हरिश्चन्द्रमथोवाच वाचा परुषया तदा । रे दास वध्यतामेषा दुष्टात्मा मा विचारय
Then Harishchandra spoke harshly: 'Hey slave! Execute this wicked woman at once—do not hesitate.'
तद्वाक्यं भूपतिः श्रुत्वा वज्रपातोपमं तदा । वेपमानोऽथ चाण्डालं प्राह स्त्रीवधशङ्कितः
Hearing those words, which struck like a thunderbolt, the king trembled and, fearing the killing of a woman, said to the outcaste:
न शक्तोऽहमिदं कर्तुं प्रेष्यं देहि ममापरम् । असाध्यमपि यत्कर्म तत्करिष्ये त्वयोदितम्
'I am not able to do this—give me another task. Whatever else, however difficult, you command, I will do.'
श्रुत्वा तदुक्तं वचनं श्वपचो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । मा भैषीस्त्वं गृहाणासिं वधोऽस्याः पुण्यदो मतः
Hearing this, the outcaste said: 'Do not be afraid—take the sword. The killing of this woman is considered meritorious.'
बालानामेव भयदा नेयं रक्ष्या कदाचन । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत्
This one is only a source of fear for children and should never be protected; hearing these words, the king spoke as follows.
स्त्रियो रक्ष्याः प्रयत्नेन न हन्तव्याः कदाचन । स्त्रीवधे कीर्तितः पापं मुनिभिर्धर्मतत्परैः
Women must be protected with great care and never killed under any circumstance; the sin of killing a woman has been declared by sages devoted to righteousness.
पुरुषो यः स्त्रियं हन्याज्ज्ञानतोऽज्ञानतोऽपि वा । नरके पच्यते सोऽथ महारौरवपूर्वके
A man who kills a woman, whether knowingly or unknowingly, is cooked in hell, first in the great Raurava hell.
चाण्डाल उवाच - मा वदासिं गृहाणैनं तीक्ष्णं विद्युत्समप्रभम् । यत्रैकस्मिन्वधं नीते बहूनां तु सुखं भवेत्
The Chāṇḍāla said: Do not speak further—take this sharp, lightning-bright sword; by killing one, many will find happiness.
तस्य हिंसा कृतं नूनं बहुपुण्यप्रदा भवेत् । भक्षितान्यनया भूरि लोके डिम्भानि दुष्टया
Indeed, the act of killing her will surely bring great merit; this wicked one has devoured countless children in the world.
तत्क्षिप्रं वध्यतामेषा लोकः स्वस्थो भविष्यति । राजोवाच - चाण्डालाधिपते तीव्रं व्रतं स्त्रीवधवर्जनम्
Therefore, let her be killed at once—then the world will be at peace. The king said: O lord of the Chāṇḍālas, there is a strict vow to avoid killing women.
आजन्मतस्ततो यत्नं न कुर्यां स्त्रीवधे तव । चाण्डाल उवाच - स्वामिकार्यं विना दुष्ट किं कार्यं विद्यतेऽपरम्
From birth, I have made every effort not to kill a woman of yours. The Chāṇḍāla said: Apart from the master's command, what other duty is there, O wicked one?
गृहीत्वा वेतनं मेऽद्य कस्मात्कार्यं विलुम्पसि । यः स्वामिवेतनं गृह्य स्वामिकार्यं विलुम्पति
Having accepted my wage today, why do you neglect the task? Whoever, having taken the master's wage, neglects the master's work—
नरकान्निष्कृतिस्तस्य नास्ति कल्पायुतैरपि । राजोवाच - चाण्डालनाथ मे देहि प्राप्यमन्यत्सुदारुणम्
There is no release from hell for him, even in tens of thousands of aeons. The king said: O lord of the Chāṇḍālas, give me some other, even more terrible, task to accomplish.
स्वशत्रुं ब्रूहि तं क्षिप्रं घातयिष्याम्यसंशयम् । घातयित्वा तु तं शत्रुं तव दास्यामि मेदिनीम्
Quickly name your enemy—I will surely slay him; after killing your enemy, I will give you the earth.
देव देवोरगैः सिद्धैर्गन्धर्वैरपि संयुतम् । देवेन्द्रमपि जेष्यामि निहत्य निशितैः शरैः
I will defeat even the lord of the gods, along with gods, serpents, siddhas, and gandharvas, by striking him down with sharp arrows.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो वाक्यं हरिश्चन्द्रस्य भूपतेः । चाण्डालः कुपितः प्राह वेपमानं महीपतिम्
Hearing these words of King Hariścandra, the Chāṇḍāla, enraged, spoke to the trembling king.
चाण्डाल उवाच - (नैतद्वाक्यं सुघटितं यद्वाक्यं दासकीर्तितम्) चाण्डालदासतां कृत्वा सुराणां भाषसे वचः । दास किं बहुना नूनं शृणु मे गदतो वचः
The Chāṇḍāla said: (These words are not fitting, spoken as they are by a slave.) Having become a slave of the Chāṇḍāla, you speak the words of the gods. Slave, why say more? Surely, listen to what I say.
निर्लज्ज तव चेदस्ति किञ्चित्पापभयं हृदि । किमर्थं दासतां यातश्चाण्डालस्य तु वेश्मनि
If you have even a trace of shame or fear of sin in your heart, why have you entered into slavery in the house of a Chāṇḍāla?
गृहाणैनं ततः खड्गमस्याश्छिन्धि शिरोऽम्बुजम् । एवमुक्त्वाथ चाण्डालो राज्ञे खड्गं न्यवेदयत्
Take this sword, then, and cut off her lotus-like head; having said this, the Chāṇḍāla presented the sword to the king.
हरिश्चन्द्रोपाख्याने राज्ञो हुताशनप्रवेशोद्योगवर्णनम् सूत उवाच - ततोऽथ भूपतिः प्राह राज्ञीं स्थित्वा ह्यधोमुखः । अत्रोपविश्यतां बाले पापस्य पुरतो मम
In the story of Hariścandra: Description of the king's resolve to enter the fire. Sūta said: Then the king, lowering his head, spoke to the queen: 'Sit here, child, before me, the sinner.'
शिरस्ते छेदयिष्यामि हन्तुं शक्नोति चेत्करः । एवमुक्त्वा समुद्यम्य खड्गं हन्तुं गतो नृपः
'I will cut off your head, if my hand is able to kill.' Saying this, the king raised the sword and went to kill.
न जानाति नृपः पत्नीं सा न जानाति भूपतिम् । अब्रवीद् भृशदुःखार्ता स्वमृत्युमभिकाङ्क्षति
The king did not recognize his wife, nor did she recognize the king; overwhelmed by great sorrow, she longed for her own death.
स्त्र्युवाच - चाण्डाल शृणु मे वाक्यं किञ्चित्त्वं यदि मन्यसे । मृतस्तिष्ठति मे पुत्रो नातिदूरे बहिः पुरात्
The woman spoke: Chāṇḍāla, listen to my words—if you are willing. My son lies dead, not far outside the city.
तं दहामि हतं यावदानयित्वा तवान्तिकम् । तावत्प्रतीक्ष्यतां पश्चादसिना घातयस्व माम्
Let me cremate him, bringing the slain child to you; wait until then, and afterwards kill me with your sword.
तेनाथ बाढमित्युक्त्वा प्रेषिता बालकं प्रति । सा जगामातिदुःखार्ता विपलन्ती सुदारुणम्
He replied, 'So be it,' and sent her toward the boy; she went, overwhelmed by intense sorrow, weeping terribly.
भार्या तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य सर्पदष्टं हि बालकम् । हा पुत्र हा वत्स शिशो इत्येवं वदती मुहुः
The wife of that king, seeing her child bitten by a snake, kept crying out again and again, 'O son! O dear one! O child!'
कृशा विवर्णा मलिना पांसुध्वस्तशिरोरुहा । श्मशानभूमिमागत्य बालं स्थाप्याविशद्भुवि
Emaciated, pale, dirty, her hair disheveled with dust, she reached the cremation ground and placed the boy upon the earth.
(राजन्नद्य स्वबालं तं पश्यसीह महीतले । रममाणं स्वसखिभिर्दष्टं दुष्टाहिना मृतम् ॥) तस्या विलापशब्दं तमाकर्ण्य स नराधिपः । शवसन्निधिमागत्य वस्त्रमस्याक्षिपत्तदा
(O king, today you see your own child here on the ground, playing with his friends, bitten by a wicked snake and dead.) Hearing her lament, the king approached the corpse and at that moment removed her garment.
तां तथा रुदतीं भार्यां नाभिजानाति भूमिपः । चिरप्रवाससन्तप्तां पुनर्जातामिवाबलाम्
Seeing his wife weeping in such a way, the king did not recognize her—tormented by long exile, she seemed like a stranger.
सापि तं चारुकेशान्तं पुरो दृष्ट्वा जटालकम् । नाभ्यजानान्नृपवरं शुष्कवृक्षत्वचोपमम्
She too, seeing him before her with beautiful hair and matted locks, did not recognize the noble king, resembling the bark of a dried tree.