वैशंपायन उवाच
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य देवयानी नृपोत्तम ॥
वनं तद् एव निर्याता क्रीडार्थं वरवर्णिनी ॥
तेन दासीसहस्रेण सार्धं शर्मिष्ठया तदा ॥
तम् एव देशं संप्राप्ता यथाकामं चचार सा ॥
ताभिः सखीभिः सहिता सर्वाभिर् मुदिता भृशम् ॥
क्रीडन्त्यो ऽभिरताः सर्वाः पिबन्त्यो मधुमाधवीम् ॥
खादन्त्यो विविधान् भक्ष्यान् विदशन्त्यः फलानि च ॥
पुनश् च नाहुषो राजा मृगलिप्सुर् यदृच्छया ॥
तम् एव देशं संप्राप्तो जलार्थी श्रमकर्शितः ॥
ददृशे देवयानीं च शर्मिष्ठां ताश् च योषितः ॥
पिबन्तीर् ललमानाश् च दिव्याभरणभूषिताः ॥
उपविष्टां च ददृशे देवयानीं शुचिस्मिताम् ॥
रूपेणाप्रतिमां तासां स्त्रीणां मध्ये वराङ्गनाम् ॥
शर्मिष्ठया सेव्यमानां पादसंवाहनादिभिः ॥
ययातिर् उवाच
द्वाभ्यां कन्यासहस्राभ्यां द्वे कन्ये परिवारिते ॥
गोत्रे च नामनी चैव द्वयोः पृच्छामि वाम् अहम् ॥
देवयान्य् उवाच
आख्यास्याम्य् अहम् आदत्स्व वचनं मे नराधिप ॥
शुक्रो नामासुरगुरुः सुतां जानीहि तस्य माम् ॥
इयं च मे सखी दासी यत्राहं तत्र गामिनी ॥
दुहिता दानवेन्द्रस्य शर्मिष्ठा वृषपर्वणः ॥
ययातिर् उवाच
कथं नु ते सखी दासी कन्येयं वरवर्णिनी ॥
असुरेन्द्रसुता सुभ्रु परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥
देवयान्य् उवाच
सर्व एव नरव्याघ्र विधानम् अनुवर्तते ॥
विधानविहितं मत्वा मा विचित्राः कथाः कृथाः ॥
राजवद् रूपवेषौ ते ब्राह्मीं वाचं बिभर्षि च ॥
किंनामा त्वं कुतश् चासि कस्य पुत्रश् च शंस मे ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
atha dīrghasya kālasya devayānī nṛpottama ||
vanaṃ tad eva niryātā krīḍārthaṃ varavarṇinī ||
tena dāsīsahasreṇa sārdhaṃ śarmiṣṭhayā tadā ||
tam eva deśaṃ saṃprāptā yathākāmaṃ cacāra sā ||
tābhiḥ sakhībhiḥ sahitā sarvābhir muditā bhṛśam ||
krīḍantyo 'bhiratāḥ sarvāḥ pibantyo madhumādhavīm ||
khādantyo vividhān bhakṣyān vidaśantyaḥ phalāni ca ||
punaś ca nāhuṣo rājā mṛgalipsur yadṛcchayā ||
tam eva deśaṃ saṃprāpto jalārthī śramakarśitaḥ ||
dadṛśe devayānīṃ ca śarmiṣṭhāṃ tāś ca yoṣitaḥ ||
pibantīr lalamānāś ca divyābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ ||
upaviṣṭāṃ ca dadṛśe devayānīṃ śucismitām ||
rūpeṇāpratimāṃ tāsāṃ strīṇāṃ madhye varāṅganām ||
śarmiṣṭhayā sevyamānāṃ pādasaṃvāhanādibhiḥ ||
yayātir uvāca
dvābhyāṃ kanyāsahasrābhyāṃ dve kanye parivārite ||
gotre ca nāmanī caiva dvayoḥ pṛcchāmi vām aham ||
devayāny uvāca
ākhyāsyāmy aham ādatsva vacanaṃ me narādhipa ||
śukro nāmāsuraguruḥ sutāṃ jānīhi tasya mām ||
iyaṃ ca me sakhī dāsī yatrāhaṃ tatra gāminī ||
duhitā dānavendrasya śarmiṣṭhā vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ||
yayātir uvāca
kathaṃ nu te sakhī dāsī kanyeyaṃ varavarṇinī ||
asurendrasutā subhru paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me ||
devayāny uvāca
sarva eva naravyāghra vidhānam anuvartate ||
vidhānavihitaṃ matvā mā vicitrāḥ kathāḥ kṛthāḥ ||
rājavad rūpaveṣau te brāhmīṃ vācaṃ bibharṣi ca ||
kiṃnāmā tvaṃ kutaś cāsi kasya putraś ca śaṃsa me ||
Vaishampayana said: 'After a long time had passed, the fair-faced Devayani again went out to that same forest for pleasure, together with her thousand maidservants and with Sharmishtha. Coming to that same place, she wandered there at will with all her companions. All of them, playing and delighting, drank the honeyed wine called madhvi, ate various delicacies, and tasted the fruits. Once again the king, son of Nahusha, seeking game, came by chance to that same place, thirsting for water and worn out with fatigue. He saw Devayani, Sharmishtha, and those other women, adorned with heavenly ornaments, drinking and making merry. And he saw Devayani, seated among those women, unmatched in beauty, lovely and bright-smiling, whom Sharmishtha was serving by massaging her feet and the like. Yayati said: "O two maidens surrounded by two thousand maidens, I ask you both your lineage and your names." Devayani said: "O king, I will tell you; hear my words. There is a preceptor of the asuras named Shukra; know me as his daughter. And this is my friend and maidservant, who goes wherever I go; she is Sharmishtha, daughter of Vrishaparvan, lord of the danavas." Yayati said: "O fair-browed one, how has this fair-faced daughter of the lord of the asuras become your friend and maidservant? Great is my wonder." Devayani said: "O tiger among men, everyone follows their own destiny; take this as ordained by fate, and do not raise strange questions. Your form and bearing are those of a king, yet you speak with a brahmin's speech; tell me your name, whence you come, and whose son you are."'
b7aff655e6a3 · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 3:49:50 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Providence quietly repeats the meeting of Yayati and Devayani at the very place where he once rescued her. The positions of the two women speak for themselves: Sharmishtha, once a proud princess, now 'massages the feet' of a priest's daughter — a vivid picture of the reversal wrought by Devayani's vengeful demand. The working of fate (vidhana) shows itself here: Devayani herself says, 'everyone follows their own destiny; do not raise strange questions' — meaning, do not probe how a princess became a servant, for that is the fruit of karma and providence. It is telling that Devayani does not boast of her revenge but veils it under an appeal to fate — pride dressed in pious words. Note too that this second meeting, at the same spot, is no accident: providence brings Yayati and Devayani together again so that Kacha's curse (marriage to a kshatriya) may be fulfilled and the lineage continue. The verse thus shows that behind 'chance' meetings a design is at work, and what looks like mere whim — a hunt, a thirst — is the instrument of a fate leading to a marriage from which a whole lineage will spring.