Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 23 Aug 2011 11:56 and updated at 23 Aug 2011 11:56
VALMIKI RAMAYANA
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BOOK 7: UTTARA KANDA
SECTION 69
Yayati, the son of Nahusha, was greatly distressed on hearing of the fire of the preceptor Sukra. Thereupon meeting with the infirmities of age by the imprecation of the saint he said to his son Yadu "O Yadu, thou art cognizant of religion, do thou therefore take this decripitude for me ;I shall satisfy myself with various enjoyments.
O foremost of men, I have not been yet satiated with worldly enjoyments I shall therefore again take upon myself this decrepitude after having enjoyed all objects of sense." Hearing those words of Yayati, the foremost of men, Yadu replied "Let thy most favourite son Puru take upon himself this decrepitude. O king, thou hast deprived me from all things what more, thou dost not allow me to come near thee.
Let that Puru take this, with whom thou dost eat and live." Hearing the words of Yadu, Yayati said to Puru "O thou having large arms, do thou take the decrepitude for me." Hearing the words of Yayati, Puru, with folded hands, said "I am always ready to satisfy thy commands; and I have been favoured and honored by this command of thine.
Hearing those words of Puru Yayati was highly pleased and attained to an excess of delight and then transferred his own decrepitude to him. Thereupon regaining his youth the king reigned in earth for many thousand years celebrating thousands of sacrifices. Thereupon after a long time Yayati said to Puru "O my son, do thou bring the decrepitude I have kept as deposit with thee let it now assail me.
I transferred it to you as a deposit. For this I shall take it back ;be not sorry for this. I have been greatly pleased that thou hast satisied my behests.
I shall, now pleased, install thee on the royal throne." Having thus addressed his son Puru, the king Yayati angrily said to Yadu, the son of Devayani Thou, vicious Rakshasa, art born of me in the shape of a Kshatriya, or else why shouldst thou disobey my orders ?For this thou shalt never be a king. I am thy father and preceptor and still thou hast disregarded me.
Thou shalt be the father of dreadful Rakshasas, O vicious minded; thy descendants shall be degraded from the lunar race and thy children shall be equally vicious minded like thee." Having thus imprecated Yadu, the royal saint Yayati honored Puru, the enhancer of the prosperity of the kingdom, with installation and then retired to woods. Thereupon after a long time he breathed his last and went to the abode of the Devas.
The highly illustrious Puru reigned piously in the foremost of cities Pratishtana. Yadu begot thousands and thousands of Rakshasas and being degraded from the royal family reigned in a city named Kraunchavana, hard to be got at. In this wise, according to the custom of the Kshatriyas the king Yayati took upon himself the imprecation of the preceptor Sukra, but he did not forgive him.
I have thus related unto thee everything. O gentle one, we shall follow the examples of these illustrious men. And in that case we shall not be degraded like the king Nriga.
While Rama, having a moon like countenance, was speaking thus, the stars became fewer in the welkin, and east, stricken with the early rays of the sun, appeared like damsel, clothed in a raiment coloured with the dye of flowers.
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