Shloka 32
Yayāti, Devayānī, Śarmiṣṭhā, and the Exchange of Youth: The Unsatisfied Nature of Desire
राजपुत्र्यार्थितोऽपत्ये धर्मं चावेक्ष्य धर्मवित् । स्मरञ्छुक्रवच: काले दिष्टमेवाभ्यपद्यत ॥ ३२ ॥
rāja-putryārthito ’patye dharmaṁ cāvekṣya dharmavit smarañ chukra-vacaḥ kāle diṣṭam evābhyapadyata
When Princess Śarmiṣṭhā begged King Yayāti for a son, the dharma-knowing king considered righteousness and consented. Though he remembered Śukrācārya’s warning, he took the union to be the will of the Supreme Lord and fulfilled her desire.
King Yayāti was completely aware of the duty of a kṣatriya. When a kṣatriya is approached by a woman, he cannot deny her. This is a religious principle. Consequently, when Dharmarāja, Yudhiṣṭhira, saw Arjuna unhappy after Arjuna returned from Dvārakā, he asked whether Arjuna had refused a woman who had begged for a son. Although Mahārāja Yayāti remembered Śukrācārya’s warning, he could not refuse Śarmiṣṭhā. He thought it wise to give her a son, and thus he had sexual intercourse with her after her menstrual period. This kind of lust is not against religious principles. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11) , dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi: sex life not contrary to the principles of religion is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Because Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of a king, had begged Yayāti for a son, their combination was not lust but an act of religion.
FAQs
This verse shows a dharma-knower weighing righteousness and then accepting what is divinely ordained, indicating that duty and destiny are harmonized through wise remembrance of scriptural guidance.
It highlights that crucial decisions—especially about family and duty—should be guided by the counsel of an ācārya; remembering Śukra’s instruction helped the character act at the proper time and in line with dharma.
Seek principled guidance (guru/śāstra), reflect on what is ethically right, act responsibly, and then accept outcomes with steadiness—without abandoning dharma.