Shloka 20
Āśramadharma and the Marks of the Muni
Yayāti–Aṣṭaka Saṃvāda
कथं शुक्रस्य नप्तारं देवयान्या: सुतं प्रभो । ज्येष्ठ यदुमतिक्रम्य राज्यं पूरो: प्रयच्छसि,'प्रभो! शुक्राचार्यके नाती और देवयानीके ज्येष्ठ पुत्र यदुके होते हुए उन्हें लाँघकर आप पूरुको राज्य क्यों देते हैं?
kathaṁ śukrasya naptāraṁ devayānyāḥ sutaṁ prabho | jyeṣṭhaṁ yadum atikramya rājyaṁ pūroḥ prayacchasi ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó senhor, como é que, deixando de lado Yadu—o primogênito de Devayānī e neto de Śukra—concedes a realeza a Pūru? Qual é a razão?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse raises an ethical problem in royal succession: birth order alone does not settle legitimacy; a king’s grant of sovereignty must be justified by conduct, fitness, and adherence to dharma. It invites reflection on merit, obedience, and the moral grounds for political authority.
In the Yayāti episode, the narrator questions the king’s decision to bypass Yadu—eldest son of Devayānī and grandson of Śukra—and instead confer the kingdom on the younger son Pūru. The question sets up the explanation of why Pūru is chosen over Yadu.