Category:Yayati
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the profound history of King Yayāti, a great emperor of the world and the forefather of many prominent global dynasties. Despite being a highly pious and powerful ruler, Yayāti became deeply entangled in material desires and karma through his marriages to Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā. Cursed to suffer premature old age by his father-in-law, Śukrācārya, Yayāti exchanged his invalidity for the youth of his youngest son, Puru, to continue his pursuit of sense gratification. However, after a thousand years of unbridled enjoyment, Mahārāja Yayāti reached a powerful realization: material desires can never be satisfied by constant indulgence. Completely disgusted with worldly attachments, he returned his son's youth, renounced his kingdom, and achieved ultimate perfection (svarupa-siddhi) by completely surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Material Entanglement and Lust: Despite his immense power and piety, King Yayāti fell victim to the strong pull of sexual desire, demonstrating that material opulence cannot protect one from the illusions of sense gratification.
- The Curse of Premature Old Age: Angered by Yayāti's infidelity, the powerful sage Śukrācārya cursed him with premature old age, highlighting the inevitable miseries and consequences that accompany illicit material attachments.
- The Futility of Constant Indulgence: By exchanging his old age for the youth of his son Puru, Yayāti enjoyed worldly pleasures for a thousand years. Yet, he ultimately realized that lust is like a fire that only grows stronger when fed with fuel, proving the absolute futility of sense gratification.
- Renunciation and Spiritual Perfection: Disgusted with his futile attempts to find happiness in matter, Mahārāja Yayāti renounced his kingdom, returned his son's youth, and dedicated his remaining life to pure devotional service (bhakti), swiftly attaining liberation.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: King Yayāti and the Futility of Sense Gratification.
Subcategories
This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total.
Pages in category "Yayati"
The following 119 pages are in this category, out of 119 total.
A
- After throwing Devayani into the well, Sarmistha went home. Meanwhile, King Yayati, while engaged in a hunting excursion, went to the well to drink water and by chance saw Devayani
- After Yayati's fall (from the heavenly planets), his daughter and grandson bestowed upon him their accumulated virtues, and by the help of his grandson and friend Sibi, he was again promoted to the heavenly kingdom
- All kinds of happiness disappear in old age. Consequently, no one likes old age, or jara. Thus Jara, as the daughter of Time, is known as a most unfortunate daughter. She was, however, at one time accepted by a great king, Yayati
- Although he remembered the warning of Sukracarya, he thought of this union as the desire of the Supreme, and thus he had sex with Sarmistha
- Although Maharaja Yayati remembered Sukracarya's warning, he could not refuse Sarmistha. He thought it wise to give her a son, and thus he had sexual intercourse with her after her menstrual period. This kind of lust is not against religious principles
- Although Maharaja Yayati was the king of the entire world and he engaged his mind and five senses in enjoying material possessions for one thousand years, he was unable to be satisfied
- As soon as one is freed from all the dirt of material contamination, as Maharaja Yayati was, one's original position as an associate of the Lord is revealed. This is called svarupa-siddhi, or personal perfection
- As soon as Yayati accepted Devayani's hand, they could be regarded as married. Because Devayani was enamored with the hero Yayati, she requested him not to change his mind and let another come to marry her
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.11), sex life not contrary to the principles of religion is sanctioned by Krsna. Because Sarmistha, the daughter of a king, had begged Yayati for a son, their combination was not lust but an act of religion
B
- Because Devayani liked Yayati, who was a ksatriya, she requested him to accept her as his bona fide wife. Although this would be pratiloma-vivaha, a marriage between the daughter of a high family and the son of a lower family
- Because King Yayati completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, he was freed from all contamination of the material modes of nature
- Because Nahusa, the father of Yayati, molested Indra's wife, Saci, who then complained to Agastya and other brahmanas, these saintly brahmanas cursed Nahusa to fall from the heavenly planets and be degraded to the status of a python
- Because of falling in the well, I met you. Indeed, this has been arranged by providence
- Because of her association with her great husband, Maharaja Yayati, Devayani became purified, adopted the means of bhakti-yoga, and thus became liberated
- Because of his self-realization, he was able to fix his mind upon the Transcendence (Parabrahman, Vasudeva), and thus he ultimately achieved the position of an associate of the Lord
- Because this exchange (Yadu's youth for the old age of his father Yayati) would delay his complete engagement in devotional service, he did not want to accept his father's old age, for he was eager to achieve freedom from disturbances
- Bhima was approached by Hidimbi from a community lower than the sudras, and Yayati refused to marry the daughter of Sukracarya because of Sukracarya's being a brahmana
D
- Devayani became self-realized by the grace of her great husband
- Devayani had a girl friend named Sarmistha, who also fell in love with the emperor and thus went with her friend Devayani
- Devayani would have immediately replied (while taking Devayani out of the well, King Yayati certainly appreciated her youthful beauty, and he might have asked which caste she belongs to), "We are already married because you have accepted my hand"
H
- Having enjoyed sense gratification for many, many years, O King Pariksit, Yayati was accustomed to it, but he gave it up entirely in a moment, just as a bird flies away from the nest as soon as its wings have grown
- He (Yayati) had five sons, two from Devayani and three from Sarmistha
- He (Yayati) performed more than one thousand different sacrifices, gave in charity very liberally and was a very influential king. His majestic power was felt all over the world
- He (Yayati) reached the heavenly planets by dint of his pious acts, but he fell down from there because of his self-advertisement and criticizing other great souls
- He (Yayati) secretly married Sarmistha also and begot sons by her. When this was known by Devayani, she went to her father and lodged a complaint
- He (Yayati) wanted to hand over the kingdom to Puru, but his noblemen and the subjects did not agree
- Here (in SB 9.19.3) Maharaja Yayati compares himself to a he-goat and Devayani to a she-goat and describes the nature of man and woman
- Here (in SB 9.19.8) the word svaminam indicates that Devayani left the protection of her husband, Yayati, and returned to her former protector, Sukracarya
- His (Yayati's) youngest son agreed to award him his youthfulness when he was troubled with lustful desires, even for one thousand years
- How Devayani became self-realized by the grace of her great husband, Maharaja Yayati, is described here (in SB 9.19.29). Describing such realization is another way of performing the bhakti process
I
- I have spent a full one thousand years enjoying sense gratification, yet my desire to enjoy such pleasure increases daily
- I shall now give up all these desires and meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Free from the dualities of mental concoction and free from false prestige, I shall wander in the forest with the animals
- In secluded places, engaging her mind, words, body and various paraphernalia, Devayani, the dear wife of Maharaja Yayati, always brought her husband the greatest possible transcendental bliss
- In this verse (SB 9.19.20), Maharaja Yayati advises that whatever material happiness we see and whatever is promised for enjoyment is all merely flickering and temporary. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna - BG 8.16
K
- King Yayati became the ruler of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, and ruled the citizens exactly like a father. Because he had taken the youth of his son, his senses were unimpaired, and he enjoyed as much material happiness as he desired
- King Yayati became very much attached to Sarmistha, and Sukracarya's daughter (Devayani) complained to her father. Consequently, Sukracarya cursed King Yayati to become prematurely old
- King Yayati gave the southeast to his son Druhyu, the south to his son Yadu, the west to his son Turvasu, and the north to his son Anu. In this way he divided the kingdom
- King Yayati had five youthful sons, and he begged all his sons to exchange their youth for his old age. No one agreed except the youngest son, whose name was Puru
- King Yayati had four younger brothers, whom he allowed to rule the four directions. Yayati himself married Devayani, the daughter of Sukracarya, and Sarmistha, the daughter of Vrsaparva, and ruled the entire earth
- King Yayati performed various sacrifices, in which he offered abundant gifts to the brahmanas to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Hari, who is the reservoir of all the demigods and the object of all Vedic knowledge
- King Yayati said, "O learned, worshipable brahmana, I have not yet satisfied my lusty desires with your daughter." Sukracarya then replied, "You may exchange your old age with someone who will agree to transfer his youth to you"
- King Yayati then requested Puru, who was younger than these three brothers but more qualified, "My dear son, do not be disobedient like your elder brothers, for that is not your duty"
- King Yayati was completely aware of the duty of a ksatriya. When a ksatriya is approached by a woman, he cannot deny her. This is a religious principle
- King Yayati, although externally seeming very fond of material enjoyment, was internally thinking of becoming an eternal servant of the Lord
- King Yayati, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means
M
- Maharaja Pariksit said: Sukracarya was a very powerful brahmana, and Maharaja Yayati was a ksatriya. Therefore I am curious to know how there occurred this pratiloma marriage between a ksatriya and a brahmana
- Maharaja Sibi was so charitably disposed that he wanted to give over his acquired position in the heavenly kingdom to Yayati, but he did not accept it. Yayati went to the heavenly planet along with great rsis like Astaka and others
- Maharaja Sibi, the King of Usinara, was an intimate friend of Maharaja Yayati, who was able to reach the heavenly planets along with Maharaja Sibi. Maharaja Sibi was aware of the heavenly planet where he was to be transferred after his death
- Maharaja Yayati had delivered Devayani from the well, and finally, as a dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material happiness
- Maharaja Yayati is explaining (herein SB 9.19.18), in terms of his actual experience, how strong are sexual desires, even in old age
- Maharaja Yayati was eager to serve Vasudeva, Krsna, and therefore as soon as he wanted to renounce material life, Lord Vasudeva helped him
- Maharaja Yudhisthira's grandson is Pariksit. His son is Janamejaya. And his son is Yayati
- My dear son, I am not yet satisfied in my sexual desires. But if you are kind to me, you can take the old age given by your maternal grandfather, and I may take your youth so that I may enjoy life for a few years more
- My dearly beloved wife, daughter of Sukracarya, in this world there was someone exactly like me. Please listen as I narrate the history of his life
O
- O King Pariksit, upon seeing Devayani with a nice son, Sarmistha once approached King Yayati at the appropriate time for conception. In a secluded place, she requested the King, the husband of her friend Devayani, to enable her to have a son also
- O King, the only son of Karna was Vrsasena. Druhyu, the third son of Yayati, had a son named Babhru, and the son of Babhru was known as Setu
- O Maharaja Pariksit, Yayati similarly requested his sons Turvasu, Druhyu and Anu to exchange their youth for his old age, but because they were unaware of religious principles, they thought that their flickering youth was eternal
- O my dear wife with beautiful eyebrows, I am exactly like that he-goat, for I am so poor in intelligence that I am captivated by your beauty and have forgotten the real task of self-realization
- On inquiry from the rsis, Yayati gave an account of Sibi's pious acts when all of them were on the path to heaven. He has become a member of the assembly of Yamaraja, who has become his worshipful deity
P
- Puru replied: O Your Majesty (King Yayati), who in this world can repay his debt to his father? By the mercy of one's father, one gets the human form of life, which can enable one to become an associate of the Supreme Lord
- Puru, Yayati's last son, immediately accepted his father's proposal, for although he was the youngest, he was very qualified
S
- Seeing Devayani naked in the well, King Yayati immediately gave her his upper cloth. Being very kind to her, he caught her hand with his own and lifted her out
- She (Devayani) explained that this arrangement (falling of her in the well and meeting with King Yayati) was made by providence
- Some people say that this (the northern bank of the Vaitarani River) was one of the capital cities of King Yayati and that from the name Yayati-nagara the name Yajapura has come. As stated in the Mahabharata - Vana-parva, Chapter 114
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Because such a marriage is not sanctioned by regular scriptures, King Yayati did not like it, but because it was arranged by providence and because he was attracted by Devayani's beauty, he accepted her request
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: After speaking in this way to his wife, Devayani, King Yayati, who was now free from all material desires, called his youngest son, Puru, and returned Puru's youth in exchange for his own old age
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, named Sabhanara, Caksu and Paresnu. O King, from Sabhanara came a son named Kalanara, and from Kalanara came a son named Srnjaya
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: In this way, O Maharaja Pariksit, the son named Puru was very pleased to accept the old age of his father, Yayati, who took the youth of his son and enjoyed this material world as he required
- Sukadeva Gosvami said: O Pariksit, Yayati was very much attached to woman. In due course of time, however, when disgusted with sexual enjoyment and its bad effects, he renounced this way of life and narrated the following story to his beloved wife
- Sukracarya amended this law of forbidden marriage and induced Emperor Yayati to accept Devayani
- Sukracarya first cursed Yayati to become old so that he could no longer indulge in sex, but when Sukracarya saw that Yayati's emasculation would make his own daughter a victim of punishment, he used his mystic power to restore Yayati's masculinity
- Sukracarya forbade Emperor Yayati to call Sarmistha into his bedroom, but Yayati could not strictly follow his instruction
- Sukracarya saw that it was against the interests of his own daughter for Yayati to continue in old age and invalidity, for certainly his lusty daughter would not be satisfied
- Sukracarya was extremely angry. "You untruthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong," he said. "I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity"
- Sukracarya was no better than Yayati, for both of them were interested in family affairs generated by sukra, or semen
- Sukracarya's daughter, named Devayani, had a girl friend named Sarmistha, who was the daughter of Vrsaparva. King Yayati married Sarmistha
T
- That Maharaja Yayati was immediately liberated from the bondage of conditioned life is certainly astonishing. But the example given herewith (SB 9.19.24) is appropriate
- The daughter of Svarbhanu named Suprabha was married by Namuci. The daughter of Vrsaparva named Sarmistha was given to the powerful King Yayati, the son of Nahusa
- The father (King Yayati) shamelessly asked his son (Yadu) to exchange youth for old age. Of course, the entire world is under such illusion. Therefore it is said that everyone is pramattah, or exclusively mad
- The Greek history is not more than three thousand years. Maharaja Yayati banished his two sons to the European quarters. Mleccha-yavana. Later on they became yavana, from Vedic culture deviated. This is the history
- The she-goat went to the residence of a brahmana who was the maintainer of another she-goat, and that brahmana angrily cut off the he-goat's dangling testicles. But at the he-goat's request, the brahmana later rejoined them by the power of mystic yoga
- The word svaminam is significant. Svami means "caretaker" or "master." Devayani was cared for by Sukracarya before her marriage, and after her marriage she was cared for by Yayati
- The words kascid aja-svami expressly indicate herein (SB 9.19.10) that Sukracarya was no better than Yayati, for both of them were interested in family affairs generated by sukra, or semen
- This was not irreligious (his refusal to accept Yayati's old age in exchange for his youth), however, because Yadu's purpose was to serve the Lord. Because Yadu was a faithful servant of the Lord, Lord Krsna appeared in his dynasty
- Thus He (Krsna) voluntarily accepted the rule of Maharaja Ugrasena. He informed Ugrasena, “Being cursed by Yayati, the kings of the Yadu dynasty may not occupy the throne. It will be Our pleasure to act as your servants
W
- We have evidences from the history of the Vedic age that Sukracarya offered his daughter to Maharaja Yayati, but the King had to refuse to marry the daughter of a brahmana; only with the special permission of the brahmana could they marry
- When Devayani heard Maharaja Yayati's story of the he-goat and she-goat, she understood that this story, which was presented as if a funny joke for entertainment between husband and wife, was intended to awaken her to her constitutional position
- When he (Yayati) explained to his subjects the greatness of Puru, they agreed to accept Puru as the King, and thus Emperor Yayati retired from family life and left home for the forest
- When King Yayati delivered Devayani from the well, she felt great relief and requested Yayati to accept her as his wife
- When King Yayati said that he had not yet satisfied his lusty desires with Sukracarya's daughter, Sukracarya saw that it was against the interests of his own daughter for Yayati to continue in old age and invalidity
- When Maharaja Yayati accepted Devayani, he became too attached and had sex life not only with her but with others, like Sarmistha. Yet still he was dissatisfied. Therefore one should retire by force from such family life as Yayati's
- When Princess Sarmistha begged King Yayati for a son, the King was certainly aware of the principles of religion, and therefore he agreed to fulfill her desire
- When Sukracarya gave Devayani in marriage to Yayati, he had Sarmistha go with her, but he warned the King, "My dear King, never allow this girl Sarmistha to lie with you in your bed"
- When Sukracarya's daughter (Devayani) was married to King Yayati, one of her friends named Sarmistha went with her
- When the learned King returned to his palace, Devayani returned home crying and told her father, Sukracarya, about all that had happened because of Sarmistha. She told how she had been thrown into the well but was saved by the King
- When the proud Devayani understood from outside sources that Sarmistha was pregnant by her husband, she was frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father's house
- When Yayati received this benediction from Sukracarya, he requested his eldest son: My dear son Yadu, please give me your youth in exchange for my old age and invalidity
- While taking Devayani out of the well, King Yayati must certainly have appreciated her youthful beauty, and therefore he might have asked her which caste she belonged to
- With words saturated with love and affection, Devayani said to King Yayati: O great hero, O King, conqueror of the cities of your enemies, by accepting my hand you have accepted me as your married wife
- Without material desires, Maharaja Yayati worshiped the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart as Narayana and is invisible to material eyes, although existing everywhere
Y
- Yadu replied: My dear father, you have already achieved old age, although you also were a young man. But I do not welcome your old age and invalidity, for unless one enjoys material happiness, one cannot attain renunciation
- Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Maharaja Yayati who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule. Therefore the Turks are Yavanas due to being descendants of Maharaja Yavana
- Yayati became one of the assembly members of Yamaraja, with whom he is staying as a devotee.
- Yayati begged his father-in-law (Sukracarya) to withdraw his curse, but the sage asked Yayati to ask youthfulness from his sons and let them become old as the condition of his becoming potent
- Yayati enthroned his youngest son, Puru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Puru, under Puru's control
- Yayati fell in love with Devayani, the most beloved daughter of Sukracarya. Devayani wished to marry him, but at first he refused to accept her because of her being a daughter of a brahmana
- Yayati had five sons. From his five sons, namely 1 Yadu, 2 Turvasu, 3 Druhyu, 4 Anu and 5 Puru, five famous dynasties, namely 1 the Yadu dynasty, 2 the Yavana (Turk) dynasty, 3 the Bhoja dynasty, 4 the Mleccha dynasty (Greek) and 5 the Paurava dynasty
- Yayati is the son of Maharaja Nahusa, and he became the emperor of the world due to his elder brother's becoming a great and liberated saintly mystic
- Yayati reached the heavenly planets by dint of his pious acts, but he fell down from there because of his self-advertisement and criticizing other great souls
- Yayati ruled over the world for several thousands of years and performed many sacrifices and pious activities recorded in history, although his early youth was very lustful and full of romantic stories
- Yayati was cursed by his father-in-law, Sukracarya, to accept her (Jara)
- Yayati was much attached to Devayani, and when he went to his father-in-law's place to call her, Sukracarya was angry with him and cursed him to become impotent
- Yayati: The great emperor of the world and the original forefather of all great nations of the world who belong to the Aryan and Indo-European stock
- You Europeans, Americans, you are also Aryans. Indo-European stock. Maharaja Yayati, grandson of Maharaja Pariksit, he gave to his two sons the portion of eastern Europe, Greek and Roman. That is the history, Mahabharata