Devyani And The Maid: Thousands Years Hence.

IT so happens that not for the first time a woman named Devyani has landed in trouble due to her maid servant. For those who have read Girish Karnad’s play Yayati, it would immediately strike what I mean.

For those who have not, here goes the myth of Devyani.

Thousands of years ago there was a girl called Devyani, daughter of chief priest of demons (Asuras) sage Sukracharya. She was friends with princess Sharmishtha, daughter of demon king Vrishparva. One day while on a forest trip an altercation between the two led to Devyani being thrown into a well by the princess. The damsel in distress was rescued by a king named Yayati who was passing by, and obviously had to fall in love. But she won’t go home till justice was done to her which was short change for an angry guru Shukracharya to wrest from minion Vrishparva. As her comeuppance Sharmishtha was made Devyani’s maid!

The changed roles however did not affect Devyani’s fate. She had to suffer at the hands of the maid, this time with Yayati falling in love with Sharmishtha, and having three sons with her. Devyani had to again fall back on the wrath-making powers of her sage father. Yayati was condemned to turn old in his youth and rest as they say is mythological history.

Thousands years hence, diplomat Devyani is in a soup because her maid got ideas to attain American citizenship (Yayati's love?) and in the process get her boss thrown in jail. Shukracharya’s (India’s) ire is being tested again!

LoL