Shloka 22
Śāṃtanu’s Ideal Rule; Devavrata’s Return; The Satyavatī Marriage Condition and Bhīṣma’s Vow (आदि पर्व, अध्याय ९४)
ययातिरुवाच ययातिरस्मि नहुषस्य पुत्र: पूरो: पिता सार्वभौमस्त्विहासम् । गुहां चार्थ मामकेभ्यो ब्रवीमि मातामहो<हं भवतां प्रकाशम्,ययातिने कहा--मैं नहुषका पुत्र और पूरुका पिता राजा ययाति हूँ। इस लोकमें मैं चक्रवर्ती नरेश था। आप सब लोग मेरे अपने हैं; अत: आपसे गुप्त बात भी खोलकर बतलाये देता हूँ। मैं आपलोगोंका नाना हूँ। (यद्यपि पहले भी यह बात बता चुका हूँ, तथापि पुनः स्पष्ट कर देता हूँ)
yayātir uvāca yayātir asmi nahuṣasya putraḥ pūroḥ pitā sārvabhaumas tv ihāsam | guhāṃ cārthaṃ māmakebhyo bravīmi mātāmaho 'haṃ bhavatāṃ prakāśam ||
Yayāti sprach: „Ich bin Yayāti, der Sohn Nahuṣas und der Vater Pūrus. In eben dieser Welt besaß ich einst die universale Herrschaft. Ihr seid die Meinen; darum will ich euch selbst das offenbaren, was geheim zu halten wäre. Klar sei es ausgesprochen: Ich bin euer Großvater mütterlicherseits.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of kinship and trust: because the listeners are ‘his own,’ Yayāti considers it proper to speak with transparency, even about confidential matters, grounding authority in lineage and responsibility rather than mere power.
Yayāti introduces himself formally—naming his father Nahuṣa and his son Pūru—recalls his former status as a universal ruler, and then signals that he will reveal a private matter to the assembled listeners, emphasizing their familial connection by stating he is their maternal grandfather.