नापुत्रस्य परो लोको विद्यते नृपसत्तम जाते पुत्रे पिता स्नानं यः करोति जनाधिप
O best of kings, for one without a son, there is no higher world; when a son is born, the father who bathes attains it.
दशानाम् अश्वमेधानाम् अभिषेकफलं लभेत् आत्मप्रतिष्ठा पुत्रात् स्याज् जायते चामरोत्तमः
He obtains the fruit of the consecration of ten Aśvamedha sacrifices; self-establishment comes from the son, and the best banner is born.
अमृतेनामरा देवाः पुत्रेण ब्राह्मणादयः त्रिऋणान् मोचयेत् पुत्रः पितरं च पितामहान्
The gods became immortal through nectar; Brahmins and others through sons. A son frees his father and grandfathers from the three debts.
किं तु मूलं किम् उ जलं किं तु श्मश्रूणि किं तपः विना पुत्रेण राजेन्द्र स्वर्गो मुक्तिः सुतात् स्मृताः
What is the root, what is water, what are beards, what is austerity? Without a son, O king, heaven and liberation are remembered as coming from the son.
पुत्र एव परो लोको धर्मः कामो ऽर्थ एव च पुत्रो मुक्तिः परं ज्योतिस् तारकः सर्वदेहिनाम्
The son alone is the highest world, dharma, desire, and wealth; the son is liberation, the supreme light, the deliverer of all embodied beings.
विना पुत्रेण राजेन्द्र स्वर्गमोक्षौ सुदुर्लभौ पुत्र एव परो लोके धर्मकामार्थसिद्धये
Without a son, O king, heaven and liberation are very difficult to attain; the son alone is the highest in the world for the accomplishment of dharma, desire, and wealth.
विना पुत्रेण यद् दत्तं विना पुत्रेण यद् धुतम् विना पुत्रेण यज् जन्म व्यर्थं तद् अवभाति मे
Whatever is given as charity without a son, whatever is offered in sacrifice without a son, and whatever birth occurs without a son—all that appears to me as fruitless.
तस्मात् पुत्रसमं किंचित् काम्यं नास्ति जगत्त्रये तच् छ्रुत्वा विस्मयवांस् ताव् उवाच नृपः पुनः
Therefore, there is nothing in the three worlds that is as desirable as a son; hearing this, the king, filled with wonder, spoke again.
कथं मे स्यात् सुतो ब्रूतां यत्र क्वापि यथातथम् येन केनाप्य् उपायेन कृत्वा किंचित् तु पौरुषम् मन्त्रेण यागदानाभ्याम् उत्पाद्यो ऽसौ सुतो मया
Tell me, by what means might I obtain a son—where, how, and in what manner? By any method, through effort, mantra, sacrifice, or charity, I must produce a son.
ताव् ऊचतुर् नृपश्रेष्ठं हरिश्चन्द्रं सुतार्थिनम् ध्यात्वा क्षणं तथा सम्यग् गौतमीं याहि मानद
The two addressed the best of kings, Hariśchandra, who desired a son: 'Meditate for a moment well, then go to Gautamī, O giver of honor.'
तत्रापांपतिर् उत्कृष्टं ददाति मनसीप्सितम् वरुणः सर्वदाता वै मुनिभिः परिकीर्तितः
There, the lord of waters, Varuṇa, grants the highest wish of the mind; Varuṇa, renowned among sages as the giver of all.
स तु प्रीतः शनैः काले तव पुत्रं प्रदास्यति एतच् छ्रुत्वा नृपश्रेष्ठो मुनिवाक्यं तथाकरोत्
Pleased, he will in time grant you a son; hearing this, the best of kings acted according to the words of the sages.
तोषयाम् आस वरुणं गौतमीतीरम् आश्रितः ततश् च तुष्टो वरुणो हरिश्चन्द्रम् उवाच ह
He pleased Varuṇa, dwelling on the bank of the Gautamī; then, satisfied, Varuṇa spoke to Hariśchandra.
पुत्रं दास्यामि ते राजंल् लोकत्रयविभूषणम् यदि यक्ष्यसि तेनैव तव पुत्रो भवेद् ध्रुवम्
I will give you a son, O king, an ornament of the three worlds; if you sacrifice with him, your son will surely be born.
हरिश्चन्द्रो ऽपि वरुणं यक्ष्ये तेनेत्य् अवोचत ततो गत्वा हरिश्चन्द्रश् चरुं कृत्वा तु वारुणम्
Hariśchandra also said to Varuṇa, 'I will sacrifice with him'; then Hariśchandra went and prepared a Varuṇa-offering.
भार्यायै नृपतिः प्रादात् ततो जातः सुतो नृपात् जाते पुत्रे अपाम् ईशः प्रोवाच वदतां वरः
The king gave it to his wife; then a son was born to the king. When the son was born, the lord of waters, best among speakers, spoke.
अद्यैव पुत्रो यष्टव्यः स्मरसे वचनं पुरा
Today itself the son must be sacrificed; do you remember the promise made before?
हरिश्चन्द्रो ऽपि वरुणं प्रोवाचेदं क्रमागतम्
Hariśchandra then spoke to Varuṇa, as was appropriate in order.
निर्दशो मेध्यतां याति पशुर् यक्ष्ये ततो ह्य् अहम्
When the animal becomes ten days old and pure, then I will sacrifice with him.
तच् छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञो वरुणो ऽगात् स्वम् आलयम् निर्दशे पुनर् अभ्येत्य यजस्वेत्य् आह तं नृपम्
Hearing the king’s words, Varuṇa returned to his own abode; when ten days had passed, he came again and said to the king, 'Sacrifice now.'
राजापि वरुणं प्राह निर्दन्तो निष्फलः पशुः पशोर् दन्तेषु जातेषु एहि गच्छाधुनाप्पते
The king also said to Varuṇa, 'The animal is toothless and unfit; when the animal’s teeth have come in, then come, O lord of waters.'
तच् छ्रुत्वा राजवचनं पुनः प्रायाद् अपांपतिः जातेषु चैव दन्तेषु सप्तवर्षेषु नारद
Hearing the king’s words, the lord of waters departed again; and, O Nārada, when the teeth had come in at seven years,
पुनर् अप्य् आह राजानं यजस्वेति ततो ऽब्रवीत् राजापि वरुणं प्राह पत्स्यन्तीमे अपांपते
Again he said to the king, 'Sacrifice now'; then the king said to Varuṇa, 'These teeth will fall out, O lord of waters.'
संपत्स्यन्ति तथा चान्ये ततो यक्ष्ये व्रजाधुना पुनः प्रायात् स वरुणः पुनर्दन्तेषु नारद यजस्वेति नृपं प्राह राजा प्राह त्व् अपांपतिम्
'They will grow again, and others as well; then I will sacrifice—go now.' Again Varuṇa departed; when the new teeth came in, O Nārada, he said to the king, 'Sacrifice now,' and the king replied to the lord of waters.
यदा तु क्षत्रियो यज्ञे पशुर् भवति वारिप धनुर्वेदं यदा वेत्ति तदा स्यात् पशुर् उत्तमः
When a Kshatriya becomes the sacrificial animal in a ritual, O lord of waters, and when he knows the science of archery, then he becomes the best of sacrificial victims.
तच् छ्रुत्वा राजवचनं वरुणो ऽगात् स्वम् आलयम् यदास्त्रेषु च शस्त्रेषु समर्थो ऽभूत् स रोहितः
Hearing the king’s words, Varuna returned to his own abode; and when Rohita became skilled in weapons and missiles,
सर्ववेदेषु शास्त्रेषु वेत्ताभूत् स त्व् अरिंदमः युवराज्यम् अनुप्राप्ते रोहिते षोडशाब्दिके
That subduer of foes became learned in all the Vedas and treatises; when Rohita reached sixteen years, he attained the position of crown prince.
प्रीतिमान् अगमत् तत्र यत्र राजा सरोहितः आगत्य वरुणः प्राह यजस्वाद्य सुतं स्वकम्
He became joyful there, where the king and Rohita were together; Varuna arrived and said, 'Now offer your son in sacrifice.'
ॐ इत्य् उक्त्वा नृपवर ऋत्विजः प्राह भूपतिः रोहितं च सुतं ज्येष्ठं शृण्वतो वरुणस्य च
Saying 'Om,' the best of kings addressed the priests, as Rohita, his eldest son, and Varuna listened.
एहि पुत्र महावीर यक्ष्ये त्वां वरुणाय हि
Come, my son, great hero; I will sacrifice you to Varuna.