इमं च जर्जरं दण्डं गृहीत्वा याहि मा चिरम् । वीरबाहोरयं दण्ड इति घोषस्व सर्वतः
Take this battered staff and go without delay. Announce everywhere, 'This is the staff of Vīrabāhu.'
सूत उवाच - कस्मिंश्चिदथ काले तु मृतचैलापहारकः । हरिश्चन्द्रोऽभवद्राजा श्मशाने दद्वशानुगः
The sūta said: At some point, King Hariścandra became the remover of cloth from the dead in the cremation ground, obedient to the cāṇḍāla.
चाण्डालेनानुशिष्टस्तु मृतचैलापहारिणा । राजा तेन समादिष्टो जगाम शवमन्दिरम्
Instructed by the cāṇḍāla, the king, as remover of cloth from the dead, went to the house of corpses as ordered.
पुर्यास्तु दक्षिणे देशे विद्यमानं भयानकम् । शवमाल्यसमाकीर्णं दुर्गन्धं बहुधूमकम्
In the southern region of the city, there was a terrifying place, filled with garlands of corpses, foul-smelling, and thick with smoke.
श्मशानं घोरसन्नादं शिवाशतसमाकुलम् । गृद्ध्रगोमायुसंकीर्णं श्ववृन्दपरिवारितम्
The cremation ground, filled with dreadful sounds, was crowded with hundreds of Śiva-ascetics, overrun by vultures and jackals, and surrounded by packs of dogs.
अस्थिसङ्घातसङ्कीर्णं महादुर्गन्धसंकुलम् । अर्धदग्धशवास्यानि विकसद्दन्तपंक्तिभिः
It was strewn with heaps of bones and pervaded by a terrible stench, with half-burnt corpses displaying rows of exposed teeth.
हसन्तीवाग्निमध्यस्थकायस्यैवं व्यवस्थितिः । नानामृतसुहृन्नादं महाकोलाहलाकुलम्
It seemed as if the bodies in the midst of the fire were laughing, and the place resounded with various cries of pain and tumultuous uproar.
हा पुत्र मित्र हा बन्धो भ्रातर्वत्स प्रियाद्य मे । हाप्यते भागिनेयार्ह हा मातुल पितामह
"Alas, my son! Friend! Relative! Brother! Dear one, where are you now? Nephew, uncle, grandfather!"
मातामह पितः पौत्र क्व गतोऽस्येहि बान्धव । इति शब्दैः समाकीर्णं भैरवैः सर्वदेहिनाम्
"Grandfather, father, grandson, where have you gone? Come here, kinsman!"—such cries of all embodied beings filled the air, mingled with terrifying sounds.
ज्वलन्मांसवसामेदच्छूमिति ध्वनिसङ्कुलम् । अग्नेश्चटचटाशब्दो भैरवो यत्र जायते
The place was filled with the crackling sound of burning flesh and fat, and the dreadful snapping of the fire.
कल्पान्तसदृशाकारं श्मशानं तत्सुदारुणम् । स राजा तत्र सम्प्राप्तो दुःखादेवमशोचत
That cremation ground, terrible as the end of an age, was exceedingly fearsome; there the king arrived and, overwhelmed by sorrow, lamented in this way.
हा भृत्या मन्त्रिणो यूयं क्व तद्राज्यं कुलोचितम् । हा प्रिय पुत्र मे बाल मां त्यक्त्वा मन्दभाग्यकम्
"Alas, my servants and ministers, where is that royal glory befitting our lineage? Alas, my dear child, you have abandoned your unfortunate father."
ब्राह्मणस्य च कोपेन गता यूयं क्व दूरतः । विना धर्मं मनुष्याणां जायते न शुभं क्वचित्
"Driven away by the anger of the brāhmaṇa, where have you all gone so far? Without righteousness, no good ever arises for mankind."
यत्नतो धारयेत्तस्मात्पुरुषो धर्ममेव हि । इत्येवं चिन्तयंस्तत्र चाण्डालोक्तं पुनः पुनः
"Therefore, a man must always uphold righteousness with effort." Thus reflecting there, he repeatedly recalled the words of the cāṇḍāla.
मलेन दिग्धसर्वाङ्गः शवानां दर्शने व्रजन् । लकुटाकारकल्पश्च धावंश्चापि ततस्ततः
Smeared all over with filth, approaching the sight of corpses, he wandered about, resembling a club-wielding outcaste, running here and there.
अस्मिञ्छव इदं मौल्यं शतं प्राप्स्यामि चाग्रतः । इदं मम इदं राज्ञ इदं चाण्डालकस्य च
"From this corpse I will get a hundred coins as my fee; this is mine, this is the king's, and this belongs to the cāṇḍāla as well."
इत्येवं चिन्तयन् राजा व्यवस्थां दुस्तरां गतः । जीर्णैकपटसुग्रन्थिकृतकन्थापरिग्रहः
Thus thinking, the king endured that unbearable condition, wearing a patched garment tied with a single knot.
चिताभस्मरजोलिप्तमुखबाहूदराङ्घ्रिकः । नानामेदोवसामज्जालिप्तपाण्यङ्गुलिः श्वसन्
His face, arms, belly, and feet were smeared with the ashes of the funeral pyre, and his hands and fingers were coated with various fats and marrow as he breathed.
नानाशवौदनकृतक्षुन्निवृत्तिपरायणः । तदीयमाल्यसंश्लेषकृतमस्तकमण्डलः
He lived on food taken from various corpses to satisfy his hunger, and his head was adorned with garlands taken from them.
न रात्रौ न दिवा शेते हाहेति प्रवदन्मुहुः । एवं द्वादश मासास्तु नीता वर्षशतोपमाः
He did not sleep by night or by day, constantly crying out in distress; thus twelve months passed, seeming like a hundred years.
चाण्डालाज्ञया हरिश्चन्द्रस्य खड्गग्रहणवर्णनम् सूत उवाच - एकदा तु गतो रन्तुं बालकैः सहितो बहिः । वाराणस्या नातिदूरे रोहिताख्यः कुमारकः
By the command of the cāṇḍāla: The taking up of the sword by Hariścandra.
क्रीडां कृत्वा ततो दर्भान् ग्रहीतुमुपचक्रमे । कोमलानल्पमूलांश्च साग्राञ्छक्त्यनुसारतः
After playing, he began to gather darbha grass, picking tender ones with small roots, as much as his strength allowed.
आर्यप्रीत्यर्थमित्युक्त्वा हस्तयुग्मेन यत्नतः । सलक्षणाश्च समिधो बर्हिरिध्मं सलक्षणम्
Saying, 'For the sake of honoring the noble,' he carefully took with both hands the proper kindling sticks, the sacred grass, and the prescribed firewood.
पलाशकाष्ठान्यादाय त्वग्निहोमार्थमादरात् । मस्तके भारकं कृत्वा खिद्यमानः पदे पदे
He respectfully gathered palāśa wood for the fire offering, and, placing the load on his head, struggled with each step.
उदकस्थानमासाद्य तदा बालस्तृषान्वितः । भुवि भारं विनिक्षिप्य जलस्थाने तदा शिशुः
Reaching the water's edge, the thirsty boy set down his burden on the ground at the water's place.
कामतः सलिलं पीत्वा विश्रम्य च मुहूर्तकम् । वल्मीकोपरि विन्यस्तभारो हर्तुं प्रचक्रमे
He drank water as he wished, rested for a moment, and then, after placing the load on top of an anthill, prepared to carry it again.
विश्वामित्राज्ञया तावत्कृष्णसर्पो भयावहः । महाविषो महाघोरो वल्मीकान्निर्गतस्तदा
Then, by Viśvāmitra's command, a terrifying black snake, deadly and fearsome, emerged from the anthill.
तेनासौ बालको दष्टस्तदैव च पपात ह । रोहिताख्यं मृतं दृष्ट्वा ययुर्बाला द्विजालयम्
That boy was bitten by it and immediately fell down; seeing Rohita dead, the other children went to the house of the twice-born.
त्वरिता भयसंविग्नाः प्रोचुस्तन्मातुरग्रतः । हे विप्रदासि ते पुत्रः क्रीडां कर्तुं बहिर्गतः
Frightened and in haste, they spoke before his mother: 'O Brahmin lady, your son went outside to play.'
अस्माभिः सहितस्तत्र सर्पदष्टो मृतस्ततः । इति सा तद्वचः श्रुत्वा वज्रपातोपमं तदा
'He was with us there, but was bitten by a snake and died.' Hearing these words, she was struck as if by a thunderbolt.