वैशंपायन उवाच
ययातिः स्वपुरं प्राप्य महेन्द्रपुरसंनिभम् ॥
प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं तत्र देवयानीं न्यवेशयत् ॥
देवयान्याश् चानुमते तां सुतां वृषपर्वणः ॥
अशोकवनिकाभ्याशे गृहं कृत्वा न्यवेशयत् ॥
वृतां दासीसहस्रेण शर्मिष्ठाम् आसुरायणीम् ॥
वासोभिर् अन्नपानैश् च संविभज्य सुसत्कृताम् ॥
देवयान्या तु सहितः स नृपो नहुषात्मजः ॥
विजहार बहून् अब्दान् देववन् मुदितो भृशम् ॥
ऋतुकाले तु संप्राप्ते देवयानी वराङ्गना ॥
लेभे गर्भं प्रथमतः कुमारं च व्यजायत ॥
गते वर्षसहस्रे तु शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी ॥
ददर्श यौवनं प्राप्ता ऋतुं सा चान्वचिन्तयत् ॥
ऋतुकालश् च संप्राप्तो न च मे ऽस्ति पतिर् वृतः ॥
किं प्राप्तं किं नु कर्तव्यं किं वा कृत्वा कृतं भवेत् ॥
देवयानी प्रजातासौ वृथाहं प्राप्तयौवना ॥
यथा तया वृतो भर्ता तथैवाहं वृणोमि तम् ॥
राज्ञा पुत्रफलं देयम् इति मे निश्चिता मतिः ॥
अपीदानीं स धर्मात्मा इयान् मे दर्शनं रहः ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
yayātiḥ svapuraṃ prāpya mahendrapurasaṃnibham ||
praviśyāntaḥpuraṃ tatra devayānīṃ nyaveśayat ||
devayānyāś cānumate tāṃ sutāṃ vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ||
aśokavanikābhyāśe gṛhaṃ kṛtvā nyaveśayat ||
vṛtāṃ dāsīsahasreṇa śarmiṣṭhām āsurāyaṇīm ||
vāsobhir annapānaiś ca saṃvibhajya susatkṛtām ||
devayānyā tu sahitaḥ sa nṛpo nahuṣātmajaḥ ||
vijahāra bahūn abdān devavan mudito bhṛśam ||
ṛtukāle tu saṃprāpte devayānī varāṅganā ||
lebhe garbhaṃ prathamataḥ kumāraṃ ca vyajāyata ||
gate varṣasahasre tu śarmiṣṭhā vārṣaparvaṇī ||
dadarśa yauvanaṃ prāptā ṛtuṃ sā cānvacintayat ||
ṛtukālaś ca saṃprāpto na ca me 'sti patir vṛtaḥ ||
kiṃ prāptaṃ kiṃ nu kartavyaṃ kiṃ vā kṛtvā kṛtaṃ bhavet ||
devayānī prajātāsau vṛthāhaṃ prāptayauvanā ||
yathā tayā vṛto bhartā tathaivāhaṃ vṛṇomi tam ||
rājñā putraphalaṃ deyam iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
apīdānīṃ sa dharmātmā iyān me darśanaṃ rahaḥ ||
Vaishampayana said: 'Yayati, having reached his own city, resembling the city of Mahendra, and entering the inner apartments, settled Devayani there. With Devayani's consent, he built a house for Vrishaparvan's daughter Sharmishtha near the ashoka grove and settled her there — surrounded by a thousand handmaidens, a maiden of the asura line, provided with garments, food, and drink, and duly honored. That king, the son of Nahusha, together with Devayani, for many years, like a god, greatly rejoicing, enjoyed life. When the time of conception came, the beautiful Devayani first conceived and bore a son. When a thousand years had passed, Sharmishtha, Vrishaparvan's daughter, having attained youth, perceived in herself the time of conception, and thought thus: "The time of conception has come, yet I have chosen no husband; what has befallen me, what am I to do, and by doing what will my duty be fulfilled? Devayani has already given birth, while I have attained youth in vain; as she has chosen a husband, so I too shall choose him — the same king. 'The king must grant me the fruit of a son' — such is my firm resolve; oh, if only that righteous king would now come to me for a secret meeting."'
aeb7ff2c7919 · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 3:49:50 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here the knot of what is to come is tied: Sharmishtha, at the time of conception but without a husband, resolves to ask the king for offspring. It is telling that what moves her is not passion alone but the duty of continuing the family line: 'the king must grant the fruit of a son.' Here is the ancient reverence for offspring as a sacred aim: childlessness was regarded as a misfortune, and the birth of a son as a debt (pitri-rina); hence Sharmishtha thinks of a son as a 'fruit' that 'must be given.' Yet notice also the ambiguity of her position: as a handmaiden attached to Devayani, she is bound by Shukra's prohibition — the king must never summon her to his bed — and her decision to choose the king, though clothed in duty, leads straight to the breach of that prohibition. Thus the scripture prepares a morally intricate scene: the duty of continuing the line (good in itself) collides with the teacher's command and with the king's faithfulness to Devayani. This is one of those 'entanglements of dharma' (dharma-sankata) with which the epic abounds; and it will be resolved — as what follows will show — not without bitter consequences.