Story of Yayati, Sharmishtha and Devyani | Adi Parva | Mahabharata

Summary

The story follows Devyani, the daughter of Guru Shukracharya, and her complex relationship with King Yayati. After a series of misunderstandings, Devyani and her maid, Sharmishtha, find themselves in a power struggle, leading to Devyani marrying Yayati. However, Yayati develops a secret love for Sharmishtha, which devastates Devyani. In the aftermath, Yayati is cursed by Guru Shukracharya to age prematurely but is given a chance to regain his youth through his son Puru. Puru sacrifices his youth for his father, beginning the Puru Dynasty, which later gives rise to the kings of Hastinapur, including the Yadav dynasty from which Lord Krishna is born.

Takeaways

• 😀 Devyani, daughter of Guru Shukracharya, goes on a picnic with Sharmishtha, where their clothes are accidentally exchanged, leading to a conflict.
• 😀 Devyani insults Sharmishtha and her father, resulting in Sharmishtha pushing her into a well in anger.
• 😀 King Yayati rescues Devyani from the well and, despite her proposal to marry him, refuses due to their differing social statuses.
• 😀 Devyani tells her father about the incident with Sharmishtha, leading Guru Shukracharya to consider leaving the kingdom.
• 😀 Devyani demands that Sharmishtha become her maid in exchange for her father staying in King Vishparva's kingdom.
• 😀 Sharmishtha agrees to Devyani's condition, moving into the Hermitage to serve her.
• 😀 Devyani continues to express her feelings for King Yayati, who again rejects her, citing their social differences.
• 😀 Devyani asks her father for permission to marry King Yayati, and despite his concerns, Guru Shukracharya blesses their union.
• 😀 After marriage, Devyani moves to Yayati's palace, while Sharmishtha is made her maid but stays in a separate palace.
• 😀 Yayati falls in love with Sharmishtha, leading to a secret relationship, which Devyani later discovers, causing her to leave the palace.
• 😀 Guru Shukracharya curses King Yayati to become old instantly for his infidelity, and Yayati seeks a way to reverse the curse.
• 😀 Puru, Yayati's youngest son, offers to exchange his youth for his father's, which allows Yayati to regain his youth and live a life of penance.
• 😀 Yayati ultimately chooses Puru as his successor, starting the Puru Dynasty, while the Yadu Dynasty is founded by his elder son, Yadu.

Q & A

Who was Sharmishtha, and what was her relationship with Devyani?

Sharmishtha was a young woman of similar age to Devyani. She initially invited Devyani to a picnic, and they later became involved in a conflict over their clothes being exchanged. This led to a sequence of events where Sharmishtha became Devyani's maid after an agreement with Devyani's father, Guru Shukracharya.

How did King Yayati come to meet Devyani, and what was her reaction?

King Yayati met Devyani when he rescued her from a well, after hearing her cries for help. Devyani immediately proposed marriage to him, expressing her desire for him to hold her hand forever. However, Yayati rejected her proposal, citing their differences in caste and status.

What was Guru Shukracharya's response when Devyani complained about Sharmishtha?

Guru Shukracharya was deeply angered by Sharmishtha's comments about him and his role as a servant to the king. As a result, he decided to leave the kingdom, but he left the final decision up to his daughter, Devyani.

What condition did Devyani set for Guru Vishparva to stay in his kingdom?

Devyani agreed to let her father stay in King Vishparva's kingdom on the condition that Sharmishtha would become her servant for life. Sharmishtha agreed to this condition in order to preserve her father's kingdom's welfare.

How did King Yayati and Devyani's relationship evolve over time?

Over time, King Yayati and Devyani developed a bond, and Devyani eventually proposed marriage to him again. After receiving approval from her father, Guru Shukracharya, they were married, and Devyani moved to Yayati's palace.

What led to King Yayati's romantic involvement with Sharmishtha?

As Yayati spent more time with Sharmishtha, he sympathized with her situation and began conversing with her. Eventually, Yayati fell in love with Sharmishtha, even though she was Devyani's maid, which caused conflict between the two women.

How did Devyani react to finding out about Yayati's relationship with Sharmishtha?

Devyani was enraged upon learning of Yayati's relationship with Sharmishtha. She left the palace and returned to her father's hermitage, seeking solace.

What curse did Guru Shukracharya place on King Yayati, and what was its consequence?

Guru Shukracharya cursed King Yayati to instantly grow old as a consequence of his actions. Yayati deeply regretted his behavior and sought a way to reverse the curse.

What was the condition for King Yayati to regain his youth after being cursed?

Guru Shukracharya told King Yayati that he could regain his youth if one of his sons willingly accepted his old age in exchange for their own youth.

Who agreed to exchange his youth for King Yayati's old age, and what happened afterward?

Yayati's youngest son, Puru, agreed to take on his father's old age. Yayati, having experienced worldly pleasures, went into the jungle to live a life of penance and later ascended to heaven. Puru became the successor to the throne, marking the beginning of the Puru Dynasty.