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.'
दुर्लभं खलु मानुष्यं तत्रापि च द्विजन्मता । द्विजत्वे ब्राह्मणत्वं च दुर्लभं वेत्सि किं न हि
Human birth is indeed rare, and even more so is birth among the twice-born; within the twice-born, Brahminhood is rare—do you not know this?
दुष्टाहारो न कर्तव्यः सर्वथा लोकमिच्छता । अग्राह्या मनुना प्रोक्ताः कर्मणा सप्त चान्त्यजाः
One who desires the world should never partake of impure food; Manu has declared that the seven lowest castes are unfit for ritual acts.
त्याज्योऽहं कर्मणा विप्र श्वपचो नात्र संशयः । निवारयामि भक्ष्यात्त्वां न लोभेनाञ्जसा द्विज
I am to be avoided in ritual, O Brahmin; I am a dog-eater, there is no doubt. I restrain you from eating, not out of greed, O twice-born.
वर्णसङ्करदोषोऽयं मा यातु त्वां द्विजोत्तम । विश्वामित्र उवाच सत्यं वदसि धर्मज्ञ मतिस्ते विशदान्त्यज
This is the fault of caste-mixing; let it not befall you, O best of Brahmins. Viśvāmitra said: You speak the truth, O knower of dharma; your mind is clear, O outcaste.
तथाप्यापदि धर्मस्य सूक्ष्ममार्गं ब्रवीम्यहम् । देहस्य रक्षणं कार्यं सर्वथा यदि मानद
Still, in adversity, I declare the subtle path of dharma; the preservation of the body must be ensured in every way, O honorable one.
पापस्यान्ते पुनः कार्यं प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये । दुर्गतिस्तु भवेत्पापादनापदि न चापदि
At the end of sin, expiation must be performed for purification; misfortune arises from sin in normal times, not in adversity.
मरणात्क्षुधितस्याथ नरको नात्र संशयः । तस्मात्क्षुधापहरणं कर्तव्यं शुभमिच्छता
For one who is hungry, death leads to hell—there is no doubt about this; therefore, one who desires auspiciousness must remove hunger.
तेनाहं चौर्यधर्मेण देहं रक्षेऽप्यथान्त्यज । अवर्षणे च चौर्येण यत्पापं कथितं बुधैः
Therefore, by the dharma of theft, I preserve my body, O outcaste; and in famine, by theft, whatever sin is described by the wise—
यो न वर्षति पर्जन्यस्तत्तु तस्मै भविष्यति । इत्युक्ते वचने कान्ते पर्जन्यः सहसापतत्
If the rain-cloud does not pour, then that will happen to him—so it was said, O lovely one, and immediately the rain-cloud burst forth.
गगनाद्धस्तिहस्ताभिर्धाराभिरभिकाङ्क्षितः । मुदितोऽहं घनं वीक्ष्य वर्षन्तं विद्युता सह
From the sky, streams as thick as an elephant’s trunk fell, just as desired; I rejoiced, seeing the cloud raining down together with lightning.