राजन् पुत्रेण ते नूनं प्रेषितान्समुपागतान् । अवेहि सचिवांस्त्वं नो हरिश्चन्द्राज्ञया स्थितान्
'O king, know that we, your ministers, have surely been sent here by your son Hariścandra.'
युवराजसुतः प्राह यत्तच्छृणु नराधिप । आनयध्वं नृपं यूयं सम्मान्य पितरं मम
The prince spoke thus: 'Hear what I say, O king: You all, honoring my father, bring the king here.'
तस्माद्राजन् समागच्छ राज्यं प्रति गतव्यथः । सेवां सर्वे करिष्यन्ति सचिवाश्च प्रजास्तथा
Therefore, O King, return to your kingdom without distress; all the ministers and the people will serve you.
गुरुं प्रसादयिष्यामः स यथा तु दयेत वै । प्रसन्नोऽसौ महातेजा दुःखस्यान्तं करिष्यति
We will appease the Guru so that he may show compassion; when that great and radiant one is pleased, he will bring an end to this suffering.
इति पुत्रेण ते राजन् कथितं बहुधा किल । तस्माद् गमनमेवाशु रोचतां निजसद्मनि
Thus, O King, your son spoke to you in many ways; therefore, let your mind be set quickly on returning to your own home.
व्यास उवाच - इति तेषां नृपः श्रुत्वा भाषितं श्वपचाकृतिः । स्वगृहं गमनायासौ न मतिं कृतवानतः
Vyāsa said: Hearing their words, the king, though bearing the form of an outcaste, did not resolve to return to his own house.
तानुवाच तदा वाक्यं व्रजन्तु सचिवाः पुरम् । गत्वा पुरं महाभागा ब्रुवन्तु वचनाच्च मे
Then he spoke these words to them: Let the ministers go to the city; having gone to the city, O blessed ones, speak my words there.
नागमिष्याम्यहं पुत्र कुरु राज्यमतन्द्रितः । मानयन्ब्राह्मणान्देवान्यजन्यज्ञैरनेकशः
I will not return, my son; rule the kingdom with diligence, honoring Brahmins and gods with many sacrifices.
नाहं श्वपचवेषेण गर्हितेन महात्मभिः । आगमिष्याम्ययोध्यायां सर्वे गच्छन्तु मा चिरम्
I will not enter Ayodhyā in the form of an outcaste, despised by the great-souled; let all of you go without delay.
पुत्रं सिंहासने स्थाप्य हरिश्चन्द्रं महाबलम् । कुर्वन्तु राज्यकर्माणि यूयं तत्र ममाज्ञया
Seat my son, the mighty Hariścandra, upon the throne; you all should perform the royal duties there by my command.
इत्यादिष्टास्ततस्ते तु रुरुदुश्चातुरा भृशम् । सचिवा निर्ययुस्तूर्णं नत्वा तं च वनाश्रमात्
Thus instructed, those wise ministers wept greatly, then quickly departed, bowing to him in the forest hermitage.
अयोध्यायामुपागत्य पुण्येऽह्नि विधिपूर्वकम् । अभिषेकं तदा चक्रुर्हरिश्चन्द्रस्य मूर्ध्नि ते
Having reached Ayodhyā on an auspicious day, with proper rites, they then performed the consecration on Hariścandra's head.
अभिषिक्तस्तु तेजस्वी सचिवैश्च नृपाज्ञया । राज्यं चकार धर्मिष्ठः पितरं चिन्तयन्भृशम्
Consecrated by the ministers on the king's command, the radiant one ruled righteously, ever thinking deeply of his father.
त्रिशङ्कुशापोद्धाराय विश्वामित्रसान्त्वनवर्णनम् राजोवाच - हरिश्चन्द्रः कृतो राजा सचिवैर्नृपशासनात् । त्रिशङ्कुस्तु कथं मुक्तस्तस्माच्चाण्डालदेहतः
The king said: Hariścandra was made king by the ministers at the king's command; but how was Triśaṅku freed from the body of an outcaste?
मृतो वा वनमध्ये तु गङ्गातीरे परिप्लुतः । गुरुणा वा कृपां कृत्वा शापात्तस्माद्विमोचितः
Did he die in the forest, washed on the banks of the Gaṅgā, or was he released from the curse by the Guru's compassion?
एतद् वृत्तान्तमखिलं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । चरितं तस्य नृपतेः श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि सर्वथा
Tell me this entire account before me; I wish to hear all the deeds of that king.
व्यास उवाच - अभिषिक्तं सुतं कृत्वा राजा सन्तुष्टमानसः । कालातिक्रमणं तत्र चकार चिन्तयञ्छिवाम्
Vyāsa said: Having consecrated his son, the king, his mind satisfied, spent his time there, contemplating auspiciousness.
एवं गच्छति काले तु तपस्तप्त्वा समाहितः । द्रष्टुं दारान्सुतादींश्च तदागात्कौशिको मुनिः
As time passed thus, having performed austerities with concentration, the sage Kauśika then came to see his wife, son, and others.
आगत्य स्वजनं दृष्ट्वा सुस्थितं मुदमाप्तवान् । भार्यां पप्रच्छ मेधावी स्थितामग्रे सपर्यया
Arriving and seeing his family well, he felt great joy; the wise one questioned his wife, who stood before him with reverence.
दुर्भिक्षे तु कथं कालस्तया नीतः सुलोचने । अन्नं विना त्विमे बालाः पालिता केन तद्वद
O fair-eyed one, how did you pass the time during the famine? Tell me, by whom were these children cared for without food?
अहं तपसि सन्नद्धो नागतः शृणु सुन्दरि । किं कृतं तु त्वया कान्ते विना द्रव्येण शोभने
I was engaged in austerities and did not come; listen, O beautiful one. What have you done, O lovely lady, without wealth, O splendid one?
मया चिन्ता कृता तत्र श्रुत्वा दुर्भिक्षमद्भुतम् । नागतोऽहं विचार्यैवं किं करिष्यामि निर्धनः
I was concerned upon hearing of the extraordinary famine there; considering thus, I did not come, for what could I do being destitute?
अहमप्यति वामोरु पीडितः क्षुधया वने । प्रविष्टश्चौरभावेन कुत्रचिच्छ्वपचालये
I too, O slender-thighed one, was afflicted by hunger in the forest; entering in the manner of a thief, I wandered somewhere into the house of a dog-eater.
श्वपचं निद्रितं दृष्ट्वा क्षुधया पीडितो भृशम् । महानसं परिज्ञाय भक्ष्यार्थं समुपस्थितः
Seeing the dog-eater asleep and being greatly tormented by hunger, I recognized the kitchen and approached for the sake of food.
यदा भाण्डं समुद्घाट्य पक्वं श्वतनुजामिषम् । गृह्णामि भक्षणार्थाय तदा दृष्टस्तु तेन वै
When I opened the vessel and took the cooked meat of the dog for eating, at that moment I was seen by him.
पृष्टः कस्त्वं कथं प्राप्तो गृहे मे निशि सादरम् । ब्रूहि कार्यं किमर्थं त्वमुद्घाटयसि भाण्डकम्
He asked, 'Who are you? How have you come to my house at night with respect? Tell me, what is your purpose? Why are you opening the vessel?'
इत्युक्तः श्वपचेनाहं क्षुधया पीडितो भृशम् । तमवोचं सुकेशान्ते कामं गद्गदया गिरा
Thus addressed by the dog-eater, I, greatly afflicted by hunger, spoke to him, O Sukeśā, with faltering words.
ब्राह्मणोऽहं महाभाग तापसः क्षुधयार्दितः । चौरभावमनुप्राप्तो भक्ष्यं पश्यामि भाण्डके
I am a Brahmin, O fortunate one, an ascetic tormented by hunger; assuming the guise of a thief, I see food in the vessel.
चौरभावेन सम्प्राप्तोऽस्म्यतिथिस्ते महामते । क्षुधितोऽस्मि ददस्वाज्ञां मांसमद्मि सुसंस्कृतम्
I have come in the manner of a thief, O wise one, as your guest; I am hungry, grant me permission to eat the well-prepared meat.
विश्वामित्र उवाच - श्वपचस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा मामुवाच सुनिश्चितम् । भक्षं मा कुरु वर्णाग्र्य जानीहि श्वपचालयम्
Viśvāmitra said: The dog-eater, hearing my words, spoke to me with certainty: 'Do not eat, O foremost of castes; know this is the house of a dog-eater.'