Yayati

Episode#4

Yayati was the Puranic King and the son of king Nahusha, who was one of the ancestors of Pandavas.

Yayati conquered the whole world and was termed as the universal Monarch, he occupied Amravati and ruled from India's throne after Indra slayed Vritra.

Yayati had two wives, he married to Devyani the daughter of Shukracharya and begot three sons, he secretly married her maid Sarmishtha daughter of King of Asura and begot two sons.

When short tempered Shukracharya came to know a Yayati secret marriage, he cursed him that he will remain impotent rest of his life. Yayati begged for pardon and sage Shukracharya mellowed down and modified the curse that he can exchange his youth or potency if one of his son agree to bore the burden of curse.

Yayati requested each of his sons to exchange the youth but none of them agree, except Sarmishtha son Puru agreed, thus Yayati regained his youth and became young and potent. Yayati enjoyed the pleasure of youth for several years and later his interest being drained out, finally he returned the boon of permanent youth to his son Puru and adopted vanprastasharma before ascending to the heavens.

Yayati, the second son of Nahusha, ascended the throne owing to the fact that the eldest son, Yati had renounced the world and chose to become hermit. The Pururavas dynasty goes through a series of trails and tribulations - to cite few here again, Shantanu is hailed as the king despite being out of linage, the reason being his elder brother Decapitated suffered from an incurable skin diseases, the history misplaced hierarchy seems to repeat itself in a strange sequence yet again in the following generations.

Dhritrashtra, the elder brother disqualified from the kingship because of his blindness, while younger brother Pandu holds the aristocratic supremacy until he renounced the world and chose living in forest. Karna the eldest son of Kunti...Even after his long-hidden truth was revealed, he stood disqualified due to the factor of illegitimacy despite being eldest Pandavas.

Puru the youngest son who suceeded Yayati and inherited his kingdom in Gangatic plain. This is significant exception to racial hierarchy - As Puru was born of Sarmishtha, a Asura Princess, is not debarred from inheriting his father's property unlike the fruits of inter-caste marriage between Yayati who was Kshatriya and Devyani who was Bhramin's daughter.

Yayati five sons, two from Devyani and three from Sarmishtha which formed  a five famous dynasties 1. The Yadu dynasty 2. The Yavana (Turk) dynasty 3. The Bhoja dynasty 4. The Mleccha (Greek) dynasty 5. The Pururavas dynasty - each of them emanted to spread in all four directions of the world.