Yayati (Hindi)

Yayati was a powerful ruler, a great warrior who earned the respect of Indra, the King of the Devas. He was a noble king who was loved and respected by the people of his vast empire. However, he had one great weakness and this was his love for sensual pleasures.

Married to the beautiful, but hard and unforgiving Devyani, daughter of the great sage Sukracharya, he was also attracted to her maid, Sharmishta. Sharmishta herself was no ordinary maid servant. She was the daughter of the Asura King, Vrisha Parva. Because of an impulsive act of folly, she was made the slave of Devyani and came with her when she was married to Yayati.

Yayati has five sons by his two wives and Devyani initially knows nothing of his relationship with Sharmistha. The king indulges his sensual desires with both beautiful women. When the truth comes out, an enraged Devyani complains to her father who curses Yayati to become an old man.

This cautionary tale of the futility of trying to satiate sensual desires is retold by the Marathi writer, V S Khandekar. The author changes perspectives between the various major characters in the course of the narrative. The story of Yayati, thus told from different points of view becomes even more vibrant and interesting.

This paperback book was published by Rajpal in 2013, and is available in paperback.