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Yayati

Yayati is a legendary king in Hindu mythology, associated with the Lunar (Chandra) dynasty. He is described in various texts, including the Mahabharata and the Puranas, as a son of Nahusha and a sovereign who plays a central role in the genealogies that trace the lineages of the lunar clans. In many accounts, his wife is Devayani, the daughter of the sage Shukracharya, and he is the father of five sons who become progenitors of major dynasties: Druhyu, Anu, Turvasu, Yadu, and Puru. From these sons descend the Druhyu, Anu, Turvasu, Yadu, and Puru lineages, with Yadu giving rise to the Yadava clans and Puru to the Paurava line.

One of the best-known episodes associated with Yayati concerns a boon granted by Shukracharya. Devayani’s father

In later traditions, Yayati’s story is used to explain the origins of several lineages within the lunar

grants
him
a
boon
that
enables
him
to
exchange
his
old
age
for
the
youth
of
any
of
his
sons.
Yayati
uses
this
boon
to
remain
young
for
many
years,
indulging
in
the
pleasures
of
youth.
Eventually,
he
relinquishes
the
boon,
returns
to
old
age,
and
recognizes
the
social
and
moral
duties
of
his
position,
allowing
the
next
generation
to
carry
forward
the
dynasties
he
fathered.
dynasty
and
to
illustrate
themes
of
desire,
duty,
and
renunciation.
The
figure
appears
across
multiple
Hindu
texts,
with
variations
in
detail,
but
his
role
as
a
patriarch
linking
the
ancient
clans
remains
a
common
thread.