. In fact, she was the queen of the house. Look at this Vedic mantra recited in marriages.

स॒म्राज्ञी॒ श्वशु॑रे भव स॒म्राज्ञी॑ श्व॒श्र्वां भ॑व । नना॑न्दरि स॒म्राज्ञी॑ भव स॒म्राज्ञी॒ अधि॑ दे॒वृषु॑ ॥ – Rig Veda 10.85.46 (It means- “Be a queen to your father-in-law, be a queen to your mother-in-law, be a queen to your husband’s sister, be a queen to your husband’s brother.”

In simple words she is the queen of the house without a crown; and she is part of all family decisions; and her conduct with in-laws, cousins and others make her supreme in all matters relating to Dharma, Artha and Kāma.

Once a wife, she used to enjoy the wealth of the family as a whole.

5. ‘Desirelessness is the highest state of bliss’- this is the general theme that runs throughout Mahabharata and this was given more emphasis in Bhagavadgita which is part of Mahabharata. Happiness is within the Self, and no amount of outside pleasure satiate the desires of a person interested in liberation from births and deaths (Moksha). This was emphasised by Yayāti when he states

‘न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।

हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मैव भूय एवाभिवर्धते’ ॥ (As long as you are enjoying sensual pleasures, they keep on increasing. Just as the flakes of fire flare up on consuming each firewood, the desires keep on growing on enjoying them again and again). This is the most famously quoted sloka from Mahabharata. It denounces consumerism and encourages to lead a life of contentment.

6. In this story we find Yayāti abdicating the kingdom and proceeding towards forests. This stage of life is popularly christened as Vānaprastha(वानप्रस्थ).

Once the children attain the capacity to take up the responsibilities of the household, the Grihastha has to bestow all the responsibilities upon them and leave for āśramas and forests. This is done to meditate on the eternal Truth and develop dispassion and vairagyam. In Mahabharata we come across many stories when the kings abdicate their thrones in favour of children to spend secluded life in forests. Wife can accompany but the couple should live in brahmacharya.

Vānaprastha āśrama ensures empowerment of children and it is the best way to ensure that one should not become burden on one’s children.

In modern times, many people have totally forgotten this stage and cling to their children, grandchildren and houses leaving little time for self-meditation or understanding the final Truths.

7. Were Balarama and Sri Krishna kings of Dwaraka? – In the current story we find Yayāti cursing his eldest son Yadu that his progeny can never become kings. Balarama and Sri Krishna were from the lineage of Yadu (they were यादवास्- Yādavās). So, they never assumed as formal kings. Sri Krishna, after killing Kamsa, released Ugrasena from the prison and installed him as the Samrat again and conducted the affairs of the kingdom on his behalf.
8. From the story we find that the principle of inheritance to the eldest son was broken by the progenitor of Kuru clan, one of the earliest clans of Ancient Bharath.

Points to Ponder

1. Can we satisfy the senses by indulging in sensual pleasures? What is responsible for the unhappiness of a human being?
2. Do you feel that the society was flexible in the matters of marriage in ancient India? Do you think that females of ancient India had more freedom in the matters of marriages?
3. The tribes in India are broadly from common progenitor. Can this awareness help in reducing tensions among tribes and States of modern India? 

References

[i]This story is taken from Adi Parva of Mahabharata written by sage Vedavyasa

[ii]ṛtukāle tu samprāpte devayānī varāṅganā I

lebhe garbhaṃ prathamataḥ kumārañca vyajāyata II

[iii]adharmāt pāhi māṃ rājan dharmañca pratipādaya I

tvattopatyavatī loke careyaṃ dharmamuttamam II

[iv]na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānāmupabhogena śāmyati ।

haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmaiva bhūya evābhivardhate ॥

[v]yat pṛthivyāṃ vrīhi yavaṃ hiraṇyaṃ paśavaḥ striyaḥ ।

ekasyāpi na paryāptaṃ tasmāttṛṣṇām parityajet ॥

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