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.'
प्रगृह्य बालकं मात्रा सहैकस्थमबन्धयत् । प्रतस्थे स गृहं क्षिप्रं तया सह मुदान्वितः
Taking the boy, he bound him together with his mother; then, filled with joy, he quickly set out for home with her.
प्रदक्षिणां तु सा कृत्वा जानुभ्यां प्रणता स्थिता । बाष्पपर्याकुला दीना त्विदं वचनमब्रवीत्
She made a circumambulation, then knelt and bowed; overwhelmed with tears and sorrow, she spoke these words:
यदि दत्तं यदि हुतं ब्राह्मणास्तर्पिता यदि । तेन पुण्येन मे भर्ता हरिश्चन्द्रोऽस्तु वै पुनः
'If I have given, if I have offered, if the brahmins have been satisfied, by that merit may my husband, Harishchandra, return to me.'
पादयोः पतितां दृष्ट्वा प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसीम् । हाहेति च वदन् राजा विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः
Seeing her fallen at his feet, more precious than his own life, the king, crying 'Alas!' lamented, his senses overcome.
वियुक्तेयं कथं जाता सत्यशीलगुणान्विता । वृक्षच्छायापि वृक्षं तं न जहाति कदाचन
'How has she, endowed with truth, character, and virtue, been separated from me? Even the shade of a tree never abandons its tree.'
एवं भार्यां वदित्वाथ सुसम्बद्धं परस्परम् । पुत्रं च तमुवाचेदं मां त्वं हित्वा क्व यास्यसि
Having thus spoken to his wife, so closely bound to each other, he said to his son: 'Where will you go, leaving me behind?'
कां दिशं प्रति यास्यामि को मे दुःखं निवारयेत् । राज्यत्यागे न मे दुःखं वनवासे न मे द्विज
'To which direction shall I go? Who will relieve my sorrow? I did not grieve at giving up the kingdom, nor at dwelling in the forest, O brahmin.'
यत्पुत्रेण वियोगो मे एवमाह स भूपतिः । सद्भर्तृभोग्या हि सदा लोके भार्या भवन्ति हि
Thus the king spoke: 'But separation from my son is my true grief. For in this world, wives are always meant to be enjoyed by their husbands.'
मया त्यक्तासि कल्याणि दुःखेन विनियोजिता । इक्ष्वाकुवंशसम्भूतं सर्वराज्यसुखोचितम्
'I have abandoned you, O blessed one, and consigned you to suffering, though you were born of the Ikshvaku line and worthy of all royal pleasures.'
मामीदृशां पतिं प्राप्य दासीभावं गता ह्यसि । ईदृशे मज्जमानं मां सुमहच्छोकसागरे
'Having gained such a husband as I, you have come to the state of a slave; and I am sinking in this vast ocean of sorrow.'
को मामुद्धरते देवि पौराणाख्यानविस्तरैः । सूत उवाच - पश्यतस्तस्य राजर्षेः कशाघातैः सुदारुणैः
'O goddess, who will lift me up from this with the ancient stories and their expanse?' The bard said: 'As the royal sage watched, with cruel lashings—'
घातयित्वा तु विप्रेशो नेतुं समुपचक्रमे । नीयमानौ तु तौ दृष्ट्वा भार्यापुत्रौ स पार्थिवः
The lord of the brahmins, having beaten them, prepared to take them away; and as his wife and son were being led off, the king beheld them.
विललापातिदुःखार्तो निःश्वस्योष्णं पुनः पुनः । यां न वायुर्न वाऽऽदित्यो न चन्द्रो न पृथ्ग्जनाः
Overwhelmed by intense sorrow, he lamented, sighing hotly again and again—she whom neither wind, nor sun, nor moon, nor other people had ever seen thus.
दृष्टवन्तः पुरा पत्नीं सेयं दासीत्वमागता । सूर्यवंशप्रसूतोऽयं सुकुमारकराङ्गुलिः
She, once seen as a wife, has now come to servitude; and this boy, born of the solar dynasty, with delicate hands and fingers—
सम्प्राप्तो विक्रयं बालो धिङ्मामस्तु सुदुर्मतिम् । हा प्रिये हा शिशो वत्स ममानार्यस्य दुर्नयः
—this child has now been sold; shame on me, so wicked in mind! Alas, beloved! Alas, my child! My own ignoble conduct has brought this ruin.
दैवाधीनदशां प्राप्तो न मृतोऽस्मि तथापि धिक् । व्यास उवाच - एवं विलपितो राज्ञोऽग्रे विप्रोऽन्तरधीयत
Though I have reached a state subject to fate, still I have not died—shame on me! Vyāsa said: Thus, as he lamented before the king, the brāhmaṇa vanished.
वृक्षगेहादिभिस्तुङ्गैस्तावादाय त्वरान्वितः । अत्रान्तरे मुनिश्रेष्ठस्त्वाजगाम महातपाः
Taking them both, he hurried away, passing by tall trees and houses; meanwhile, the great sage, foremost among ascetics, arrived.
सशिष्यः कौशिकेन्द्रोऽसौ निष्ठुरः क्रूरदर्शनः । विश्वामित्र उवाच- या त्वयोक्ता पुरा राजन् राजसूयस्य दक्षिणा
That lord of the Kauśikas, harsh and fierce in appearance, came with his disciples. Viśvāmitra said: O King, the fee for the Rājasūya you promised before—
तां ददस्व महाबाहो यदि सत्यं पुरस्कृतम् । हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच - नमस्करोमि राजर्षे गृहाणेमां स्वदक्षिणाम्
—give that now, O mighty-armed one, if you hold truth as foremost. Hariścandra said: I bow to you, royal sage; please accept this, my due fee.
राजसूयस्य यागस्य या मयोक्ता पुरानघ । विश्वामित्र उवाच - कुतो लब्धमिदं द्रव्यं दक्षिणार्थे प्रदीयते
O faultless one, this is the fee for the Rājasūya sacrifice, as I declared before. Viśvāmitra said: From where did you obtain this wealth that you offer as the fee?