Сути (Уграшравас)
पूरो त्वं मे प्रियः पुत्रस् त्वं वरीयान् भविष्यसि ॥
जरा वली च मे तात पलितानि च पर्यगुः ॥
काव्यस्योशनसः शापान् न च तृप्तो ऽस्मि यौवने ॥
पूरो त्वं प्रतिपद्यस्व पाप्मानं जरया सह ॥
कं चित् कालं चरेयं वै विषयान् वयसा तव ॥
पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु प्रतिदास्यामि यौवनम् ॥
स्वं चैव प्रतिपत्स्यामि पाप्मानं जरया सह ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् उक्तः प्रत्युवाच पूरुः पितरम् अञ्जसा ॥
यथात्थ मां महाराज तत् करिष्यामि ते वचः ॥
प्रतिपत्स्यामि ते राजन् पाप्मानं जरया सह ॥
गृहाण यौवनं मत्तश् चर कामान् यथेप्सितान् ॥
जरयाहं प्रतिच्छन्नो वयोरूपधरस् तव ॥
यौवनं भवते दत्त्वा चरिष्यामि यथात्थ माम् ॥
ययातिर् उवाच
पूरो प्रीतो ऽस्मि ते वत्स प्रीतश् चेदं ददामि ते ॥
सर्वकामसमृद्धा ते प्रजा राज्ये भविष्यति ॥
pūro tvaṃ me priyaḥ putras tvaṃ varīyān bhaviṣyasi ||
jarā valī ca me tāta palitāni ca paryaguḥ ||
kāvyasyośanasaḥ śāpān na ca tṛpto 'smi yauvane ||
pūro tvaṃ pratipadyasva pāpmānaṃ jarayā saha ||
kaṃ cit kālaṃ careyaṃ vai viṣayān vayasā tava ||
pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu pratidāsyāmi yauvanam ||
svaṃ caiva pratipatsyāmi pāpmānaṃ jarayā saha ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca pūruḥ pitaram añjasā ||
yathāttha māṃ mahārāja tat kariṣyāmi te vacaḥ ||
pratipatsyāmi te rājan pāpmānaṃ jarayā saha ||
gṛhāṇa yauvanaṃ mattaś cara kāmān yathepsitān ||
jarayāhaṃ praticchanno vayorūpadharas tava ||
yauvanaṃ bhavate dattvā cariṣyāmi yathāttha mām ||
yayātir uvāca
pūro prīto 'smi te vatsa prītaś cedaṃ dadāmi te ||
sarvakāmasamṛddhā te prajā rājye bhaviṣyati ||
Yayati said: "O Puru, you are my beloved son, you will perhaps become the most excellent; son, old age, wrinkles, and gray hair have overtaken me by the curse of Kavya, and I have not yet had my fill of youth. O Puru, take this evil upon yourself along with old age; for some time I will, with your age, enjoy the objects of the senses. When a thousand years have passed, I will give youth back to you, and take back my own evil together with old age." Vaishampayana said: "Thus addressed, Puru at once answered his father: 'Great king, as you bid me, that word of yours I will fulfill. O king, I will take upon myself your evil along with old age; take youth from me; enjoy desired pleasures as you wish. I, covered by old age, will take on your form and age; having given you my youth, I will live as you bid me.'" Yayati said: "O Puru, child, I am pleased with you; and, being pleased, this I grant you: your offspring in the kingdom will be replete with all desired blessings."
5260c2763a14 · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:49:51 PM UTC
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Here Puru, the youngest son, shows the highest obedience -- and inherits accordingly. His consent, given without a moment's hesitation -- "as you bid me, so I will do; take my youth" -- is telling. This is a model of filial devotion (pitri-bhakti) and self-surrender: Puru sacrifices his youth, the highest good of youth, for his father's sake, asking nothing in return. Unlike his elder brothers, who guard their own pleasure, Puru places duty to his father above himself. The reward, too, is telling: for obedience he receives a kingdom and the flourishing of his descendants; the last (the youngest) becomes the first (the heir). Here is a profound law: self-surrender and obedience exalt; whoever gives himself -- to his elders, to God -- attains what is highest. So too, as in the story of Bharata, born of the obedient Shakuntala, the line of the Bharatas traces back to one who showed devotion and sacrifice. And, providentially, it is from Puru (the Pauravas) that both the Kauravas and the Pandavas will descend: the great lineage is rooted in filial love and self-surrender. Through this contrast -- four self-loving sons and one self-sacrificing son -- the scripture teaches that neither seniority nor strength, but devotion and sacrifice, are the true measure of greatness.