Chapter 47: Lineage of King Pururava

 Pururava’s clan through generations included the son of Sumati, Dushyanta  who was married to Shakuntala and their famed son Bharata. King Yayati, a Kshatriya by birth was married to Devayani,  a Brahman and the daughter of Sage Sukracharya-the Guru of Rakshasas. This kind of wedding is known as Pratiloma, viz. a Brahmana Maiden wedding a Kshatriaya as against  ‘Anuloma’ the vice-versa. The King also married Sarmishtha, the daughter of  King Vrishaparva. Once when both the wives were bathing in a lake, Lord Siva and Parvati  passed by and in hurry Sarmishtha coverd herself up mistakenly by the garment of Devayani, who rebuked the former.The reaction of Devayani was devastating referring to Caste relationships. Also, Devayani approached her father who reprimanded King Yayati and the King Vrishaparva. Sukracharya demanded that hence forth Sarmishta should be Devayani’s slave and forbade Sarmishtha in Yayati’s bed. In course of time Devayani got a child. Once when Yayati found Sarmishtha crying in a well in the garden; he sympathised with her, invited her into bed and she was concieved too.This infuriated Devayani as also Sukracharya and the latter cursed Yati to become old and impotent.As the King begged of the Sage’s pardon, the Guru said that if any body could exchange youth with the King’s old age, then the curse be waived. Yayati asked his sons one by one, but they argued that it was an absurd proposal; finally, the youngest son Puru accepted  the request of his father. This was how, Pururava’s youth was revived thanks to his son Puru’s sacrifice. In this context, the Veda Base stated: Uttamas chinthitam kuryat, Proktha-kari thu Madhyamat, Adham’o-sraddhaya kuryat, Akartha Uccharitam Pithuh. ( A son who anticipates father’s wish to fulfill is First class, one who takes action to his instruction is second class but who refuses compliance is no-class!