King Yayāti Regains His Youth

King Yayati was much inclined to sex and once had a child by his wife's maidservant. His wife, Devayani, was frenzied with anger and returned to the house of her father, Sukracarya. Sukracarya possessed great mystic powers, and when he saw Yayati tagging along pathetically after Devayani, he cursed him to immediately become an old man. But he also gave the king a way out. "You may get back your youth," said Sukracarya, "if you find someone who will agree to take your old age and transfer his youth to you."

King Yayati wanted desperately to regain his youth, so that he could enjoy many more years of sex indulgence with young women. So he went to his eldest son Yadu and asked him to make the trade of youth for old age. But Yadu replied, "I do not welcome your old age and invalidity now, father, for unless I properly fulfill my material desires in my youth, I will not be ready to devote myself fully to spiritual life in later years." King Yayati similarly requested his sons Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu to exchange their youth for his old age, but their response was not as admirable as Yadu's. They refused to carry out their father's order because they thought their fleeting youth was eternal. King Yayati then approached Pūru, his youngest son.

Pūru replied, "O your majesty, who in this world can repay his debt to his father? By the mercy of one's father one gets this human body instead of an animal body. Thus one gets the chance to become a devotee of Krsna, the Supreme Lord." Pūru was more than pleased to accept his father's old age. So King Yayati took his son's youth and began to enjoy life once again. He became emperor of the entire world and enjoyed as much material happiness as he desired. Especially, he enjoyed the company of his young and beautiful wife, Devayani.

For some years King Yayati enjoyed himself in this way, but somehow he never felt satisfied. Finally, he became completely disgusted with sex life and everything connected with it-power, prestige, wealth, and so forth. One day he told Devayani, "O my dear wife with beautiful eyebrows-I am so poor in intelligence that I am no better than a lusty goat. I was bewildered by your beauty and forgot my real task of realizing my eternal spiritual identity. I never succeeded in satisfying my lusty desires, no matter how much so-called enjoyment I had. Pouring butter on a fire does not put the fire out-it blazes higher and higher. Sexual desires are difficult to give up, but I must and will learn to give them up. Henceforward I shall not even sit in the same room with my mother, sister, or daughter. Sex desire is so relentless that even the greatest sages become disturbed by the slightest sexual stimulus. For years I have tried in vain to satisfy my desires, but now I shall give them all up. I will go alone to the forest and meditate upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna."

Having given up all his lusty material desires (and having inspired Devayani to give hers up, also). King Yayati called for his son Pūru, returned Pūru's youth, and took back his own old age. Then, although Pūru was younger than all his brothers, Yayati enthroned him as emperor of the world. The king and his wife Devayani had enjoyed sense pleasure to the fullest extent, but now they gave it all up in an instant. At last, Yayati and Devayani became great devotees of Lord Krsna.