Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Yayāti and His Sons: The Exchange of Youth and Old Age

Devanagari script

*ययातिरुवाच द्रुह्यो त्वं प्रतिपद्यस्व वर्णरूपविनाशिनीम् जरां वर्षसहस्रं मे यौवनं स्वं प्रयच्छताम् //

Transliteration

*yayātiruvāca druhyo tvaṃ pratipadyasva varṇarūpavināśinīm jarāṃ varṣasahasraṃ me yauvanaṃ svaṃ prayacchatām //

Translation

Yayāti said: “O Druhyu, accept this old age that destroys complexion and beauty. For a thousand years, give me your own youth.”

Word by Word

• yayātiḥ uvāca: Yayāti said

• druhyo: O Druhyu

• tvam: you

• pratipadyasva: accept, take upon yourself

• varṇa-rūpa-vināśinīm: that which ruins complexion (varṇa) and form/beauty (rūpa)

• jarām: old age, senescence

• varṣa-sahasram: a thousand years

• me: for me, to me

• yauvanam: youth

• svam: your own

• prayacchatām: give, bestow

Speaker

• King Yayati

Entities Mentioned

• Yayati
• Druhyu
• Jara (old age)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Royal Ethics
• Aging
• Boons and Curses

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it focuses on human aging and a king’s attempt to postpone senescence by taking another’s youth.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It highlights a moral tension central to royal and household ethics: desire for enjoyment versus acceptance of life’s stages. The narrative frames postponing old age as a choice with ethical and relational consequences.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it belongs to the genealogical-ethical narrative stream of the Matsya Purana.