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.
भूमौ निपतितं बालं दृष्ट्वाशीविषपीडितम् । नरेन्द्रलक्षणोपेतमचिन्तयदसौ नृपः
Seeing the boy fallen on the ground, afflicted by snake venom, and bearing the marks of royalty, the king pondered.
अस्य पूर्णेन्दुवद्वक्त्रं शुभमुन्नसमव्रणम् । दर्पणप्रतिमोत्तुङ्गकपोलयुगशोभितम्
His face was like the full moon, beautiful, raised and unblemished, adorned by prominent cheeks shining like a mirror.
नीलान्केशान्कुञ्चिताग्रान् सान्द्रान्दीर्घांस्तरङ्गिणः । राजीवसदृशे नेत्रे ओष्ठौ बिम्बफलोपमौ
His hair was dark, with curled tips, thick and long like waves; his eyes were like lotuses, his lips like ripe bimba fruit.
विशालवक्षा दीर्घाक्षो दीर्घबाहून्नतांसकः । विशालपादो गम्भीरःसूक्ष्माङ्गुल्यवनीधरः
He had a broad chest, long eyes, long arms, elevated shoulders, broad feet, deep voice, and slender fingers like mountain ridges.
मृणालपादो गम्भीरनाभिरुद्धतकन्धरः । अहो कष्टं नरेन्द्रस्य कस्याप्येष कुले शिशुः
His feet were like lotus stalks, his navel deep, his neck raised; alas, what misfortune! In whose royal family was this child born?
जातो नीतः कृतान्तेन कालपाशाद्दुरात्मना । सूत उवाच - एवं दृष्ट्वाथ तं बालं मातुरङ्के प्रसारितम्
Born and then taken away by Death, ensnared by the cruel noose of Time. The Sūta spoke: Thus, seeing the boy laid out on his mother's lap—
स्मृतिमभ्यागतो राजा हाहेत्यश्रूण्यपातयत् । सोऽप्युवाच च वत्सो मे दशामेतामुपागतः
The king regained his memory, crying 'Alas!' and shed tears; he also said, 'My son has come to this condition.'
नीतो यदि च घोरेण कृतान्तेनात्मनो वशम् । विचारयित्वा राजासौ हरिश्चन्द्रस्तथा स्थितः
If he has been taken by the dreadful Death, subject to his own fate, the king Hariścandra, reflecting thus, remained steadfast.
ततो राज्ञी महादुःखावेशादिदमभाषत । राज्ञ्युवाच - हा वत्स कस्य पापस्य त्वपध्यानादिदं महत्
Then the queen, overwhelmed by great sorrow, spoke these words: The queen said: 'O dear one, by whose sin has this great misfortune—'
दुःखमापतितं घोरं तद्रूपं नोपलभ्यते । हा नाथ राजन् भवता मामपास्य सुदुःखिताम्
This terrible suffering befallen us? Its cause cannot be found. O lord, O king, do not abandon me, so afflicted by grief.