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.
कस्मिन्संस्थीयते स्थाने विश्रब्धं केन हेतुना । राज्यनाशं सुहृत्त्यागो भार्यातनयविक्रयः
In what place, and for what reason, can one calmly endure the loss of a kingdom, the abandonment of friends, and the sale of wife and son?
हरिश्चन्द्रस्य राजर्षेः किं विधातः कृतं त्वया । इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा राजा स्थानच्युतस्तदा
O Creator, what have you done to the royal sage Harishchandra? Hearing her words, the king then lost his composure.
प्रत्यभिज्ञाय देवीं तां पुत्रं च निधनं गतम् । कष्टं ममैव पत्नीयं बालकश्चापि मे सुतः
Recognizing that woman as his queen and seeing his son dead, he thought, 'Alas, it is my own wife and my own young son.'
ज्ञात्वा पपात सन्तप्तो मूर्च्छामतिजगाम ह । सा च तं प्रत्यभिज्ञाय तामवस्थामुपागतम्
Realizing this, he fell down, tormented, and was overcome by fainting; and she, recognizing him and his condition,
मूर्च्छिता निपपातार्ता निश्चेष्टा धरणीतले । चेतनां प्राप्य राजेन्द्रो राजपत्नी च तौ समम्
also fell to the ground, stricken and motionless in her grief. Regaining consciousness, the king and queen both,
विलेपतुः सुसन्तप्तौ शोकभारेण पीडितौ । राजोवाच - हा वत्स सुकुमारं ते वदनं कुञ्चितालकम्
wept bitterly, overwhelmed by the weight of sorrow. The king said: 'Alas, my child, your delicate face with curling locks—
पश्यतो मे मुखं दीनं हृदयं किं न दीर्यते । तात तातेति मधुरं ब्रुवाणं स्वयमागतम्
as I look upon your distressed face, why does my heart not break? Sweetly calling out ‘Father, Father,’ you would come to me.
उपगुह्य कदा वक्ष्ये वत्सवत्सेति सौहृदात् । कस्य जानुप्रणीतेन पिङ्गेन क्षितिरेणुना
When will I, out of affection, embrace you and say, ‘My dear child’? Whose dust-stained knees and tawny limbs,
ममोत्तरीयमुत्सङ्गं तथाङ्गं मलमेष्यति । न वालं मम सम्भूतं मनो हृदयनन्दन
will soil my upper garment and body? Not a single hair of mine, O joy of my heart, was produced by you.
(मयासि पितृमान्पित्रा विक्रीतो येन वस्तुवत् ।) गतं राज्यमशेषं मे सबान्धवधनं महत् । (हीनदैवान्नृशंसेन दृष्टो मे तनयस्ततः ।) अहं महाहिदष्टस्य पुत्रस्याननपङ्कजम्
(You have a father in me, yet I sold you as if you were a mere object.) My entire kingdom, along with my great wealth and relatives, is gone. (Because of cruel fate, my son was seen by me in such a state.) Now I behold the lotus face of my son, bitten by a great serpent.