ब्रह्मस्वहा कृमिः पापो भविष्याम्यधमाधमः । अथवा प्रेततां यास्ये वर एवात्मविक्रयः
'I will become a sinful worm, the lowest of the low, for neglecting the Brahmin's due. Or I will become a ghost; better by far is to sell myself.'
सूत उवाच - राजानं व्याकुलं दीनं चिन्तयानमधोमुखम् । प्रत्युवाच तदा पत्नी बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा
Suta said: Seeing the king distressed, dejected, his face cast down in worry, his wife then addressed him with words choked by tears.
त्यज चिन्तां महाराज स्वधर्ममनुपालय । प्रेतवद्वर्जनीयो हि नरः सत्यबहिष्कृतः
'Abandon your anxiety, great king; uphold your own duty. A man who forsakes truth is to be shunned as one already dead.'
नातः परतरं धर्मं वदन्ति पुरुषस्य च । यादृशं पुरुषव्याघ्र स्वसत्यस्यानुपालनम्
'No greater duty is spoken of for a person, O tiger among men, than the keeping of one's own truth.'
अग्निहोत्रमधीतं च दानाद्याः सकलाः क्रियाः । भवन्ति तस्य वैफल्यं वाक्यं यस्यानृतं भवेत्
'Agnihotra, study, and all acts of charity become fruitless for one whose word is false.'
सत्यमत्यन्तमुदितं धर्मशास्त्रेषु धीमताम् । तारणायानृतं तद्वत्पातनायाकृतात्मनाम्
'Truth is praised above all in the scriptures of the wise; for the truthful it is a means of crossing over, but for the unprincipled it leads to downfall.'
शताश्वमेधानादृत्य राजसूयं च पार्थिवः । कृत्वा राजा सकृत्स्वर्गादसत्यवचनाच्च्युतः
'A king who performs a hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices and a Rajasuya, even if he attains heaven once, falls from it by uttering falsehood.'
राजोवाच - वंशवृद्धिकरश्चायं पुत्रस्तिष्ठति बालकः । उच्यतां वक्तुकामासि यद्वाक्यं गजगामिनि
The king said: 'This boy, my son, is the one who will continue our lineage. Speak, O elephant-gaited one, whatever you wish to say.'
पत्न्युवाच - राजन् माभूदसत्यं ते पुंसां पुत्रफलाः स्त्रियः । तन्मां प्रदाय वित्तेन देहि विप्राय दक्षिणाम्
The queen said: 'O king, may you never speak falsehood. For women, sons are their fruit. Therefore, giving me, provide the reward to the Brahmin with wealth.'
व्यास उवाच - एतद्वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य ययौ मोहं महीपतिः । प्रतिलभ्य च संज्ञां वै विललापातिदुःखितः
Vyasa said: Hearing these words, the king fell into delusion; regaining his senses, he lamented in great sorrow.
महद्दुखःमिदं भद्रे यत्त्वमेवं ब्रवीषि मे । किं तव स्मितसंल्लापा मम पापस्य विस्मृताः
O gentle one, this is a great sorrow for me, that you speak to me in this way; have you forgotten your smiling words and conversations with me, who am so sinful?
हा हा त्वया कथं योग्यं वक्तुमेतच्छुचिस्मिते । दुर्वाच्यमेतद्वचनं कथं वदसि भामिनि
Alas, how is it fitting for you, O pure-smiling one, to say such a thing? How can you, O beautiful lady, utter these words, which are so hard to speak?
इत्युक्त्वा नृपतिश्रेष्ठो न धीरो दारविक्रये । निपपात महीपृष्ठे मूर्च्छयातिपरिप्लुतः
Having spoken thus, the foremost of kings, not steadfast in the sale of his wife, fell to the ground, overwhelmed by intense faintness.
शयानं भुवि तं दृष्ट्वा मूर्च्छयापि महीपतिम् । उवाचेदं सुकरुणं राजपुत्री सुदुःखिता
Seeing the king lying on the ground, unconscious from fainting, the princess, deeply distressed, spoke these most sorrowful words:
हा महाराज कस्येदमपध्यानादुपागतम् । यस्त्वं निपतितो भूमौ रङ्कवच्छरणोचितः
Alas, O great king, by whose misfortune has this come to pass, that you have fallen to the ground, like a beggar accustomed to seeking shelter?
येनैव कोटिशो वित्तं विप्राणामपवर्जितम् । स एव पृथिवीनाथो भुवि स्वपिति मे पतिः
He who gave away wealth by the millions to the Brahmins, that very lord of the earth, my husband, now lies upon the ground.
हा कष्टं किं तवानेन कृतं दैव महीक्षिता । यदिन्द्रोपेन्द्रतुल्योऽयं नीतः पापामिमां दशाम्
Alas, what hardship has been done to you by fate, O king, that one equal to Indra and Upendra has been brought to this sinful state?
इत्युक्त्वा सापि सुश्रोणी मूर्च्छिता निपपात ह । भर्तुर्दुःखमहाभारेणासह्येनातिपीडिता
Having spoken thus, that beautiful-hipped lady too fell unconscious, overwhelmed by the unbearable weight of her husband's great suffering.
शिशुर्दृष्ट्वा क्षुधाविष्टः प्राह वाक्यं सुदुःखितः । तात तात प्रदेह्यन्नं मातर्मे देहि भोजनम्
Seeing this, the child, afflicted by hunger, spoke these words in great distress: 'Father, father, give me food; mother, give me something to eat.'
क्षुन्मे बलवती जाता जिह्वाग्रे मेऽतिशुष्यति
My hunger has become very strong; my tongue is extremely parched.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः । अन्तकेन समः क्रुद्धो धनं स्वं याचितुं हृदा
Meanwhile, Viśvāmitra, the great ascetic, arrived, furious like Death, intent in his heart on asking for his wealth.
तमालोक्य हरिश्चन्द्रः पपात भुवि मूर्च्छितः । स वारिणा तमभ्युक्ष्य राजानमिदमब्रवीत्
Seeing him, Hariścandra fell to the ground in a faint; then, after sprinkling water on him, the king was addressed with these words:
उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र स्वां ददस्वेष्टदक्षिणाम् । ऋणं धारयतां दुःखमहन्यहनि वर्धते
'Rise, rise, O king of kings, give your promised gift; for those who bear debt, their suffering increases day by day.'
आप्यायमानः स तदा हिमशीतेन वारिणा । अवाप्य चेतनां राजा विश्वामित्रमवेक्ष्य च
Revived by the cold water at that time, the king regained consciousness and, seeing Viśvāmitra,
पुनर्मोहं समापेदे ह्यथ क्रोधं ययौ मुनिः समाश्वास्य च राजानं वाक्यमाह द्विजोत्तमः
again fell into a swoon; then the sage became angry, and after consoling the king, the best of the twice-born spoke these words:
विश्वामित्र उवाच - दीयतां दक्षिणा सा मे यदि धैर्यमवेक्षसे । सत्येनार्कः प्रतपति सत्ये तिष्ठति मेदिनी
Viśvāmitra said: 'Let the gift be given to me, if you have any steadiness; the sun shines by truth, the earth stands firm by truth.'
सत्ये प्रोक्तः परो धर्मः स्वर्गः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः । अश्वमेधसहस्रं तु सत्यं च तुलया धृतम्
'The highest dharma is said to be truth; heaven is established on truth; a thousand horse sacrifices are weighed against truth.'
अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेकं विशिष्यते । अथवा किं ममैतेन प्रोक्तेनास्ति प्रयोजनम्
'Indeed, one truth surpasses a thousand horse sacrifices; or else, what purpose is there for me in what has been said?'
मदीयां दक्षिणां राजन्न दास्यति भवान्यदि । अस्ताचलगते ह्यर्के शप्स्यामि त्वामतो ध्रुवम्
O King, if you do not give my due offering, when the sun sets behind the western mountain, I will surely curse you.
इत्युक्त्वा स ययौ विप्रो राजा चासीद्भयातुरः । दुःखीभूतोऽवनौ निःस्वो नृशंसमुनिनार्दितः
Having spoken thus, the brahmin departed, and the king, overcome by fear, became miserable, destitute, and tormented by the harsh sage.