Shloka 4
तत् ते5हं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि पृच्छते जनमेजय । देवयान्याश्व संयोगं ययाते्नाहुषस्यथ च,वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--जनमेजय! राजा ययाति देवराज इन्द्रके समान तेजस्वी थे। पूर्वकालमें शुक्राचार्य और वृषपर्वाने ययातिका अपनी-अपनी कन्याके पतिके रूपमें जिस प्रकार वरण किया, वह सब प्रसंग तुम्हारे पूछनेपर मैं तुमसे कहूँगा। साथ ही यह भी बताऊँगा कि नहुषनन्दन ययाति तथा देवयानीका संयोग किस प्रकार हुआ
tat te 'haṃ sampravakṣyāmi pṛcchate janamejaya | devayānyāś ca saṃyogaṃ yayāter nāhuṣasya ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janamejaya, since you ask, I shall now relate to you the account—how Devayānī came to be united with Yayāti, the son of Nahusha. I will narrate the earlier circumstances as well, by which Śukrācārya and Vṛṣaparvan each chose Yayāti as the husband of his own daughter, and how these events unfolded.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical posture of itihāsa narration: a teacher responds to a sincere inquiry by presenting a connected, causally ordered account. It implies that understanding dharma in royal and familial life requires hearing the full context—how choices, alliances, and relationships arise and lead to consequences.
Within the frame-story, Vaiśampāyana tells King Janamejaya that he will now narrate the episode of Yayāti—specifically how Yayāti (son of Nahusha) became united with Devayānī—and will also recount the preceding circumstances involving Śukra and Vṛṣaparvan that led to Yayāti being chosen as a son-in-law.