Yayati (Sanskrit: ययाति) was a Puranic king and the son of King Nahusha and Ashokasundari. He was one of the ancestors of Pandavas. He had five brothers: Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati and Kriti. Yayati had conquered the whole world and was the Chakravartin Samrat (Universal Monarch or World Emperor). He marries Devayani and takes Sharmishtha, daughter of king Vrishparva and maid of Devayani as his mistress on her request. Devayani was the daughter of Shukracharya, the priest of the Asuras (the demons). After hearing of his relationship with Sharmishtha, Devayani complains to her father Shukracharya, who in turn curses Yayati to old age in the prime of life, but later allows him to exchange it with his son, Puru. His story finds mention in the Mahabharata-Adi Parva and also Bhagavata Purana. Brahma's son was Atri, a Brahmarshi. Atri's son was Chandra, the Moon God. Chandra gave rise to the lunar dynasty or the Chandravanshi Dynasty. Chandra's son was Budha. Budha had a son with Manu's daughter Ila.
Ila's son was Pururavas, who studied under Sage Kashyapa. Pururavas ruled over the city of Pratishthana or Prayaga (modern day Allahabad). He married the Apsara Urvashi and had many sons, of whom Ayus was the eldest. Ayus completed his education from Sage Chyavana and married the Asura princess Prabha. Ayus's son was Nahusha who was educated by the Sage Vashistha. Upon Indra's loss of power, the gods asked Nahusha to be the new Indra. Nahusha ruled over the three worlds with the guidance of Sage Brihaspati for 100,000 years. Nahusha's sons headed by Yati and Yayati were educated by thousands of Brahmarshis and the gods who used to wait upon their father. Nahusha eventually became arrogant and was punished severely. Indra was once more reinstated as the King of Gods. The cursed Yayati begs forgiveness of Shukracharya The story of Yayati appears in the nineteenth chapter of book nine of the Bhagavata Purana. Yayati's father, Nahusha is transformed into a python by a curse uttered by the sages as punishment for his arrogance.
Yayati's elder brother, Yati, is initially given the kingdom, but turns it down and instead becomes an ascetic. Yayati then becomes king in his place and prospers so greatly that he is able to conquer the whole world. He appoints his four younger brothers to rule the world's cardinal directions[] One day Sharmishtha, daughter of the Danava king Vrishparva and Devayani, daughter of the Daitya sage Shukracharya, go with Sharmishtha's retinue to bathe in a forest pool not far from their home. After bathing, Sharmishtha confuses Devayani's sari with hers and puts it on instead. Devayani returns, scolds Sharmishtha for her mistake and belittles her with the jibe that she is the daughter of Shukracharya (Shukracharya being a sage and high priest and indeed the guru of all the Asuras - no mere employee) as Vrishparva's and their Kingdom lives on his blessings. This slur on herself and her father Vrishparva infuriates Sharmishtha with the help of her servants throws the naked Devayani into a well and leaves the forest with her retinue.
Later Yayati, son of Nahusha, comes to the well for water and helps Devayani to climb out of it. Devayani resolves to make Sharmishtha her servant in revenge for trying to kill her by throwing her into the well. Sharmishtha's father, Vrishparva agrees to this, since he fears that the continued security of his kingdom would be in doubt without the sage counsel of Devayani's father Shukracharya. Sharmishtha also agrees to this to save the kingdom and becomes Devayani's maidservant. Some days later Devayani goes on a picnic in the forest with her servants (including Sharmishtha). There she again meets Yayati, who is out hunting. Yayati finds himself attracted by Sharmishtha's beauty, asks Devayani about her. Devayani observed this, introduced Sharmishtha as her slave and also claimed that he should become her husband as he has held her hand while helping her out of the well. Yayati fears Shukracharya, and tells Devayani that he will marry her only if his father agrees. Yayati presumed that it is not Dharma for a King to marry a Brahmin girl.
This time she brings him to her father and tells him that she would like to marry Yayati. Shukracharya gives his consent and tells Yayati that he should take care of Sharmishtha too (as she is a princess, by birth) although he shouldn't have sex with her. Yayati marries Sharmishtha and looks after her well. After some time Sharmishtha comes to Yayati and asks him to give her a son. He refuses and says that, if he were to do so, he could not face the wrath of Shukracharya. Nevertheless, Sharmishtha manages finally to convince him, saying that it would be against Dharma if he were to refuse her request, as she is desperate to have a child. He reluctantly agrees and they begin a sexual relationship, in the hopes that she will conceive. In due course, Devayani gives birth to two sons Yadu and Turvasu while Sharmishtha gives birth to three sons Druhyu, Anu and Puru. Eventually Devayani learns of her husband's affair with Sharmishtha and complains to her father. Enraged at his son-in-law's disobedience, Shukracharya curses Yayati with premature old age in punishment for inflicting such pain upon his daughter.
However he later relents a little, telling Yayati that if he can persuade one of his (Yayati 's) sons to swap ages with him he will be able to escape the curse and regain his lost youth for a while. Yayati asks his sons if one of them will give up his youth to rejuvenate his father, but all refuse except the youngest, Puru (one of his sons by Sharmishtha). In grateful recognition of Puru's filial devotion, Yayati makes him his legitimate heir and it is from the line of Puru - later King Puru - that the 'Kuru vamsha' (Kuru dynasty) later arises. In the words of the story, Yayati enjoys all the pleasures of the senses 'for a thousand years' and, by experiencing passion to the full, comes to realise its utter futility, saying : "Know this for certain, ... not all the food, wealth and women of the world can appease the lust of a single man of uncontrolled senses. Craving for sense-pleasures is not removed but aggravated by indulgence even as ghee poured into fire increases it....One who aspires to peace and happiness should instantly renounce craving and seek instead that which neither grows old, nor ceases - no matter how old the body may become."
[2] Having found wisdom by following the road of excess, Yayati gratefully returns the youth of his son Puru and takes back his old age in return, renouncing the world to spend his remaining days as a forest ascetic. His spiritual practices are, at long last, blessed with success and, alone in the deep woods, he is rewarded with ascension to svarga - the heavenly realm of the righteous, ruled by Indra, that is but one step below the ultimate liberation of moksha. The Vayu Purana, the Brahmanda Purana, the Shiva Purana and the Harivamsa Purana mention that Yayati possessed a divine chariot which could travel in any direction unimpeded. It is variously mentioned that Yayati acquired it from Shukracharya, Indra or from Shiva. The Harivamsha Purana mentions that with the speed of this chariot, Yayati was able to conquer the earth and the heavens in merely six days. He had also vanquished the Asuras many times. Yayati gave this chariot to his youngest son, Puru who succeeded his father as king.
The chariot became a family heirloom among the descendants of Puru. The chariot however vanished due to a curse incurred by the Paurava King Janamejaya when he slew a Brahmana in his hatred. Many years later, Indra once more gave that same chariot to King Vasu Uparichara, another descendant of Puru. Uparichara's grandson, Jarasandha of Magadha, inherited that chariot. Jarasandha was eventually defeated and slain by the Pandava Bhima who gave the chariot to his cousin, Lord Krishna. Another one of his descendants was King Bharat, son of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and after whom, India's ancient name Bharatvarsha was kept. Further descendants were part of the Kuru Kingdom, including Shantanu, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu and Parikshit. In modern language and usage,trading conscientious behavior for external gain is sometimes called Yayati Syndrome.[7] Yayati, a Marathi novel by V. S. Khandekar, won him the Sahitya Akademi Award (1960), and a Jnanpith Award (1974).