Chapter 80 - Yadu Refuses to Kill His Mothers

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pippala said:

1-2. O best brāhmaṇa, when the king (Yayāti) married the daughter of Cupid, what did his two former, very auspicious, wives, viz. the noble Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan do? Tell me the entire account of the two.

Sukarman said:

3-9a. When that king took home Cupid’s daughter, that high-minded Devayāni very much entered into rivalry (with her). “For her he, with his mind overcome with anger, cursed two of his sons (viz. Turu and Yadu).” The renowned one, having called Śarmiṣṭhā, said these words to her. Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī vied with her in beauty, lustre, charity, truthfulness and holy vows. Then Kāma’s daughter knew their wickedness. Just then only she told everything to the king, O brāhmaṇa. Then the great king, getting angry, called Yadu and said to him: “Go and kill Śarmiṣṭhā and also (Devayānī) the daughter of Śukra. O son, if you care for felicity then do what is very dear to me.” Having heard those words of his father, Yadu then replied to his father, the lord of kings:

9b-14. “O proud father, I shall not kill these two mothers, free from guilt. Those well-versed in the Vedas have declared a great sin in killing one’s mother. Therefore, O great king, I shall not kill these two mothers. O great king, (even) if a mother or a sister or a daughter is stained with a hundred blemishes she should never be killed by sons or brothers. Knowing this, O great king, I shall never kill (these) two mothers.” Hearing, at that time, the words of Yadu, the king became angry. Yayāti, the lord of the earth, then cursed his son: “Since you have disobeyed (my) order, you, resembling a sinner, polluted by my curse, enjoy a portion of your mother”.

15-19. Speaking thus to his son Yadu, that lord of the earth, Yayāti, that great king of great glory, having cursed his son, and without being solely devoted to Viṣṇu, enjoyed pleasures with her. That Aśrubindumatī of charming eyes and beautiful in all limbs, enjoyed with him all lovely enjoyments as liked by her. Thus that noble Yayāti passed his time. All other subjects were without any loss or without old age; all people were solely devoted to the meditation of glorious Viṣṇu. O noble Pippala, all people were happy and served the good by means of penance, truthfulness and meditation on Viṣṇu.