Shloka 39
Yayāti, Devayānī, Śarmiṣṭhā, and the Exchange of Youth: The Unsatisfied Nature of Desire
मातामहकृतां वत्स न तृप्तो विषयेष्वहम् । वयसा भवदीयेन रंस्ये कतिपया: समा: ॥ ३९ ॥
mātāmaha-kṛtāṁ vatsa na tṛpto viṣayeṣv aham vayasā bhavadīyena raṁsye katipayāḥ samāḥ
My dear son, I am not yet satisfied in my sexual desires. But if you are kind to me, you can take the old age given by your maternal grandfather, and I may take your youth so that I may enjoy life for a few years more.
This is the nature of lusty desires. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ: when one is too attached to sense gratification, he actually loses his sense. The word hṛta-jñānāḥ refers to one who has lost his sense. Here is an example: the father shamelessly asked his son to exchange youth for old age. Of course, the entire world is under such illusion. Therefore it is said that everyone is pramattaḥ, or exclusively mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma: when one becomes almost like a madman, he indulges in sex and sense gratification. Sex and sense gratification can be controlled, however, and one achieves perfection when he has no desires for sex. This is possible only when one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious.
FAQs
This verse shows that even after receiving abundant facilities for pleasure, Yayāti admits he is still not satisfied—highlighting that sense gratification does not bring lasting fulfillment.
In the narrative, Yayāti had obtained a way to continue enjoyment and now asks to use Puru’s youth, confessing his ongoing attachment to sense pleasures and desire to enjoy longer.
It encourages mindful restraint: recognize that chasing pleasures rarely ends in contentment, and cultivate self-control and higher purpose to avoid endless craving.