Yayati Gives His Daughter Madhavi

Verse 1 (5.115.1)

एवमुक्तः सुपर्णेन तथ्यं वचनमुत्तमम् । विमृश्यावहितो राजा निश्चित्य च पुनः पुनः ॥

evamuktaḥ suparṇena tathyaṃ vacanamuttamam | vimṛśyāvahito rājā niścitya ca punaḥ punaḥ

Addressed by Suparna with these true and excellent words, the king considered them attentively and deliberated again and again.

Verse 2 (5.115.2)

यष्टा क्रतुसहस्राणां दाता दानपतिः प्रभुः । ययातिः सर्वकाशीश इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

yaṣṭā kratusahasrāṇāṃ dātā dānapatiḥ prabhuḥ | yayātiḥ sarvakāśīśa idaṃ vacanamabravīt

Then Yayati, performer of a thousand sacrifices, a giver and a lord among givers, a mighty ruler, lord of all Kashi, spoke these words.

Verse 3 (5.115.3)

दृष्ट्वा प्रियसखं तार्क्ष्यं गालवं च द्विजर्षभम् । निदर्शनं च तपसो भिक्षां श्लाघ्यां च कीर्तिताम् ॥

dṛṣṭvā priyasakhaṃ tārkṣyaṃ gālavaṃ ca dvijarṣabham | nidarśanaṃ ca tapaso bhikṣāṃ ślāghyāṃ ca kīrtitām

Seeing my dear friend Tarkshya, and Galava, bull among brahmins, a living example of austerity, and hearing of this praiseworthy request for alms;

Verse 4 (5.115.4)

अतीत्य च नृपानन्यानादित्यकुलसंभवान् । मत्सकाशमनुप्राप्तावेतां बुद्धिमवेक्ष्य च ॥

atītya ca nṛpānanyānādityakulasaṃbhavān | matsakāśamanuprāptāvetāṃ buddhimavekṣya ca

and seeing that, having weighed this purpose, you have passed over other kings born of the solar line and come to me —

Verse 5 (5.115.5)

अद्य मे सफलं जन्म तारितं चाद्य मे कुलम् । अद्यायं तारितो देशो मम तार्क्ष्य त्वयाऽनघ ॥

adya me saphalaṃ janma tāritaṃ cādya me kulam | adyāyaṃ tārito deśo mama tārkṣya tvayā'nagha

today my birth has borne fruit, today my family has been saved; today, sinless Tarkshya, you have saved this land of mine.

Note on the text: Corrected कलम् → कुलम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the critical edition reads kulam).

Verse 6 (5.115.6)

वक्तुमिच्छामि तु सखे यथा जानासि मां पुरा । न तथा वित्तवानस्मि क्षीणं वित्तं च मे सखे ॥

vaktumicchāmi tu sakhe yathā jānāsi māṃ purā | na tathā vittavānasmi kṣīṇaṃ vittaṃ ca me sakhe

But I must tell you, my friend: I am not as wealthy as you knew me to be before. My wealth is spent, friend.

Verse 7 (5.115.7)

न च शक्तोऽस्मि ते कर्तुं मोघमागमनं खग । न चाशामस्य विप्रर्षेर्वितथीकर्तुमुत्सहे ॥

na ca śakto'smi te kartuṃ moghamāgamanaṃ khaga | na cāśāmasya viprarṣervitathīkartumutsahe

Yet I cannot let your coming be in vain, O bird, nor can I bring myself to frustrate this brahmin seer's hope.

Note on the text: Corrected विपर्षेर् → विप्रर्षेर् (misprint in Wikisource; a lost र in विप्रर्षि; the critical edition reads viprarṣer).

Verse 8 (5.115.8)

पुत्रीं दास्यामि यत्कार्यमियं संपादयिष्यति । अभिगम्य हताशो हि निवृत्तो दहते कुलम् ॥

putrīṃ dāsyāmi yatkāryamiyaṃ saṃpādayiṣyati | abhigamya hatāśo hi nivṛtto dahate kulam

I will give my daughter; she will accomplish this task. For one who comes in hope and turns away with his hope crushed burns up the family of the one who refused him.

Verse 9 (5.115.9)

नातः परं वैनतेय किंचित्पापिष्ठमुच्यते । यथाशानाशनं लोके देहि नास्तीति वा वचः ॥

nātaḥ paraṃ vainateya kiṃcitpāpiṣṭhamucyate | yathāśānāśanaṃ loke dehi nāstīti vā vacaḥ

Nothing in this world is called more sinful, son of Vinata, than destroying someone's hope, or answering "There is nothing" to one who asks.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रथाशानाशनं → यथाशानाशनं (misprint in Wikisource; प्रथा yields no sense here; the critical edition reads yathāśānāśanaṃ).

Verse 10 (5.115.10)

हताशो ह्यकृतार्थः सन्हतः संभावितो नरः । हिनस्ति तस्य पुत्रांश्च पौत्रांश्चाकुर्वतो हितम् ॥

hatāśo hyakṛtārthaḥ sanhataḥ saṃbhāvito naraḥ | hinasti tasya putrāṃśca pautrāṃścākurvato hitam

A man of standing whose hope is crushed and whose purpose is unfulfilled is as good as slain; and he destroys the sons and grandsons of the one who would not do him good.

Verse 11 (5.115.11)

तस्माच्चतुर्णां वंशानां स्थापयित्री सुता मम । माधवी नाम तार्क्ष्येयं सर्वधर्मप्रदायिनी ॥

tasmāccaturṇāṃ vaṃśānāṃ sthāpayitrī sutā mama | mādhavī nāma tārkṣyeyaṃ sarvadharmapradāyinī

Therefore, Tarkshya, here is my daughter, who will establish four royal lines. Her name is Madhavi, and she is a bestower of every kind of merit.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and ') and a doubled ।।. The first line is CE 5.113.11ab; the second line is not in the critical edition's text — it is star passage 5.113.11b*0455 (reading -pravādinī for प्रदायिनी).

Verse 12 (5.115.12)

इयं सुरसुतप्रख्या सर्वधर्मोपचायिनी । सदा देवमनुष्याणामसुराणां च गालव । काङ्क्षिता रूपतो बाला सुता मे प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥

iyaṃ surasutaprakhyā sarvadharmopacāyinī | sadā devamanuṣyāṇāmasurāṇāṃ ca gālava | kāṅkṣitā rūpato bālā sutā me pratigṛhyatām

Like a daughter of the gods in her looks, she makes every virtue grow. Gods, men and asuras alike, Galava, have always longed for this girl for her beauty. Accept my daughter.

Note on the text: Corrected देवमनुष्यणाम् → देवमनुष्याणाम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ā of the genitive plural; the critical edition reads devamanuṣyāṇām). The first line is CE 5.113.11cd; the second and third are CE 5.113.12.

Verse 13 (5.115.13)

अस्याः शुल्कं प्रदास्यन्ति नृपा राज्यमपि ध्रुवम् । किं पुनः श्यामकर्णानां हयानां द्वे चतुःशते ॥

asyāḥ śulkaṃ pradāsyanti nṛpā rājyamapi dhruvam | kiṃ punaḥ śyāmakarṇānāṃ hayānāṃ dve catuḥśate

Kings will surely give even a kingdom as her bride-price — how much more two sets of four hundred black-eared horses!

Note on the text: Corrected ध्रवम् → ध्रुवम् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the critical edition reads dhruvam).

Verse 14 (5.115.14)

स भवान्प्रतिगृह्णातु ममैतां माधवीं सुताम् । अहं दौहित्रवान्त्स्यां वै वर एष मम प्रभो ॥

sa bhavānpratigṛhṇātu mamaitāṃ mādhavīṃ sutām | ahaṃ dauhitravāntsyāṃ vai vara eṣa mama prabho

So let your honour accept my daughter Madhavi. Let me have grandsons by her — that is the boon I ask, my lord.

Note on the text: Corrected भवाप्रतिगृह्णातु → भवान्प्रतिगृह्णातु (misprint in Wikisource; the final न् of भवान् is lost; the critical edition reads bhavān pratigṛhṇātu).

Verse 15 (5.115.15)

स तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणः शंसितव्रतः । प्रतिगृह्य च तां कन्यां गालवः सह पक्षिणा । पुनर्द्रक्ष्याव इत्युक्त्वा प्रतस्थे सह कन्यया ॥

sa tasya vacanaṃ śrutvā brāhmaṇaḥ śaṃsitavrataḥ | pratigṛhya ca tāṃ kanyāṃ gālavaḥ saha pakṣiṇā | punardrakṣyāva ityuktvā pratasthe saha kanyayā

Hearing his words, the brahmin Galava, of praiseworthy vows, together with the bird, accepted the maiden, and saying, "We shall meet again," set out with her.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and '). The first line is not in the critical edition's text — it is star passage 5.113.14d*0456 (reading tasya tad vacanaṃ … saṃśitavrataḥ); the second and third lines are CE 5.113.15.

Verse 16 (5.115.16)

उपलब्धमिदं द्वारमश्वानामिति चाण्डजः । उक्त्वा गालवमापृच्छ्य जगाम भवनं स्वकम् ॥

upalabdhamidaṃ dvāramaśvānāmiti cāṇḍajaḥ | uktvā gālavamāpṛcchya jagāma bhavanaṃ svakam

"The gateway to the horses has been found," said the egg-born bird; and, taking leave of Galava, he went to his own home.

Verse 17 (5.115.17)

गते पतगराजे तु गालवः सह कन्यया । चिन्तयानः क्षमंदाने राजानं शुल्कतोऽगमत् ॥

gate patagarāje tu gālavaḥ saha kanyayā | cintayānaḥ kṣamaṃdāne rājānaṃ śulkato'gamat

When the king of birds had gone, Galava, with the maiden, considering which king would be able to give, set out to a king to ask the bride-price.

Verse 18 (5.115.18)

सोऽगच्छन्मनसेक्ष्वाकुं हर्यश्वं राजसत्तमम् । अयोध्यायां महावीर्यं चतुरङ्गबलान्वितम् ॥

so'gacchanmanasekṣvākuṃ haryaśvaṃ rājasattamam | ayodhyāyāṃ mahāvīryaṃ caturaṅgabalānvitam

In his mind he went first to Haryashva of the Ikshvaku line, best of kings, at Ayodhya, a man of great valour with an army of four divisions,

Verse 19 (5.115.19)

कोशधान्यबलोपेतं प्रियपौरं द्विजप्रियम् । प्रजाभिकामं शाम्यन्तं कुर्वाणं तप उत्तमम् ॥

kośadhānyabalopetaṃ priyapauraṃ dvijapriyam | prajābhikāmaṃ śāmyantaṃ kurvāṇaṃ tapa uttamam

rich in treasury, grain and troops, loved by his citizens and devoted to brahmins, longing for offspring, calm in mind, and practising the highest austerity.

Verse 20 (5.115.20)

तमुपागम्य विप्रः स हर्यश्वं गालवोऽब्रवीत् । कन्येयं मम राजेन्द्र प्रसवैः कुलवर्धिनी ॥

tamupāgamya vipraḥ sa haryaśvaṃ gālavo'bravīt | kanyeyaṃ mama rājendra prasavaiḥ kulavardhinī

Approaching Haryashva, the brahmin Galava said: "This maiden of mine, king of kings, will make a family flourish with her offspring."

Verse 21 (5.115.21)

इयं शुल्केन भार्यार्थं हर्यश्व प्रतिगृह्यताम् । शुल्कं ते कीर्तयिष्यामि तच्छ्रुत्वा संप्रधार्यताम् ॥

iyaṃ śulkena bhāryārthaṃ haryaśva pratigṛhyatām | śulkaṃ te kīrtayiṣyāmi tacchrutvā saṃpradhāryatām

Accept her as your wife, Haryashva, for a bride-price. I will tell you what the price is; hear it and then decide.

Note on the text: Corrected कीर्तियिष्यामि → कीर्तयिष्यामि (misprint in Wikisource; wrong vowel sign in the causative stem; the critical edition reads kīrtayiṣyāmi).