Yayati was a king.
According to an Indian mythological story, as a reward for the many sacrifices performed by him during his life-time King Yayati ascended to heaven. Indra received him most courteously and encouraged him to speak highly of his own meritorious acts. In this way he unwittingly exhausted all his merits and was hurled back to the mortal plane.
Once Yayati had won the hand of Devayani, daughter of Shukracharya. Devayani once complained to her father of the king's infidelity. Shukracharya pronounced on him a curse as a result of which he became old and infirm before time.
Having been propitiated by him through supplication and entreaty, however, the sage allowed the king to borrow the youth of another in exchange for his own old age should anyone be willing to part with it. The king thereupon sought the help of his sons, but first four of them declined. It was only the fifth and the youngest son, Puru, who willingly parted with his own youth and accepted the old age of his father. After enjoying life for a few more years Yayati got disgusted with the world and retired to the woods, returning the youth of his youngest son and crowning him king in preference to his elder brothers, who had all disappointed him. Even though Yayati had made use of his son's youth in enjoying life with his mother, the son incurred no sin because he had agreed to this arrangement only to please his father and made a unique sacrifice for his sake.
According to an Indian mythological story, as a reward for the many sacrifices performed by him during his life-time King Yayati ascended to heaven. Indra received him most courteously and encouraged him to speak highly of his own meritorious acts. In this way he unwittingly exhausted all his merits and was hurled back to the mortal plane.
Once Yayati had won the hand of Devayani, daughter of Shukracharya. Devayani once complained to her father of the king's infidelity. Shukracharya pronounced on him a curse as a result of which he became old and infirm before time.
Having been propitiated by him through supplication and entreaty, however, the sage allowed the king to borrow the youth of another in exchange for his own old age should anyone be willing to part with it. The king thereupon sought the help of his sons, but first four of them declined. It was only the fifth and the youngest son, Puru, who willingly parted with his own youth and accepted the old age of his father. After enjoying life for a few more years Yayati got disgusted with the world and retired to the woods, returning the youth of his youngest son and crowning him king in preference to his elder brothers, who had all disappointed him. Even though Yayati had made use of his son's youth in enjoying life with his mother, the son incurred no sin because he had agreed to this arrangement only to please his father and made a unique sacrifice for his sake.