Yayati

Yayati () was a Puranic king and the son of king Nahusha and one of ancestors of Pandavas. He was a great scholar of Vedas. He had five brothers, Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of Asuras (the demons). Sharmishtha was the daughter of the Demon King Vrishparva. Sharmishthe was a friend and servant of Devyani. After hearing of his relationship with second wife Sharmishta, from Devayani her father, sage Shukracharya cursed Yayati to old age in the prime of life, but later allowed him to exchange it with his son, Puru. His story finds mention in the Mahabharata-Adi Parva and also Bhagavata Purana.

Yayati and his ancestors ruled from Hastinapur while his descendants from Khandavaprastha, which lay of the banks of Yamuna. The city fell into ruin and was over grown by a forest, known as Khandava Vana. Later the Pandavas received it as Dhritarashtra divided the kingdom between them and his sons, the Kauravas. Pandavas rebuilt the ruined city and erected palaces and forts and renamed it Indraprastha.

Ancestry

Yayati was the second son King Nahusha, of the Aila dynasty, son of Ayu, the eldest son of Pururavas and Prabha, the daughter of Svarbhanu. Yayati suceeded his father as his eldest brother Yati became a muni (ascetic).Pargiter, F.E. (1972). Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,...
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