SECTION LXXXV
(Sambhava Parva continued)
Vaisampayana said, "The excellent monarch Yayati, tbe son of Nahusha, having received Puru's youth became exceedingly gratifed. And with it he once more began to indulge in bis favourite pursuits to the full extent of his desires and to the limit of his powers, according to season, so as to derive the greatest pleasure therefrom. And O king, in nothing that he did, he acted against the precepts of his religion as behoved him well. He gratified the gods by his sacrifices: the pitris, by Sraddhas: the poor, by his charities; all excellent Brahmanas, by fulfilling their desires: all persons entitled to the rites of hospitality, with food and drink; the Vaisyas, by protection, and the Sudras, by kindness. And the king repressed all criminals by proper punishments. And Yayati, gratifying all sections of his subjects, protected them virtuously like another Indra. And the monarch possessed of the prowess of a lion, with youth and-every object of enjoyment under control, enjoyed unlimited happiness without trantgressing the precepts of religion. And the king became very happy in thus being able to enjoy all the excellent objects of his desires. And he was only sorry when he thought that those thousand years would come to an end. And having obtained youth for a thousand years, the king acquainted with the mysteries of time, and watching proper Kalas and Kashtas sported with (the celestial damsel) Viswachi, sometimes in the beautiful garden of Indra, sometimes in Alaka (the city of Kuvera), and sometimes on the summit of the mountain Meru on the north. And when the virtuous monarch saw that the thousand years were full, he summoned his son, Puru, and addressed him thus:-O oppressor of foes, with thy youth, O son, I bave enjoyed the pleasures of life, each according to its season, to the full extent of my desires, to the limit of my powers! Our desires, however, are never gratified by induigence. On the other hand, with indulgence, they only flame up like fire with libations of sacrificial butter! If a single person were owner of everything on Earth-all her yields of paddy and barley, her silver, gold, and gems, her animals and women, he would not still be content 1 Thirst of enjoyment, therefore, should be given up. Indeed, true happiness belongeth to them that have cast off their thirst for worldly objects-a thirst which is difficult to be thrown off by the wicked and the sinful, which faileth not with the failing life, and which is truly the fatal disease of man. My heart hath for a full thousand years been fixed upon the objects of desires. My thirst for these, however, increaseth day by day without abating. Therefore, I shall cast it off, and fixing my
