Then Sarmishtha
of sweet smiles seeing the monarch before her with nobody to witness what
might pass, approached him and said with joined palms, 'O son of Nahusha,
no one can behold the ladies that dwell in the inner apartments of Soma,
of Indra, of Vishnu, of Yama, of Varuna, and of thee! Thou knowest, O king,
that I am both handsome and well-born. I solicit thee, O king! My season
hath arrived. See that it goeth not in vain.'
"Yayati answered, 'Well do I know that honour of birth is thine, born as
thou art in the proud race of the Danavas. Thou art also gifted with
beauty. I do not, indeed, see even the speck of a fault in thy feature.
But Usanas commanded me, while I was united with Devayani, that never
should Vrishaparvan's daughter he summoned to my bed.'
"Sarmishtha then said, 'It hath been said, O king, that it is not sinful
to lie on the occasion of a joke, in respect of women sought to be enjoyed,
on occasions of marriage, in peril of immediate death and of the loss of
one's whole fortune. Lying is excusable on these five occasions. O king,
it is not true that he is fallen who speaks not the truth when asked. Both
Devayani and myself have been called hither as companions to serve the
same purpose. When, therefore, thou hadst said that you wouldst confine
thyself to one only amongst as, that was a lie thou hadst spoken.' Yayati
replied, 'A king should ever be a model in the eyes of his people. That
monarch certainly meets with destruction who speaks an untruth.
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