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.
हरिश्चन्द्रस्तथा राजा निर्विकारमुखोऽभवत् । अमन्यत तथा धैर्याद्विश्वामित्रो हि मे पतिः
King Hariścandra remained expressionless, thinking steadfastly that Viśvāmitra was now his master.
तत्तदेव मया कार्यं यदयं कारयिष्यति । अथान्तरिक्षे सहसा वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
Whatever he commands, that alone I must do. Then, suddenly, a bodiless voice spoke in the sky.
अनृणोऽसि महाभाग दत्ता सा दक्षिणा त्वया । ततो दिवः पुष्पवृष्टिः पपात नृपमूर्धनि
You are free from debt, O highly fortunate one; the offering has been given by you. Then a shower of flowers fell upon the king's head from the heavens.
साधु साध्विति तं देवाः प्रोचुः सेन्द्रा महौजसः । हर्षेण महताऽऽविष्टो राजा कौशिकमब्रवीत्
The gods, along with Indra, of great might, said, 'Excellent, excellent!' The king, overwhelmed with great joy, addressed Kauśika.
राजोवाच - त्वं हि माता पिता चैव त्वं हि बन्धुर्महामते । यदर्थं मोचितोऽहं ते क्षणाच्चैवानृणीकृतः
The king said: You are my mother and father, you are my kin, O wise one. For your sake I have been freed, and in a moment made free from debt.
किं करोमि महाबाहो श्रेयो मे वचनं तव । एवमुक्ते तु वचने नृपं मुनिरभाषत
What shall I do, O mighty-armed one? Let your word be my welfare. When these words were spoken, the sage addressed the king.
विश्वामित्र उवाच - चाण्डालवचनं कार्यमद्यप्रभृति ते नृप । स्वस्ति तेऽस्विति तं प्रोच्य तदादाय धनं ययौ
Viśvāmitra said: From this day forward, O king, you must act according to the words of the cāṇḍāla. Saying 'May you fare well,' he took the money and departed.
हरिश्चन्द्रचिन्तावर्णनम् शौनक उवाच - ततः किमकरोद्राजा चाण्दालस्य गृहे गतः । तद् ब्रूहि सूतवर्य त्वं पृच्छतः सत्वरं हि मे
Description of Hariścandra's anxiety. Śaunaka said: What did the king do after entering the house of the cāṇḍāla? Tell me quickly, O excellent sūta, for I am asking.
सूत उवाच - विश्वामित्रे गते विप्रे श्वपचो हृष्टमानसः । विश्वामित्राय तद् द्रव्यं दत्त्वा बद्ध्वा नरेश्वरम्
The sūta said: After Viśvāmitra, the brāhmaṇa, departed, the śvapaca was delighted in mind. Having given the wealth to Viśvāmitra, he bound the king.
असत्यो यास्यसीत्युक्त्वा दण्डेनाताडयत्तदा । दण्डप्रहारसम्भ्रान्तमतीव व्याकुलेन्द्रियम्
He said, 'You will go as a liar,' and then struck him with a stick. The blow from the stick left him confused and his senses greatly disturbed.