हन्मि चैकेन बाणेन तं शत्रुं दुर्भगं किल । यो मेऽरातिः समुत्पन्नो लोके पापमतिः खलः
I will slay that wretched enemy with a single arrow—whoever has arisen as my adversary in the world, that wicked one of evil mind.
देवो वा दानवो वापि तं निहन्मि शरैः शितैः । क्व तिष्ठति कियद्रूपः कियद्बलसमन्वितः
Whether god or demon, I will kill him with sharp arrows; where does he stand, what is his form, and with what strength is he endowed?
मालाकारा ऊचुः - न देवो न च दैत्योऽस्ति न यक्षो न च किन्नरः । कश्चित्कोलो महाकायो राजंस्तिष्ठति कानने
The garland-makers said: 'He is neither god nor demon, neither yakṣa nor kinnara; some boar of immense size, O king, stands in the forest.'
पुष्पवृक्षानतिमृदून्दन्तेनोन्मूलयत्यसौ । विदीर्णं तद्वनं सर्वं सूकरेणातिरंहसा
He uproots the exceedingly soft flowering trees with his tusks; the entire forest has been torn apart by the boar’s violence.
विशिखैस्ताडितोऽस्माभिर्दृषद्भिर्लकुटैस्तथा । न बिभेति महाराज हनुमस्मानुपाद्रवत्
O great king, though struck by our arrows, stones, and clubs, Hanuman does not fear us and continues to approach.
व्यास उवाच - इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तेषां राजा कोपसमाकुलः । अश्वामारुह्य तरसा जगामोपवनं प्रति
Vyasa said: Hearing their words, the king, filled with anger, quickly mounted his horse and went towards the grove.
सैन्येन महता युक्तो गजाश्वरथसंयुतः । पदातिवृन्दसहितः प्रययौ वनमुत्तमम्
Accompanied by a great army with elephants, horses, and chariots, and surrounded by groups of infantry, he proceeded to the excellent forest.
तत्रापश्यन्महाकोलं घुर्घुरन्तं भयानकम् । वनं भग्नं च संवीक्ष्य राजा क्रोधयुतोऽभवत्
There he saw a great boar, terrifying and roaring, and, seeing the forest destroyed, the king became filled with wrath.
चापे बाणं समारोप्य विकृष्य च शरासनम् । तं हन्तुं सूकरं पापं तरसा समुपाक्रमत्
Placing an arrow on his bow and drawing the bowstring, he swiftly advanced to kill that wicked boar.
समालोक्य च राजानं चापहस्तं रुषाकुलम् । सम्मुखोऽभ्यद्रवत्तूर्णं कुर्वञ्छब्दं सुदारुणम्
Seeing the king, bow in hand and agitated with anger, the boar rushed forward directly, making a most dreadful sound.
तमायान्तं समालोक्य वराहं विकृताननम् । मुमोच विशिखं तस्मिन्हन्तुकामो महीपतिः
Observing the approaching boar with a deformed face, the king, desiring to slay it, released an arrow at it.
गच्छन्तं तं समालोक्य राजा कोपसमन्वितः । मुमोच विशिखांस्तीक्ष्णांश्चापमाकृष्य यत्नतः
Seeing it moving away, the king, filled with rage, carefully drew his bow and released sharp arrows.
क्षणं दृष्टिपथं राज्ञः क्षणं चादर्शनं गतः । कुर्वन्बहुविधारावं सूकरं समुपाद्रवत्
For a moment within the king's sight, and then vanishing from view, the boar, making many kinds of loud noises, rushed onward.
हरिश्चन्द्रोऽतिकुपितो मृगस्यानुजगाम ह । अश्वेन वायुवेगेन विकृष्य च शरासनम्
Harishchandra, greatly enraged, pursued the animal on horseback with the speed of the wind, drawing his bow.
इतस्ततस्तः सैन्यमगमच्च वनान्तरम् । एकाकी नृपतिः कोलं व्रजन्तं समुपाद्रवत्
Here and there the army entered the depths of the forest, but the king, now alone, pursued the boar as it went.
मध्याह्नसमये राजा सम्प्राप्तो विजने वने । तृषितः क्षुधितोऽत्यर्थं बभूव श्रान्तवाहनः
At midday, the king arrived in a deserted part of the forest, extremely thirsty, hungry, and with his mount exhausted.
सूकरोऽदर्शनं प्राप्तो राजा चिन्तातुरोऽभवत् । मार्गभ्रष्टोऽतिविपिने दारुणे दीनवत्स्थितः
The boar disappeared from sight, and the king, troubled with anxiety, stood lost in that dreadful, pathless wilderness.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि न सहायोऽस्ति मे वने । अज्ञातस्वपथः कुत्र व्रजामीति व्यचिन्तयत्
He thought, 'What shall I do? Where shall I go? I have no companion in this forest. Not knowing my way, where should I proceed?'
एवं विन्तयतस्तत्र विपिने जनवर्जिते । राज्ञा चिन्तातुरोऽपश्यन्नदीं सुविमलोदकाम्
As the king, anxious, pondered thus in that deserted forest, he saw a river with very pure water.
वीक्ष्य तां मुदितो राजा पाययित्वा तुरङ्गकम् । अश्वादुत्तेर्य विमलं पपौ पानीयमुत्तमम्
Seeing it, the delighted king let his horse drink, then dismounted and drank the excellent, clear water himself.
जलं पीत्वा नृपस्तत्र सुखमाप महीपतिः । इत्येष नगरं गन्तुं दिग्भ्रमेणातिमोहितः
Having drunk the water, the king felt comfort there, but, thoroughly bewildered, he wandered aimlessly, unable to find his way back to the city.
विश्वामित्रस्तु सम्प्राप्तो वृद्धब्राह्मणरूपधृक् । ननाम वीक्ष्य राजा तं प्रीतिपूर्वं द्विजोत्तमम्
Then Vishvamitra arrived, taking the form of an aged Brahmin; seeing him, the king respectfully greeted that best of twice-born.
तमुवाच गाधिराजः प्रणमन्तं नृपोत्तमम् । स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु महाराज किमर्थमिह चागतः
King Gadhi addressed the noble king, who was bowing before him: 'May all be well with you, great king. For what purpose have you come here?'
एकाकी विजने राजन् किं चिकीर्षितमत्र ते । ब्रूहि सर्वं स्थिरो भूत्वा कारणं नृपसत्तम
'Alone in this desolate place, O king, what is it that you intend to do here? Tell me everything, remaining steady, O best of kings, and state your reason.'
राजोवाच - सूकरोऽतिमहाकायो बलवान्पुष्पकाननम् । समुपेत्य ममर्दाशु कोमलान्पुष्पपादपान्
The king said: 'A boar of immense size and great strength entered the flower garden and quickly destroyed the tender flowering trees.'
तं निवारयितुं दुष्टं करे कृत्वा च कार्मुकम् । ससैन्योऽहं स्वनगरान्निर्गतो मुनिसत्तम
'To drive away that wicked beast, taking my bow in hand, I set out from my city with my army, O best of sages.'
गतोऽसौ दृक्पथात्पापो मायावी क्वापि वेगवान् । पृष्ठतोऽहमपि प्राप्तः सैन्यं क्वापि गतं मम
'That sinful, deceitful, and swift creature vanished from my sight; I followed behind, but my army went somewhere else.'
क्षुधितस्तृषितश्चाहं सैन्यभ्रष्टस्त्विहागतः । न जाने पुरमार्गं च तहा सैन्यगतिं मुने
'Hungry and thirsty, separated from my army, I have come here; I do not know the way to the city, nor where my army has gone, O sage.'
पन्थानं दर्शय विभो व्रजामि नगरं प्रति । ममात्र भाग्ययोगेन प्राप्तस्त्वं विजने वने
'Show me the path, O lord, so that I may proceed to the city; by fortune, I have met you here in this lonely forest.'
अयोध्यादिपतिश्चाहं हरिश्चन्द्रोऽतिविश्रुतः । राजसूयस्य कर्ता च वाञ्छितार्थप्रदः सदा
'I am the ruler of Ayodhya and renowned as Harishchandra, performer of the Rajasuya sacrifice and always the fulfiller of desires.'