राजातिविस्मितः पादौ प्रणनाम रुजातुरः । बद्धाञ्जलिपुटो देवं तुष्टाव पुरतः स्थितम्
The king, greatly astonished and afflicted by pain, bowed at his feet; with hands joined, he praised the god standing before him.
हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच - देवदेव कृपासिन्धो पापात्माहं सुमन्दधीः । कृतापराधः कृपणः पावितः परमेष्ठिना
Hariścandra said: O god of gods, ocean of mercy, I am sinful and dull-witted; having committed offense, wretched, I am purified by the Supreme Lord.
मया ते पुत्रकामेन दुःखसंस्थेन हेलनम् । कृतं क्षमाप्यं प्रभुणा कोऽपराधः सुदुर्मतेः
Out of desire for a son, in the midst of suffering, I acted negligently towards you; forgive me, O Lord, what offense is there from one of such poor understanding?
अर्थी दोषं न जानाति तस्मात्पुत्रार्थिना मया । वञ्चितस्त्वं देवदेव भीतेन नरकाद्विभो
A supplicant does not recognize fault; therefore, desiring a son, I deceived you, O god of gods, out of fear of hell, O Lord.
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । भीतोऽहं तेन वाक्येन तस्मात्ते हेलनं कृतम्
One without a son has no destiny, nor heaven, nor anything else; frightened by that statement, I acted negligently towards you.
नाज्ञस्य दूषणं चिन्त्यं नूनं ज्ञानवता विभो । दुःखितोऽहं रुजाक्रान्तो वञ्चितः स्वसुतेन ह
The fault of the ignorant should not be considered, O Lord, by the wise; I am afflicted by pain, deceived by my own son.
न जानेऽहं महाराज पुत्रो मे क्व गतः प्रभो । वञ्चयित्वा वने भीतो मरणान्मां कृपानिधे
I do not know, O great king, where my son has gone, O Lord; having deceived me in the forest, he fled from death, O ocean of mercy.
प्रययौ द्रविणं दत्वा गृहीतो द्विजबालकः । यज्ञोऽयं क्रीतपुत्रेण प्रारब्धस्तव तुष्टये
Having given wealth, the twice-born boy was taken; this sacrifice was begun with the purchased son for your satisfaction.
दर्शनं तव सम्प्राप्य गतं दुःखं ममाद्भुतम् । जलोदरकृतं सर्वं प्रसन्ने त्वयि साम्प्रतम्
Having attained your sight, my wondrous suffering is gone; all caused by dropsy is now ended, as you are pleased.
व्यास उवाच - इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राज्ञो रोगातुरस्य च । दयावान्देवदेवेशः प्रत्युवाच नृपोत्तमम्
Vyāsa said: Hearing these words of the king, afflicted by disease, the compassionate Lord of gods replied to the foremost king.
वरुण उवाच - मुञ्च राजञ्छुनःशेपं स्तुवन्तं मां भृशातुरम् । यज्ञोऽयं परिपूर्णस्ते रोगमुक्तो भवात्मना
Varuṇa said: Release Śunaḥśepa, O king, who praises me and is greatly afflicted; your sacrifice is fulfilled, and you are freed from disease.
इत्युक्त्वा वरुणस्तूर्णं राजानं विरुजं तथा । चकार पश्यतां तत्र सदस्यानां सुसंस्थितम्
Having spoken thus, Varuṇa swiftly made the king free from disease, in the presence of the well-seated assembly.
विमुक्तोऽसौ द्विजः पाशाद्वरुणेन महात्मना । जयशब्दस्ततस्तत्र सञ्जातो मखमण्डपे
That twice-born was released from Varuṇa’s noose by the great soul; then, a cry of victory arose in the sacrificial pavilion.
राजा प्रमुदितः सद्यो रोगान्मुक्तः सुदारुणात् । यूपान्मुक्तः शुनःशेपो बभूवातीव संस्थितः
The king, immediately joyful, was freed from his severe illness; Śunaḥśepa was released from the sacrificial posts and stood there, greatly composed.
राजा त्विमं मखं पूर्णं चकार विनयान्वितः । शुनःशेपस्तदा सभ्यानित्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः
The king, with humility, completed the full sacrifice; at that time, Śunaḥśepa addressed the assembly, with hands joined in reverence.
भो भोः सभ्या सुधर्मज्ञाः ब्रुवन्तु धर्मनिर्णयम् । वेदशास्त्रानुसारेण यथार्थवादिनः किल
O noble assembly, you who know dharma well, declare the determination of dharma, speaking truthfully according to the Vedas and scriptures.
पुत्रोऽहं कस्य सर्वज्ञाः पिता के कोऽग्रतः परम् । भवतां वचनात्तस्य शरणं प्रव्रजाम्यहम्
O all-knowing ones, whose son am I? Who is my father, who stands foremost? By your words, I shall seek refuge with him.
इत्युक्ते वचने तत्र सभ्याः प्रोचुः परस्परम् । सभ्या ऊचूः - अजीगर्तस्य पुत्रोऽयं कस्यान्यस्य भवेदसौ
When these words were spoken, the assembly discussed among themselves: 'He is the son of Ajīgarta; how could he be the son of another?'
अङ्गादङ्गात्समुद्भूतः पालितस्तेन भक्तितः । अन्यस्य कस्य पुत्रोऽसौ प्रभवेदिति निश्चयः
Born from Aṅga and nurtured by him with devotion, how could he be the son of anyone else? This is the determination.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वामदेवस्तु तानुवाच सभासदः । विक्रीतस्तेन तातेन द्रव्यलोभात्सुतः किल
Hearing this, Vāmadeva spoke to the assembly: 'This son was sold by his father, out of greed for wealth.'
पुत्रोऽयं धनदातुश्च राज्ञस्तत्र न संशयः । अथवा वरुणस्यैष पाशान्मुक्तोऽस्त्यनेन वै
He is the son of the donor of wealth, the king; there is no doubt about this. Or else, he is Varuṇa’s, for he was freed from Varuṇa’s noose by him.
अन्नदाता भयत्राता तथा विद्याप्रदश्च यः । तथा वित्तप्रदश्चैव पञ्चैते पितरः स्मृताः
He who gives food, protects from fear, bestows knowledge, gives wealth—these five are remembered as fathers.
तदा केचित्पितुः प्राहुः केचिद्राज्ञस्तथापरे । वरुणस्येति संवादे निर्णयं न ययुश्च ते
Then, some spoke of the father, some of the king, and others of Varuṇa; in the debate, they did not reach a conclusion.
इत्थं सन्देहमापन्ने वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । सभ्यान्विवदतस्तत्र सर्वज्ञः सर्वपूजितः
When such doubt arose, Vasiṣṭha, honored by all and all-knowing, spoke his words to the debating assembly.
शृणुध्वं भो महाभागा निर्णयं श्रुतिसम्मतम् । निःस्नेहेन यदा पित्रा विक्रीतोऽयं सुतः शिशुः
Hear, O greatly fortunate ones, the determination approved by the scriptures: when the child was sold by his father without affection,
सम्बन्धस्तु गतस्तस्य तदैव धनसंग्रहात् । हरिश्चन्द्रस्य सञ्जातः पुत्रोऽसौ क्रीत एव च
The relationship was severed at that moment, due to the acquisition of wealth; thus, he became the son of Hariścandra, purchased indeed.
यूपे बद्धो यदा राज्ञा तदा तस्य न वै सुतः । वरुणस्तु स्तुतोऽनेन तेन तुष्टेन मोचितः
When he was bound to the sacrificial post by the king, he was no longer his son; Varuṇa was praised by him, and, pleased, released him.
तस्मान्नायं महाभागा ह्यसौ पुत्रः प्रचेतसः । यो यं स्तौति महामन्त्रैः सोऽपि तुष्टो ददाति च
Therefore, O greatly fortunate ones, he is not the son of Pracetasa; whoever praises another with great mantras, that one, pleased, grants [boons].
धनं प्राणान्पशून् राज्यं तथा मोक्षं किलेप्सितम् । कौशिकस्य सुतश्चायमरिष्टे येन रक्षितः
He grants wealth, life, cattle, kingdom, and the desired liberation; this is the son of Kauśika, who was protected in adversity.
मन्त्रं दत्त्वा महावीर्यं वरुणस्यातिसङ्कटे । व्यास उवाच - श्रुत्वा वाक्यं वसिष्ठस्य बाढमूचुः सभासदः
By giving the powerful mantra in Varuṇa’s great distress—Vyāsa said: Hearing Vasiṣṭha’s words, the assembly replied, 'So be it.'