राजोवाच - असिना तीक्ष्णधारेण वरं जिह्वा द्विधा कृता । न तु मानं परित्यज्य देहि देहीति भाषितम्
The king said: It is better that my tongue be cut in two by a sharp-edged sword than to speak the humiliating words, 'Give, give.'
क्षत्रियोऽहं महाभागे न याचे किञ्चिदप्यहम् । ददामि वाहं नित्यं हि भुजवीर्यार्जितं धनम्
O noble lady, I am a kshatriya and I do not beg for anything; whatever wealth I have earned by the strength of my arms, that I always give.
पत्न्युवाच - यदि ते हि महाराज याचितुं न क्षमं मनः । अहं तु न्यायतो दत्ता देवैरपि सवासवैः
The wife said: If, O great king, your mind is not fit to beg, then I, who have been lawfully given to you even by the gods with Indra, will do so.
अहं शास्या च पत्या च रक्ष्या चैव महाद्युते । मन्मौल्यं संगृहीत्वाथ गुर्वर्थं सम्प्रदीयताम्
O illustrious one, I am to be instructed and protected by my husband; therefore, taking my head-jewel, let it be given for the sake of the guru.
एतद्वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य हरिश्चन्द्रो महीपतिः । कष्टं कष्टमिति प्रोच्य विललापातिदुःखितः
Hearing these words, King Harishchandra, crying out 'Alas, alas!' in great distress, lamented exceedingly.
भार्या च भूयः प्राहेदं क्रियतां वचनं मम । विप्रशापाग्निदग्धत्वान्नीचत्वमुपयास्यसि
And again his wife said: Do as I have spoken; if you are burned by the fire of a brahmin's curse, you will fall into degradation.
न द्युतहेतोर्न च मद्यहेतो- र्न राज्यहेतोर्न च भोगहेतोः । ददस्व गुर्वर्थमतो मया त्वं सत्यव्रतत्वं सफलं कुरुष्व
Do not give for the sake of gambling, nor for the sake of liquor, nor for the sake of a kingdom, nor for the sake of enjoyment; therefore, give for the sake of the teacher, and thus make my vow of truthfulness fruitful.
हरिश्चन्द्रस्य पत्नीपुत्रविक्रयवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच - स तया नोद्यमानस्तु राजा पत्न्या पुनः पुनः । प्राह भद्रे करोम्येष विक्रयं ते सुनिर्घृणः
The selling of Harishchandra's wife and son. Vyasa said: The king, though repeatedly urged by his wife, did not act, but then said, 'O gentle one, I will do this heartless sale of you.'
नृशंसैरपि यत्कर्तुं न शक्यं तत्करोम्यहम् । यदि ते भ्राजते वाणी वक्तुमीदृक्सुनिष्ठुरम्
I am doing that which even the cruel cannot bring themselves to do, if your words shine forth to utter such harshness.
एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजा गत्वा नगरमातुरः । अवतार्य तदा रङ्गे तां भार्यां नृपसत्तमः । बाष्पगद्गदकण्ठस्तु ततो वचनमब्रवीत् । भो भो नागरिकाः सर्वे शृणुध्वं वचनं मम
Having spoken thus, the king, distressed, went to the city; then, bringing his wife to the marketplace, the best of kings, with a throat choked by tears, spoke these words: 'O all citizens, hear my words.'
कस्यचिद्यदि कार्यं स्याद्दास्या प्राणेष्टया मम । स ब्रवीतु त्वरायुक्तो यावत्स्वं धारयाम्यहम्
'If anyone has need of a maidservant, one dearer to me than life, let him speak quickly, while I still have the strength to endure.'
तेऽब्रुवन्पण्डिताः कस्त्वं पत्नीं विक्रेतुमागतः । राजोवाच - किं मां पृच्छथ कस्त्वं भो नृशंसोऽहममानुषः
They, the learned, said: 'Who are you, who have come to sell your wife?' The king said: 'Why do you ask who I am? O, I am cruel, inhuman.'
राक्षसो वास्मि कठिनस्ततः पापं करोम्यहम् । व्यास उवाच - तं शब्दं सहसा श्रुत्वा कौशिको विप्ररूपधृक्
'I am a demon, I am hard-hearted, and therefore I do this sinful act.' Vyasa said: Hearing those words suddenly, Kaushika, taking the form of a Brahmin—
वृद्धरूपं समास्थाय हरिश्चन्द्रमभाषत । समर्पयस्व मे दासीमहं क्रेता धनप्रदः
Assuming the form of an old man, he spoke to Harishchandra: 'Hand her over to me as a maidservant; I am the buyer and will give wealth.'
अस्ति मे वित्तमतुलं सुकुमारी च मे प्रिया । गृहकर्म न शक्नोति कर्तुमस्मात्प्रयच्छ मे
'I have incomparable wealth, and my beloved is delicate; she cannot perform household work, therefore give her to me.'
अहं गृह्णामि दासीं तु कति दास्यामि ते धनम् । एवमुक्ते तु विप्रेण हरिश्चन्द्रस्य भूपतेः
'I will take her as a maidservant; how much wealth shall I give you?' When the Brahmin had spoken thus to King Harishchandra—
विदीर्णं तु मनो दुःखान्न चैनं किञ्चिदब्रवीत् । विप्र उवाच - कर्मणश्च वयोरूपशीलानां तव योषितः
His mind was torn with grief, and he said nothing to him. The Brahmin said: 'According to the work, age, appearance, and character of your wife—'
अनुरूपमिदं वित्तं गृहाणार्पय मेऽबलाम् । धर्मशास्त्रेषु यद् दृष्टं स्त्रियो मौल्यं नरस्य च
'This is the appropriate price; accept it and hand over the woman to me. As is seen in the scriptures, the price for women and for men—'
द्वात्रिंशल्लक्षणोपेता दक्षा शीलगुणान्विता । कोटिमौल्यं सुवर्णस्य स्त्रियः पुंसस्तथार्बुदम्
'A woman endowed with thirty-two marks, skilled and possessing virtues, is valued at a crore of gold; for a man, it is ten million.'
इत्याकर्ण वचस्तस्य हरिश्चन्द्रो महीपतिः । दुःखेन महताऽऽविष्टो न चैनं किञ्चिदब्रवीत्
Hearing these words, King Harishchandra, overwhelmed with great sorrow, said nothing to him.
ततः स विप्रो नृपतेः पुरतो वल्कलोपरि । धनं निधाय केशेषु धृत्वा राज्ञीमकर्षयत्
Then that Brahmin, in the presence of the king, placed the money upon his bark garment, seized the queen by the hair, and dragged her away.
राज्ञ्युवाच - मुञ्च मुञ्चार्य मां सद्यो यावत्पश्याम्यहं सुतम् । दुर्लभं दर्शनं विप्र पुनरस्य भविष्यति
The queen said: 'Release me, release me, O master, just for a moment, so that I may see my son; O Brahmin, it will be difficult to see him again.'
पश्येह पुत्र मामेवं मातरं दास्यतां गताम् । मां मास्प्राक्षी राजपुत्र न स्पृश्याहं त्वयाधुना
'See me here, my son, as your mother has become a slave; do not touch me, O prince, for now I am not to be touched by you.'
ततः स बालः सहसा दृष्ट्वाऽऽकृष्टां तु मातरम् । समभ्यधावदम्बेति वदन्साश्रुविलोचनः
Then the boy, suddenly seeing his mother being dragged away, ran toward her, crying 'Mother!' with tear-filled eyes.
हस्ते वस्त्रं समाकर्षन् काकपक्षधरः स्खलन् । तमागतं द्विजः क्रोधाद् बालमप्याहनत्तदा
As the boy with matted hair clung to his mother's garment, the brahmin, angered at his approach, struck even the child.
वदंस्तथापि सोऽम्बेति नैव मुञ्चति मातरम् । राज्ञ्युवाच - प्रसादं कुरु मे नाथ क्रीणीष्वेमं हि बालकम्
Though the boy cried out, 'Mother!' he would not release her; the queen said: 'Master, show me mercy—please purchase this child from me.'
क्रीतापि नाहं भविता विनैनं कार्यसाधिका । इत्थं ममाल्पभाग्यायाः प्रसादं कुरु मे प्रभो
'Even if I am bought, without him I cannot fulfill my duties; O Lord, have compassion on me, so unfortunate.'
ब्राह्मण उवाच - गृह्यतां वित्तमेतत्ते दीयतां मम बालकः । स्त्रीपुंसोर्धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः कृतमेव हि वेतनम्
The brahmin said: 'Take your wealth, and give me the boy; the price has indeed been set by those learned in the law of men and women.'
शतं सहस्रं लक्षं च कोटिमौल्यं तथापरैः । द्वात्रिंशल्लक्षणोपेता दक्षा शीलगुणान्विता
'A hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a crore in value—endowed with thirty-two marks, skilled, and possessing good conduct and virtues.'
कोटिमौल्यं स्त्रियः प्रोक्तं पुरुषस्य तथार्बुदम् । सूत उवाच - तथैव तस्य तद्वित्तं पुरः क्षिप्तं पटे पुनः
'A woman's price is said to be a crore, and for a man, ten crores.' The bard said: 'In the same way, his wealth was again placed before him on a cloth.'