In the ancient story, King Yayati is cursed with premature old age and persuades his youngest son to exchange youth with him so he can go on enjoying pleasure. Khandekar's novel, published in 1959, builds a full psychological drama around that legend. Yayati himself narrates much of it, alongside Devayani, the proud daughter of the sage Shukracharya, and Sharmishtha, the princess who becomes her servant.
The novel follows Yayati from a lonely boyhood shadowed by his father Nahusha's fall, through his marriage to Devayani and his secret love for Sharmishtha, to his frantic pursuit of sensual gratification. The sage's disciple Kacha, who renounced Devayani's love, serves as a counterweight: a figure of restraint and selfless duty against the king's endless appetite.
Khandekar wrote explicitly with modern India in mind, presenting Yayati as an image of a society chasing consumption and comfort without inner balance. The book won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960 and the Jnanpith Award in 1974, the first Marathi work so honoured. It remains a staple of Marathi reading and is available in English as Yayati: A Classic Tale of Lust.
Book details
| Author | V. S. Khandekar |
|---|---|
| First published | 1959 |
| Original language | Marathi |
| Translated by | Y. P. Kulkarni |
| Genre | Mythology |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 450 |
| Setting | The kingdom of Hastinapura in the mythic age before the Mahabharata |
| Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award 1960, Jnanpith Award 1974 |
Themes
- Desire and restraint
- Materialism
- Love and jealousy
- Fathers and sons
- Self-knowledge
Who should read it
Readers who like myth used as a mirror for modern restlessness and appetite.