In the lunar line, there was a king named Nahusha. He had six sons and the youngest was named Yayati. After Nahusha, Yayati became king. Yayati had two wives. Shukracharya was the preceptor of the gods and Yayati married Devayani, Shukracharya‘s daughter. The king of the danavas was Vrishaparva and he had a daughter named Sharmishtha. Yayati also married Sharmishtha. Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu and Sharmishtha gave birth to Druhya, Anu and Puru.
Yayati loved Sharmishtha more. Shukracharya therefore cursed Yayati that he would suffer from the untimely onset of old age. When this happened, Yayati was miserable. He was still not content with what he had savoured of the pleasures of life.
He told his son Yadu, ―Please take my old age and give me your youth in return. I will return your youth to you when I have finished pleasuring the joys of the world.
―That I will not,‖ replied Yadu. ―Your old age is due to your own sins. Why on earth should I accept it? Please ask my brothers instead.‖
These words angered Yayati and he curses Yadu that Yadu or his descendants would never be kings. Yayat next asked Turvasu, but again met with a refusal. A similar curse was therefore imposed on Turvasu and on Druhya and Anu after him. The only son who readily accepted Yayati‘s requested was Puru.
Yayati blessed Puru and took his youth from him. Armed with this borrowed youth. Yayati savoured the pleasures of the world and also performed many yajnas. When a thousand years had thus passed. Yayati got tired of material pursuits. He returned Puru‘s youth and got back his own old age. Yayati retired to the forest, after having crowned Puru the king.
As for Yadu, he was given some minor kingdoms that lay to the west. In similar fashion, Turvasu was given some kingdoms towards the south-east. Druhya and Anu received kingdoms that lay towards the west, as had Yadu. The descendants of Yadu were known as the Yadavas. In this line was born Krishna. Also in this line was born Kartavirya Arjuna.