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.
इष्टबन्धुवियोगार्तमानीय निजपक्कणे । निगडे स्थापयित्वा तं स्वयं सुष्वाप विज्वरः
Bringing him, who was afflicted by separation from his beloved relatives, into his own chamber, he placed him in shackles and himself slept peacefully, free from fever.
निगडस्थस्ततो राजा वसंश्चाण्डालपक्कणे । अन्नपाने परित्यज्य सदा वै तदशोचयत्
Then the king, confined in shackles, dwelled in the cāṇḍāla's chamber. He abandoned food and drink, and constantly grieved.
तन्वी दीनमुखी दृष्ट्वा बालं दीनमुखं पुरः । मां स्मरन्त्यसुखाविष्टा मोक्षयिष्यति नौ नृपः
Seeing the slender, sorrowful-faced child before him, remembering me and overwhelmed by unhappiness, she thought, 'The king will release us.'
उपात्तवित्तो विप्राय दत्त्वा वित्तं प्रतिश्रुतम् । रोदमानं सुतं वीक्ष्य मां च सम्बोधयिष्यति
Having given the acquired wealth to the brāhmaṇa as promised, seeing his son weeping and me as well, he will awaken to our plight.
तातपार्श्वं व्रजामीति रुदन्तं बालकं पुनः । तात तातेति भाषन्तं तथा सम्बोधयिष्यति
The child, again crying, saying, 'Let me go to father's side,' and calling out, 'Father, father,' will thus awaken him.
न सा मां मृगशावाक्षी वेत्ति चाण्डालतां गतम् । राज्यनाशः सुहृत्त्यागो भार्यातनयविक्रयः
That doe-eyed woman does not recognize me, who has become a cāṇḍāla. Loss of the kingdom, abandonment by friends, sale of wife and son—
ततश्चाण्डालता चेयमहो दुःखपरम्परा । एवं स निवसन्नित्यं स्मरंश्च दयितां सुतम्
And now this cāṇḍāla status—alas, a succession of sorrows! Thus, dwelling always in this way, he remembered his beloved son.
निनाय दिवसान् राजा चतुरो विधिपीडितः । अथाह्नि पञ्चमे तेन निगडान्मोचितो नृपः
The king, afflicted by fate, spent four days thus. On the fifth day, he was released from the shackles.
चाण्डालेनानुशिष्टश्च मृतचैलापहारणे । क्रुद्धेन परुषैर्वाक्यैर्निर्भत्स्य च पुनः पुनः
Instructed by the cāṇḍāla regarding the removal of the cloth from the dead, and repeatedly rebuked with harsh words by the angry cāṇḍāla,
काश्याश्च दक्षिणे भागे श्मशानं विद्यते महत् । तद्रक्षस्व यथान्यायं न त्याज्यं तत्त्वया क्वचित्
On the southern side of Kāśī there is a great cremation ground. Guard it properly; you must never abandon it.