Episode 9

Story of Yayati (a Khatriya)and his two wives-

Devayani (a Bramhin) and Sarmishta[i]

(This is a story where the issues of love and jealousy, effects of indulgence in uncontrollable sensual pleasures, social conditions of Hindu society, the flexibility of marriages among varnas and the equations between the king and his Guru etc are discussed. We also can see the origin of different tribes who are ultimately cousins and closely related. The setting is as early as five thousand years back but the issues are still relevant and vibrant in the twenty first century)

Devayani was the daughter of Sukracharya, the family guru of daityas (also called Asuras or Demons). At that time, the king of demons was Vrushaparva and he had a daughter by name Sarmishta.  Devayani and Sarmishta were friends and on one day they went out for a forest accompanied by a huge number of servant maids and care takers. After roaming for a while they entered into a pond of water and were swimming with joy. It so happened that a gush wind from the bushes galvanized the area where the ladies had dropped their robes and all the robes got mixed up.

Sarmishta came out of the pond first and in a state of hurry wore the robes of Devayani. Suddenly Devayani got wild and started cursing Sarmishta for her act of negligence. Sarmishta, being the daughter of the king, did not take it lightly. ‘You are the daughter of one who stands arms-fold before my father and how dare you curse me?’, she yelled and she pushed Devayani into an unused dry well; and thinking that she must have dead, she proceeded with her entourage towards the city.

It was almost becoming night and one king by name Yayati was roaming in the forest searching for water. He heard the cries of Devayani and approached the unused well and found Devayani crying from the bottom of the well. Devayani revealed her identity as the daughter of Sukracharya and upon her request, he pulled her out from the well. Devayani was unable to bear the insult and wanted to take revenge against Sarmishta. She sent a word through a maid to her father that she would not enter the city of Vrushaparva anymore.

Sukracharya hurriedly came to the spot to see the plight of his daughter. He heard everything. A true Bramhin (guna or qualities define a Bramhin and not mere birth) cannot afford to get excited by the temporary difficulties. He tried to console his daughter, ‘My Dear daughter! Listen. In this world every one of us gets happiness or unhappiness by virtue of our karma (deeds). One has to endure the happenings with equanimity and that is the only way to get rid of past mistakes’[ii]  

But Devayani was not relenting. ‘She has blamed that you stand before the king arms-fold. Is it true? If it is true, I will go to her and beg pardon from her’. Sukracharya told, ‘it is not certainly true. By the blessings of Bramha I have lot of power and wealth and all daityas seek my help for all matters. You need not take to your head what Sarmishta told to you out of ignorance. Please come and let us go to the city’. Still Devayani did not agree.

There is no way to please his daughter. Sukracharya went to Vrushaparva and narrated all the events and told that he would leave all the daitysas and go away to some other place. The demons had been safe due to the blessings of Sukracharya all these days and Vrushaparva was quite worried. He rushed towards Devayani and sought her pardon. He was prepared to do whatever was the order of Devayani. Devayani wanted that Sarmishta should become her slave. In the interest of all demons, Sarmishta also agreed for the condition and she became the slave of Devayani.

Years rolled by and one day both Sarmishta and Devayani set out for forest. They happened to meet Yayati. ‘A few years back, you took my right hand (Pani Grahana) and restored me from the well. So by the destiny of the almighty you alone can be my husband. Please take me as your wife’, Devayani requested.

“But you are the daughter of a Bramhin (Sukracharya) and I am a Kshatriya. How can it be possible?’ queried Yayati. ‘Hi, Maharaj, for long the both Varnas- Bramhins and Khatriyas are getting united. So you can marry me’[iii] pleaded Devayani. Sukracharya also agreed and blessed the marriage. Before marriage he put a condition to Yayati that he should not develop any affair with Sarmishta (now a slave to Devayani).

Somehow Yayati could not keep up his promise and the irresistible beauty of Sarmishta enticed him to her. He married her also and got children with her. Devayani got very angry and complained to her father. Yayati tried to convince all but he could not morally defend his case as he violated the promise given to Sukracharya. Sukracharya cursed him that he would become premature old. Yayati became old but his desires had not come down. He begged to show some lenience and upon his request Sukracharya remitted the sentence and he allowed Yayati to exchange his old age with the youth of any of his sons.

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

He famously told, ‘As long as you are enjoying sensual pleasures, they keep on increasing. Just as the flakes of fire flame up on consuming each fire wood, the desires keep on growing on enjoying them again and again’[iv]

‘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’[v]

He gave the kingdom to Pooru and went for forests for penance. 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).

Points to Ponder

1.    What is equation of Guru (spiritual Master) with the king (Temporal Master) in Hindu system of Political Thought?

2.   What factors drive a person to pick up cudgels with a fellow human being? Do you feel that ego and jealousy are triggers for the breaking up of human relations?

3.   Can we satisfy the senses by indulging in sensual pleasures? What is responsible for the unhappiness of a human being?

4.   Do you feel that the society was flexible in the matters of marriage in ancient India?

5.   The tribes in India are broadly from common progenitor. Can this awareness help in reducing tensions among tribes and States of modern India?

---

[i] This story is drawn from Adi Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Vyasa.

[ii] आत्मदोषैर्नियच्छन्ति सर्वे दुःख सुखे जनाः

मन्ये दुश्चरितं त तेsस्ति यस्येयं निष्कृतिः कृता (Adi Parva 78.30)

[iii] संसृष्टं ब्रह्मणा क्षत्रं क्षत्रेण ब्रह्म संहितम् (Adi Parva 81.19)

[iv] न जातु कामः कामानुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।

हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मैव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥ (Adi Parva 85.12)

[v] यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः 

एकस्यापि न पर्याप्तं तस्मात्तृष्णाम् परित्यजेत् (Adi Parva 85.13)

Copy