विश्वामित्रे गते राजा ततः शोकमुपागतः । श्वासोच्छ्वासं मुहुः कृत्वा प्रोवाचोच्चैरधोमुखः
After Viśvāmitra departed, the king was overcome with sorrow; repeatedly sighing deeply, he spoke aloud, his face cast downward.
वित्तक्रीतेन यस्यार्तिर्मया प्रेतेन गच्छति । स ब्रवीतु त्वरायुक्तो यामे तिष्ठति भास्करः
Let the one whose distress is relieved by wealth purchased from me, speak quickly while the sun remains in its course.
अथाजगाम त्वरितो धर्मश्चाण्डालरूपधृक् । दुर्गन्धो विकृतोरस्कः श्मश्रुलो दन्तुरोऽघृणी
Then, hastening, Dharma arrived, assuming the form of a cāṇḍāla: foul-smelling, deformed in chest, bearded, with protruding teeth, and devoid of compassion.
कृष्णो लम्बोदरः स्निग्धः करालः पुरुषाधमः । हस्तजर्जरयष्टिश्च शवमाल्यैरलङ्कृतः
Dark-skinned, pot-bellied, oily, fierce, the lowest of men; holding a battered staff in his hand, adorned with garlands of corpses.
चाण्डाल उवाच - अहं गृह्णामि दासत्वे भृत्यार्थः सुमहान्मम । क्षिप्रमाचक्ष्व मौल्यं किमेतत्ते सम्प्रदीयते
The cāṇḍāla said: I accept servitude; my need for a servant is very great. Quickly declare the price—what will you give for this?
व्यास उवाच - तं तादृशमथालक्ष्य क्रूरदृष्टिं सुनिर्घृणम् । वदन्तमतिदुःशीलं कस्त्वमित्याह पार्थिवः
Vyāsa said: Observing him thus—cruel in appearance, utterly pitiless, speaking with extreme rudeness—the king asked, 'Who are you?'
चाण्डाल उवाच - चाण्डालोऽहमिह ख्यातः प्रवीरेति नृपोत्तम । शासने सर्वदा तिष्ठ मृतचैलापहारकः
The cāṇḍāla said: I am known here as a cāṇḍāla, O best of kings, called Pravīra; I always remain under orders, taking the garments from the dead.
एवमुक्तस्तदा राजा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् । ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वापि गृह्णात्विति मतिर्मम
Thus addressed, the king then spoke these words: Whether a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya, let him accept; this is my resolve.
उत्तमस्योत्तमो धर्मो मध्यमस्य च मध्यमः । अधमस्याधमश्चैव इति प्राहुर्मनीषिणः
The highest dharma is for the highest, the middling for the middling, and the lowest for the lowest—so say the wise.
चाण्डाल उवाच एवमेव त्वया धर्मः कथितो नृपसत्तम । अविचार्य त्वया राजन्नधुनोक्तं ममाग्रतः
The cāṇḍāla said: Thus indeed you have spoken of dharma, O foremost of kings; yet you have declared it before me without reflection.
विचारयित्वा यो ब्रूते सोऽभीष्टं लभते नरः । सामान्यमेव तत्प्रोक्तमविचार्य त्वयानघ
He who speaks after reflection attains what he desires; what you have said is common, O faultless one, spoken without consideration.
यदि सत्यं प्रमाणं ते गृहीतोऽसि न संशयः । हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच - असत्यान्नरके गच्छेत्सद्यः क्रूरे नराधमः
If truth is your standard, you have accepted—there is no doubt. Hariścandra said: One who is untruthful, the cruel lowest of men, goes at once to hell.
ततश्चाण्डालता साध्वी न वरा मे ह्यसत्यता । व्यास उवाच - तस्यैवं वदतः प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिधिः
Therefore, O cāṇḍāla, I do not choose falsehood; honesty is my only boon. Vyāsa said: As he spoke thus, Viśvāmitra, the storehouse of austerity, arrived.
क्रोधामर्षविवृत्ताक्षः प्राह चेदं नराधिपम् । चाण्डालोऽयं मनस्थं ते दातुं वित्तमुपस्थितः
With eyes widened by anger and indignation, he addressed the king: This cāṇḍāla has come to receive the payment you owe.
कस्मान्न दीयते मह्यमशेषा यज्ञदक्षिणा । राजोवाच - भगवन्सूर्यवंशोत्थमात्मानं वेद्मि कौशिक
Why is the full sacrificial payment not given to me? The king said: Revered one, descendant of the solar dynasty, I know myself, O Kauśika.
कथं चाण्डालदासत्वं गमिष्ये वित्तकामतः । विश्वामित्र उवाच - यदि चाण्डालवित्तं त्वमात्मविक्रयजं मम
How can I, desiring wealth, enter servitude to a cāṇḍāla? Viśvāmitra said: If you accept wealth from a cāṇḍāla, gained by selling yourself to me—
न प्रदास्यसि चेत्तर्हि शप्स्यामि त्वामसंशयम् । चाण्डालादथवा विप्राद्देहि मे दक्षिणाधनम्
If you do not give it, then I will surely curse you; give me the payment either from the cāṇḍāla or from a brāhmaṇa.
विना चाण्डालमधुना नान्यः कश्चिद्धनप्रदः । धनेनाहं विना राजन्न यास्यामि न संशयः
Except for the cāṇḍāla, now, no one else will give wealth; without payment, O king, I will not depart, without doubt.
इदानीमेव मे वित्तं न प्रदास्यसि चेन्नृप । दिनेऽर्धघटिकाशेषे तत्त्वां शापाग्निना दहे
If you do not give me the wealth right now, O king, then with only half a ghaṭikā left in the day, I will burn you with the fire of my curse.
व्यास उवाच - हरिश्चन्द्रस्ततो राजा मृत्ववच्छ्रितजीवितः । प्रसीदेति वदन्पादौ ऋषेर्जग्राह विह्वलः
Vyāsa said: Then King Hariścandra, as if dead but still alive, distressed, grasped the sage's feet and pleaded, saying, 'Be merciful.'
हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच - दासोऽस्म्यार्तोऽस्मि दीनोऽस्मि त्वद्भक्तश्च विशेषतः । प्रसादं कुरु विप्रर्षे कष्टश्चाण्डालसङ्करः
Hariścandra said: I am your servant, I am afflicted, I am destitute, and above all, I am your devotee. Show mercy, O eminent sage; this hardship is due to the mixing with the cāṇḍāla.
भवेयं वित्तशेषेण तव कर्मकरो वशः । तवैव मुनिशार्दूल प्रेष्यश्चित्तानुवर्तकः
With the remaining wealth, let me become your servant, under your control; O tiger among sages, let me be your messenger, obedient to your will.
विश्वामित्र उवाच - एवमस्तु महाराज ममैव भव किङ्करः । किंतु मद्वचनं कार्यं सर्वदैव नराधिप
Viśvāmitra said: So be it, O great king; become my servant. But, O ruler of men, you must always carry out my commands.
व्यास उवाच - एवमुक्तेऽथ वचने राजा हर्षसमन्वितः । अमन्यत पुनर्जातमात्मानं प्राह कौशिकम्
Vyāsa said: When these words were spoken, the king, filled with joy, considered himself reborn and addressed Kauśika.
तवादेशं करिष्यामि सदैवाहं न संशयः । आदेशय द्विजश्रेष्ठ किं करोमि तवानघ
I will always carry out your instructions, without doubt. Command me, O best of twice-born, what shall I do for you, O faultless one?
विश्वामित्र उवाच - चाण्डालागच्छ मद्दासमौल्यं किं मे प्रयच्छसि । गृहाण दासं मौल्येन मया दत्तं तवाधुना
Viśvāmitra said: Cāṇḍāla, come here; what price will you give me for my servant? Take the servant for the price, whom I now give to you.
नास्ति दासेन मे कार्यं वित्ताशा वर्तते मम । व्यास उवाच - एवमुक्ते तदा तेन स्वपचो हृष्टमानसः
I have no use for a servant; my desire is for wealth. Vyāsa said: When this was spoken, the outcaste was delighted in mind.
आगत्य सन्निधौ तूर्णं विश्वामित्रमभाषत । चाण्डाल उवाच - दशयोजनविस्तीर्णे प्रयागस्य च मण्डले
He quickly came into the presence of Viśvāmitra and spoke. The cāṇḍāla said: In the region of Prayāga, spanning ten yojanas,
भूमिं रत्नमयीं कृत्वा दास्ये तेऽहं द्विजोत्तम । अस्य विक्रयणेनेयमार्तिश्च प्रहता त्वया
I will make the land of Prayāga a jewel-strewn expanse and give it to you, O best of twice-born. By selling this, your distress will be removed.
व्यास उवाच - ततो रत्नसहस्राणि सुवर्णमणिमौक्तिकैः । चाण्डालेन प्रदत्तानि जग्राह द्विजसत्तमः
Vyāsa said: Then thousands of jewels—gold, gems, and pearls—were given by the cāṇḍāla, and the eminent Brahmin accepted them.