देवयानी (devayānī) [Printed book page 239-1] Devayānī, daughter of Uśanas (Śukra) and wife of Yayāti.
§ 143 (Nahuṣa): I, 75, 3159 (mother of Yadu and Turvasu).
—§ 145 (Kaca): I, 76, 3186, 3197, 3198, 3205, 3206, 3207,
3208, 3212, (3213), 3222, 3226, †3229, (†3231), †3233, †3239,
(†3240), †3241 (prevailed upon Uśanas to revive Kaca); 77,
(3256), 3263, (3264), (3271), 3273, 3276 (Kaca would not
accept her as his wife, because he, being a disciple of Uśanas,
regarded her as his sister; D. then cursed Kaca).—§ 146:
When Kaca had imparted to the gods the Sañjīvanī they set
out with Indra at their head to defeat the Asuras. In a wood
like Caitraratha, Indra transformed himself into wind and
mixed up the clothes of some bathing maidens. A quarrel
about the clothes resulted in D.'s being thrown into a well
by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan. Yayāti found
her and drew her up by her right hand, and then returned
to his capital. Devayānī sent Ghūrṇikā to inform Śukra
of what had passed (I, 78—79). Śukra threatened Vṛṣa-
parvan that he would leave the Asuras, until Śarmiṣṭhā,
together with 1,000 maidens, was given to D. (I, 80).
Surrounded by Śarmiṣṭhā and 2,000 maidens, Devayānī one
day again met Yayāti, who at her request received her
Page239-b+ 63 in marriage from Śukra, and promised that he would never
invite Śarmiṣṭhā to share his bed (I, 81): I, 78, 3284, 3285,
(3285), 3290, (3297), 3302, (3303), 3307, (3309), 3314;
79, 3319, 3321, (3326); 80, 3341, 3343, 3344, (3345),
3346, (3347), 3348, 3350, 3351, (3354), 3356, (3357); 81,
3359, 3363, 3364, (3367), (3370), (3373), (3375), 3376,
(3377), (3379), (3382), (3385), 3386, (3388), 3392, 3395.—
§ 147: Devayānī gave birth to a son. After 1,000 years had
elapsed, Śarmiṣṭhā attained to puberty and prevailed upon
Yayāti to beget a son also with her (I, 82); to Devayānī
she said that she had born the child to a ṛṣi whose
name she had not dared to ask. The sons of Devayānī were
Yadu and Turvasu, those of Śarmiṣṭhā were Druhyu, Anu,
and Pūru. One day, when Devayānī was walking in the
wood together with Yayāti, she met the children of
Śarmiṣṭhā and asked them: “Who is your father?” They
then pointed to Yayāti. Devayānī in anger withdrew to
Uśanas, followed by Yayāti. Uśanas cursed Yayāti to be
overcome by decrepitude, yet with the permission of trans-
ferring it to someone else, and he added that that son of
Yayāti who would give him his own youth should succeed
Yayāti on the throne, etc. (I, 83): I, 82, 3397, 3398, 3400,
3401, 3404, 3411, 3419; 83, 3424, 3425, (3425), (3428),
(3430), 3432, 3434, (3436), (3437), 3439, (3442), 3446,
(3451), 3461.—§ 148 (Yayāti): I, 85, 3519 (°yāḥ sutaṃ
…Yaduṃ).—§ 156 (Pūruvaṃś.): I, 95, ††3761
(Uśanaso duhitā), 3762 (Yaduñ ca Turvasuñ caiva D°ī
vyajāyata).—§ 569 (Bhagavadyānap.): V, 149, 5045 (Yaduḥ
…D°yāḥ sutaḥ).—§ 595 (Ṣoḍaśarāj., v. Yayāti):
VII, 63, 2297 (wife of Yayāti).—§ 599e (Śini): VII,
144, 6030 (Yayāter D°yān tu Yadur jyeṣṭo 'bhavat sutaḥ).
Cf. Auśanasī, Bhārgavī, Śukratanayā.
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