PLATE TWO
The princess Śarmiṣṭhā once approached King Yayāti at the appropriate time for conception. In a secluded place, she requested the King, the husband of her friend Devayānī, to enable her to have a son also. Aware of the principles of religion, which state that a warrior or king must fulfill the sexual desire of any woman who approaches him, King Yayāti agreed to Śarmiṣṭhā's request. Although he remembered that Devayānī's father, Śukrācārya, had warned him against the act, King Yayāti considered this union the desire of the Supreme and had sex with Śarmiṣṭhā. When the proud Devayānī understood from outside sources that Śarmiṣṭhā was pregnant by her husband, she became frenzied with anger. Thus she departed for her father's house. King Yayāti, who was very lusty, followed his wife, caught her and tried to appease her by speaking pleasing words and massaging her feet, but he could not satisfy her by any means. When Śukrācārya learned of the situation, he became extremely angry. He furiously addressed the King: "You untruthful fool, lusting after women! You have done a great wrong. I therefore curse you to be attacked and disfigured by old age and invalidity!" ( pp. 35-38 )