"And Devayani said,-'O father, virtue bath been vanquished by vice. The low have risen, and the high have fallen. I have been offended against by Sarmishtha, the daughter of Vrisha parvan. Three sons have been begotten upon her by this king Yayati. But, O father, luckless as I am, I have got only two sons ! O son of Bhrigu, this king is renowned for his knowledge of the precepts of religion. But, O Kavya, I tell thee that he bath deviated from the path of rectitude
I "Sukra, hearing all this, said,-'O monarch, since thou hast made vice thy beloved pursuit, though fully acquainted with the precepts of religion, invincible decrepitude shall paralyse thee!' Yayati answered,-'Adorable one. I was solicited by the daughter of the Danava king to fructify her season! I did it from a sense of virtue and not from other motives ! That male person, who being solicited by a woman in her season doth not grant her wishes, is called, O Brahmana, by those conversaat with the Vedas a slayer of the embryo I He who, solicited in secret by a woman full of desire and in season, goeth not in unto her loseth virtue and is called by the learned a killer of the einbryo, O son of Bhrigu, for these reasons, and anxious to avoid sin. I went into Sarmishtha. Sukra then replied, "Thou art dependent on me. Thou shouldst have awaited my command. Having acted falsely in the matter of thy duty, Oson of Nahusha, thou hast been guilty of the sin of theft!'
Vaisampayana continued--"Yayati, the son of Nahusha, thus cursed by the angry Usanas, was then divested of his youth and immediately overcome by decrepitude. And Yayati said, 'O son of Bhrigu, I have not yet been satiated with youth or with Devayani. Therefore, O Brahmana, be graceful unto me so that decrepitude might not touch me l' Sukra then answered, I never speak an untruth. Even now, O king, art thou attacked by decrepitude. But if thou likest, thou art competent to transfer this thy decrepitude to another ! Yayati said, 'O Brahmana let it be commanded by thee that son of mine who giveth me his youth shall enjoy my kingdom, and shall achieve both virtue and fame!' Sukra teplied,-'O son of Nahusha, thinking of me thou mayst transfer this thy decrepitude to whomsover thou likest. That son who shall give thee his youth shall become thy successor to the throne. He shall also have long life, wide fame, and large progeny l'"
Thus ends the eighty-third section in the Sambhava Parva of the Adi Parva.
