याजय त्वं मखेनाशु तादृशेन महामुने । यथानेन शरीरेण वसे लोकं त्रिविष्टपम्
Conduct a sacrifice swiftly, O great sage, so that with this body I may reside in the realm of the gods.
समर्थोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ कुरु कार्यं ममाधुना । प्रापयाशु मखं कृत्वा देवलोकं दुरासदम्
You are capable, O foremost of sages; fulfill my purpose now. Quickly perform the sacrifice and grant me entry to the difficult-to-attain world of the gods.
वसिष्ठ उवाच - राजन् मानुषदेहेन स्वर्गे वासः सुदुर्लभः । मृतस्य हि ध्रुवं स्वर्गः कथितः पुण्यकर्मणा
Vasiṣṭha said: O king, dwelling in heaven with a human body is exceedingly rare; only those who die performing virtuous deeds are assured heaven.
तस्माद् बिभेमि सर्वज्ञ दुर्लभाच्च मनोरथात् । अप्सरोभिश्च संवासो जीवमानस्य दुर्लभः
Therefore, O all-knowing one, I am apprehensive, for your wish is difficult to fulfill; living with apsarās while alive is hard to attain.
कुरु यज्ञान्महाभाग मृतः स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि । व्यास उवाच - इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य राजा परमदुर्मनाः
Perform sacrifices, O illustrious one; when you die, you will attain heaven. Vyāsa said: Hearing these words, the king became greatly distressed.
उवाच वचनं भूयो वसिष्ठं पूर्वरोषितम् । न त्वं याजयसे ब्रह्मन् गर्वावेशाच्च मां यदि
He again spoke to Vasiṣṭha, his former anger aroused: If you do not conduct the sacrifice for me, O Brahman, out of pride,
अन्यं पुरोहितं कृत्वा यक्ष्येऽहं किल साम्प्रतम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य वसिष्ठः कोपसंयुतः
I will appoint another priest and perform the sacrifice at once. Hearing these words, Vasiṣṭha became filled with wrath.
शशाप भूपतिं चेति चाण्डालो भव दुर्मते । अनेन त्वं शरीरेण श्वपचो भव सत्वरम्
He cursed the king, saying: Become a cāṇḍāla, O wicked-minded one! With this body, become a dog-eater immediately.
स्वर्गकृन्तन पापिष्ठ सुरभीवधदूषित । ब्रह्मपत्नीहरोच्छिन्न धर्ममार्गविदूषक
O most sinful, destroyer of heaven, tainted by the killing of a cow, violator of Brahma's wife, corrupter of the path of righteousness,
न ते स्वर्गगतिः पाप मृतस्यापि कथञ्चन । व्यास उवाच - इत्युक्तो गुरुणा राजंस्त्रिशङ्कुस्तत्क्षणादपि
You shall not attain heaven, O sinner, not even after death. Vyāsa said: Thus addressed by his teacher, King Triśaṅku at that very moment
तत्र तेन शरीरेण बभूव श्वपचाकृतिः । कुण्डलेऽश्ममये वापि जाते तस्य च तत्क्षणात्
In that body, he became a dog-eater in form; at that instant, earrings of stone appeared for him.
देहे चन्दनगन्धश्च विगन्धो ह्यभवत्तदा । नीलवर्णेऽथ सञ्जाते दिव्ये पीताम्बरे तनौ
His body, once fragrant with sandalwood, became foul-smelling; his divine yellow garments turned blue in color.
राजवर्णोऽभवद्देहः शापात्तस्य महात्मनः । शक्त्युपासकरोषेण फलमेतदभून्नृप
His royal complexion vanished from his body due to the curse of that great soul; this was the result of anger toward a devotee of Śakti.
तस्माच्छ्रीशक्तिभक्तो हि नावमान्यः कदाचन । गायत्रीजपनिष्ठो हि वसिष्ठो मुनिसत्तमः
Therefore, a devotee of Śakti should never be disrespected; Vasiṣṭha, the foremost sage, was devoted to reciting the Gāyatrī.
दृष्ट्वा निन्द्यं निजं देहं राजा दुःखमवाप्तवान् । न जगाम गृहे दीनो वनमेवाभितो ययौ
Seeing his own body in a contemptible state, the king was overcome with sorrow; he did not return home, but, dejected, went toward the forest.
चिन्तयामास दुःखार्तास्त्रिशङ्कुः शोकविह्वलः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि देहो मेऽतीव निन्दितः
Tormented by grief, Triśaṅku, overwhelmed by sorrow, thought: 'What shall I do? Where shall I go? My body is utterly disgraceful.'
कर्तव्यं नैव पश्यामि येन मे दुःखसंक्षयः । गृहे गच्छामि चेत्पुत्रः पीडितोऽद्य भविष्यति
'I see no action by which my suffering may end; if I go home, my son will be afflicted today.'
भार्यापि श्वपचं दृष्ट्वा नाङ्गीकारं करिष्यति । सचिवा नादरिष्यन्ति वीक्ष्य मामीदृशं पुनः
'Even my wife, seeing me as an outcaste, will not accept me; nor will the ministers respect me, seeing me in this condition.'
ज्ञातयो बन्धुवर्गश्च सङ्गतो न भजिष्यति । सर्वैस्तक्तस्य मे नूनं जीवितान्मरणं वरम्
'Relatives and family will not associate with me; surely, for one abandoned by all, death is better than life.'
विषं वा भक्षयित्वाद्य पतित्वा वा जलाशये । कृत्वा वा कण्ठपाशं च देहत्यागं करोम्यहम्
'Today I will end my life, whether by taking poison, plunging into water, or tying a noose around my neck.'
अग्नौ वा ज्वलिते देहं जुहोमि विधिवद् बलात् । कृत्वा वानशनं प्राणांस्त्यजामि दूषितान्भृशम्
'Or I will cast my body into blazing fire according to the proper rite, or, by fasting, I will abandon this defiled life.'
आत्महत्या भवेन्नूनं पुनर्जन्मनि जन्मनि । श्वपचत्वं च शापश्च हत्यादोषाद्भवेदपि
'But surely, by suicide, I will be reborn again and again; and because of the sin of killing, I will be cursed and become an outcaste.'
पुनर्विचार्य भूपालश्चेतसा समचिन्तयत् । आत्महत्या न कर्तव्या सर्वथैव मयाधुना
Then, reconsidering, the king reflected in his mind: 'I must not, under any circumstances, commit suicide now.'
भोक्तव्यं स्वकृतं कर्म देहेनानेन कानने । भोगेनास्य विपाकस्य भविता सर्वथा क्षयः
'I must endure, with this body, the results of my own actions in the forest; only by experiencing their fruits will there surely be an end.'
प्रारब्धकर्मणां भोगादन्यथा न क्षयो भवेत् । तस्मान्मयात्र भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम्
'There is no other way for the results of actions begun to be exhausted except by experiencing them; therefore, I must bear the consequences of my deeds, whether good or bad.'
कुर्वन्पुण्याश्रमाभ्याशे तीर्थानां सेवनं तथा । स्मरणं चाम्बिकायास्तु साधूनां सेवनं तथा
'Dwelling near the hermitages of the virtuous, serving holy places, remembering Ambikā, and serving the good—'
एवं कर्मक्षयं नूनं करिष्यामि वने वसन् । भाग्ययोगात्कदाचित्तु भवेत्साधुसमागमः
'Thus, living in the forest, I will surely bring about the exhaustion of my karma; perhaps, by fortune, there may someday be the company of the virtuous.'
इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा त्यक्त्वा स्वनगरं नृपः । गङ्गातीरे गतः कामं शोचंस्तत्रैव संस्थितः
Thinking thus in his mind, the king abandoned his city and went to the bank of the Gaṅgā, where he remained, grieving as he wished.
हरिश्चन्द्रस्तदा ज्ञात्वा पितुः शापस्य कारणम् । दुःखितः सचिवांस्तत्र प्रेषयामास पार्थिवः
Hariścandra, then understanding the reason for his father's curse, was distressed and sent his ministers there.
सचिवास्तत्र गत्वाऽऽशु तमूचुः प्रश्रयान्विताः । प्रणम्य श्वपचाकारं निःश्वसन्तं मुहुर्मुहुः
The ministers quickly went there and, bowing with respect, addressed him—who had the form of an outcaste and was sighing again and again.