सर्वत्र गिरिदुर्गेषु मुनीनामाश्रमेषु च । अन्वेषितो मे दूतैस्तु न प्राप्तो यादसांपते
He has been sought everywhere by my messengers, in mountain fortresses and the hermitages of sages, but, O lord of the waters, he has not been found.
आज्ञापय महाराज किं करोमि गते सुते । न मे दोषोऽत्र सर्वज्ञ भाग्यदोषस्तु सर्वथा
Command me, O great king, what shall I do with my son gone? I am not at fault here, O all-knowing one; it is entirely a fault of fate.
व्यास उवाच - इति भूपवचः श्रुत्वा प्रचेताः कुपितो भृशम् । शशाप च नृपं क्रोधाद्वञ्चितस्तु पुनः पुनः
Vyāsa said: Hearing these words of the king, Pracetāḥ became exceedingly angry; out of wrath, he cursed the king again and again, feeling deceived.
नृपतेऽहं त्वया यस्माद्वचसा च प्रवञ्चितः । तस्माज्जलोदरो व्याधिस्त्वां तुदत्वतिदारुणः
O king, since you have deceived me with your words, therefore a terrible disease of dropsy shall afflict you.
व्यास उवाच - इति शप्तो महीपालः कुपितेन प्रचेतसा । पीडितोऽभूत्तदा राजा व्याधिना दुःखदेन तु
Vyāsa said: Thus cursed by the angry Pracetāḥ, the king was afflicted by that painful disease and became miserable.
एवं शप्त्वा नृपं पाशी जगाम निजमास्पदम् । राजा प्राप्य महाव्याधिं बभूवातीव दुःखितः
Having cursed the king thus, Pāśī returned to his own abode; the king, stricken with a great disease, became exceedingly distressed.
यज्ञपशुभूतस्य ब्राह्मणपुत्रस्य वधकरणाय विश्वामित्रनिषेधवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच - गतेऽथ वरुणे राजा रोगेणातीव पीडितः । दुःखाद्दुःखं परं प्राप्य व्यथितोऽभूद् भृशं तदा
Vyāsa said: When Varuṇa had departed, the king, greatly afflicted by disease, suffered extreme pain and became deeply distressed.
कुमारोऽसौ वने श्रुत्वा पितरं रोगपीडितम् । गमनाय मतिं राजंश्चकार स्नेहयन्त्रितः
Hearing in the forest that his father was afflicted by disease, the prince, compelled by affection, resolved to return.
संवत्सरे व्यतीते तु पितरं द्रष्टुमादरात् । गन्तुकामं तु तं ज्ञात्वा शक्रस्तत्राजगाम ह
When a year had passed, the prince, eager to see his father, prepared to go; knowing this, Indra arrived there.
वासवस्तु तदा रूपं कृत्वा विप्रस्य सत्वरः । वारयामास युक्त्या वै कुमारं गन्तुमुद्यतम्
Vāsava, assuming the form of a brāhmaṇa, quickly sought to restrain the prince, who was ready to depart, by means of reason.
इन्द्र उवाच - राजपुत्र न जानासि राजनीतिं सुदुर्लभाम् । अतः करोषि मूढस्त्वं गमनाय मतिं वृथा
Indra said: O prince, you do not know the art of kingship, which is most difficult to attain; therefore, in your ignorance, you are making a futile decision to return.
पिता तव महाभाग ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः । कारयिष्यति होमं ते ज्वलितेऽथ विभावसौ
Your noble father will have a fire sacrifice performed for you by learned Brahmins well-versed in the Vedas, when the sacred fire is kindled.
आत्मा हि वल्लभस्तात सर्वेषां प्राणिनां खलु । तदर्थे वल्लभाः सन्ति पुत्रदारधनादयः
Indeed, O dear one, the self is truly most beloved to all living beings; for its sake, sons, wives, wealth, and others are considered dear.
आत्मनो देहरक्षार्थं हत्वा त्वां वल्लभं सुतम् । हवनं कारयित्वासौ रोगमुक्तो भविष्यति
For the sake of protecting his own body, he will have you, his beloved son, killed, and after performing the sacrifice, he will become free from disease.
तस्मात्त्वया न गन्तव्यं राजपुत्र पितुर्गृहे । मृते पितरि गन्तव्यं राज्यार्थे सर्वथा पुनः
Therefore, O prince, you must not go to your father's house; only after your father's death should you return for the sake of the kingdom.
एवं निषेधितस्तत्र वासवेन नृपात्मजः । वनमध्ये स्थितः कामं पुनः संवत्सरं नृप
Thus forbidden there by Vasava, the prince remained willingly in the forest for another year, O king.
अत्यन्तं दुःखितं श्रुत्वा हरिश्चन्द्रं तदाऽऽत्मजः । गमनाय मतिं चक्रे मरणे कृतनिश्चयः
Hearing that Harishchandra was extremely distressed, his son resolved to depart, having made up his mind to die.
तुषाराड् द्विजरूपेण तत्रागत्य च रोहितम् । निवारयामास सुतं युक्तिवाक्यैः पुनः पुनः
Tusharad, taking the form of a Brahmin, came there and repeatedly restrained Rohita, his son, with words of reason.
हरिश्चन्द्रोऽतिदुःखार्तो वसिष्ठं स्वपुरोहितम् । पप्रच्छ रोगनाशाय तत्रोपायं सुनिश्चितम्
Harishchandra, overwhelmed by great sorrow, then asked Vasistha, his family priest, for a definite means to remove the disease.
तमाह ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो यज्ञं कुरु नृपोत्तम । क्रयक्रीतेन पुत्रेण शापमोक्षो भविष्यति
The son of Brahma said to him: O best of kings, perform a sacrifice with a son obtained by purchase; through this, the curse will be lifted.
पुत्रा दशविधां प्रोक्ता ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः । द्रव्येणानीय तस्मात्त्वं पुत्रं कुरु नृपोत्तम
The learned Brahmins well-versed in the Vedas have declared that there are ten kinds of sons; therefore, O best of kings, obtain a son with wealth and perform the sacrifice.
वरुणोऽपि प्रसन्नः सन्सुखकारी भविष्यति । लोभात्कोऽपि द्विजः पुत्रं प्रदास्यति स्वराष्ट्रजः
Then Varuna will also be pleased and bring happiness; out of greed, some Brahmin from your kingdom will surely give his son.
एवं प्रमोदितो राजा वसिष्ठेन महामना । प्रधानं प्रेरयामास तदन्वेषणकाम्यया
Thus delighted by Vasistha, the high-minded king sent his chief minister to search for such a son.
अजीगर्तो द्विजः कश्चिद्विषये तस्य भूपतेः । तस्यासंश्च त्रयः पुत्रा निर्धनस्य विशेषतः
There was a certain Brahmin named Ajigarta in the king's realm, who had three sons and was especially poor.
प्रधानेनाप्यसौ पृष्टः पुत्रार्थं दुर्बलो द्विजः । गवां शतं ददामीति देहि पुत्रं मखाय वै
The chief minister asked that weak Brahmin for a son; he replied, 'Give me a hundred cows and I will give you a son for the sacrifice.'
शुनःपुच्छः शुनःशेपः शुनोलांगूल इत्यमी । तेषामेकतमं देहि ददामि तु गवां शतम्
'Shunahpuccha, Shunahshepa, and Shunolangu—these are their names; give me a hundred cows and I will give you any one of them.'
अजीगर्तस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा क्षुधया पीडितो भृशम् । पुत्रं च कतमं तेभ्यो विक्रेतुं वै मनो दधे
Hearing this, Ajigarta, greatly afflicted by hunger, began to consider which of his sons he should sell.
कार्याधिकारिणं ज्येष्ठं मत्वा नासावदादमुम् । कनिष्ठं नाप्यदान्माता ममैष इति वादिनी
Thinking the eldest was responsible for family duties, he did not offer him; nor did the mother give the youngest, saying, 'This one is mine.'
मध्यमं च शुनःशेपं ददौ गवां शतेन च । आनिनाय पशुं चक्रे नरमेधे नराधिपः
He gave his middle son, Śunaḥśepa, along with a hundred cows, and brought him as the sacrificial victim for the human sacrifice, as ordered by the king.
रुदन्तं दुःखितं दीनं वेपमानं भृशातुरम् । यूपे बद्धं निरीक्ष्यामुं चुक्रुशुर्मुनयस्तदा
Seeing him bound to the sacrificial post, weeping, miserable, destitute, trembling and greatly afflicted, the sages cried out at that moment.