स्वोत्तरीयैः प्रकुर्वन्ति विरजस्कं महीतलम् । सोऽयं कपालसंलग्ने घटीपटनिरन्तरे
Those who once covered the earth with their spotless upper garments, now this one, bound with skulls, with the constant sound of the time-measuring bell—
मृतनिर्माल्यसूत्रान्तर्लग्नकेशसुदारुणे । वसानिष्पन्दसंशुष्कमहापटलमण्डिते
Clad in dreadful garlands of remnants from the dead, with hair entangled within, adorned with a great cloth stiff and dry with unmoving fat—
भस्माङ्गारार्धदग्धास्थिमज्जासंघट्टभीषणे । गृध्रगोमायुनादार्ते पुष्टक्षुद्रविहङ्गमे
Frightening with half-burnt ashes, coals, bones, and marrow, tormented by the cries of vultures and jackals, and the shrill calls of small birds—
चिताधूमायतपटे नीलीकृतदिगन्तरे । कुणपास्वादनमुदा सम्प्रकृष्टनिशाचरे
On a cloth blackened by the smoke of the funeral pyre, with the quarters darkened, delighting in the taste of corpses, surrounded by fierce night-wanderers—
चरत्यमेध्ये राजेन्द्रः श्मशाने दुःखपीडितः । एवमुक्त्वाथ संश्लिष्य कण्ठे राज्ञो नृपात्मजा
The king, O lord of kings, wanders in the impure cremation ground, afflicted by sorrow. Having spoken thus, the princess embraced the king’s neck—
कष्टं शोकसमाविष्टा विललापार्तया गिरा । राजन् स्वप्नोऽथ तथ्यं वा यदेतन्मन्यते भवान्
Overcome by grief, she lamented in a voice full of pain: 'O king, is this a dream or reality, as you think?'
तत्कथ्यतां महाभाग मनो वै मुह्यते मम । यद्येतदेव धर्मज्ञ नास्ति धर्मे सहायता
'Tell me, O blessed one, for my mind is bewildered. If this is truly so, O knower of dharma, there is no help in righteousness.'
तथैव विप्रदेवादिपूजने सत्यपालने । नास्ति धर्मः कुतः सत्यं नार्जवं नानृशंसता
'Likewise, in the worship of brahmins, gods, and in the keeping of truth, if there is no dharma, then what truth, what honesty, what compassion can there be?'
यत्र त्वं धर्मपरमः स्वराज्यादवरोपितः । सूत उवाच - इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा निःश्वस्योष्णं सगद्गदः
'Where you, devoted to dharma, have been cast down from your own kingdom.' The Sūta said: Hearing her words, he sighed hotly and, his voice choked, replied—
कथयामास तन्वङ्ग्यै यथा प्राप्तः श्वपाकताम् । रुदित्वा सा तु सुचिरं निःश्वस्योष्णं सुदुःखिता
He began to tell the slender-waisted one how he had come to this state of outcaste. She, after weeping for a long time, sighing hotly and deeply distressed—
स्वपुत्रमरणं भीरुर्यथावत्तं न्यवेदयत् । श्रुत्वा राजा तथा वाक्यं निपपात महीतले
Fearful, she reported the death of her own son as it had happened. Hearing her words, the king fell to the ground—
मृतपुत्रं समानीय जिह्वया विलिहन्मुहुः । हरिश्चन्द्रमथो प्राह शैव्या गद्गदया गिरा
Bringing his dead son close, he licked him again and again with his tongue. Then Hariścandra spoke to Śaivyā with a faltering voice—
कुरुष्व स्वामिनः प्रेष्यं छेदयित्वा शिरो मम । स्वामिद्रोहो न तेऽस्त्वद्य मासत्यो भव भूपते
'Do the bidding of your master—cut off my head. Let there be no betrayal of your master today, O king.'
मासत्यं तव राजेन्द्र परद्रोहस्तु पातकम् । एतदाकर्ण्य राजा तु पपात भुवि मूर्च्छितः
'Let there be no unfaithfulness to your master, O king; but betrayal of another is a sin.' Hearing this, the king fell unconscious to the ground—
क्षणेन चेतनां प्राप्य विललापातिदुःखितः । राजोवाच - कथं प्रिये त्वया प्रोक्तं वचनं त्वतिनिष्ठुरम्
Regaining consciousness after a moment, overwhelmed by grief, he lamented: The king said: 'How, my dear, could you speak such harsh words—'
यदशक्यं भवेद्वक्तुं तत्कर्म क्रियते कथम् । पत्न्युवाच - मया च पूजिता गौरी देवा विप्रास्तथैव च
'Words that are impossible even to utter—how could such an act be done?' The queen said: 'I have worshipped Gaurī, the gods, and the brahmins as well.'
भविष्यसि पतिस्त्वं मे ह्यन्यस्मिञ्जन्मनि प्रभो । श्रुत्वा राजा तदा वाक्यं निपपात महीतले
You shall be my husband in another birth, O Lord; hearing these words, the king then fell to the ground.
मृतस्य पुत्रस्य तदा चुचुम्ब दुःखितो मुखम् । राजोवाच - प्रिये न रोचते दीर्घं कालं क्लेशं मयाशितुम्
Then, grieving, he kissed the face of his dead son; the king said: 'Beloved, I cannot bear to endure such suffering for long.'
नात्मायत्तोऽहं तन्वङ्गि पश्य मे मन्दभाग्यताम् । चाण्डालेनाननुज्ञातः प्रवेक्ष्ये ज्वलनं यदि
I am not master of myself, slender-waisted one; see my misfortune. If the outcaste does not permit, I shall enter the fire.
चाण्डालदासतां यास्ये पुनरप्यन्यजन्मनि । नरकं च वरं प्राप्य खेदं प्राप्स्यामि दारुणम्
I shall become a servant of outcastes in another birth again, or, having attained hell, I shall suffer terrible torment.
तापं प्राप्स्यामि सम्प्राप्य महारौरवरौरवे । मग्नस्य दुःखजलधौ वरं प्राणैर्वियोजनम्
I shall experience torment, having reached the great Raurava hell; for one sunk in the ocean of sorrow, separation from life is preferable.
कथं प्राणान्विमुञ्चामि परायत्तोऽस्मि दुर्गतः । तथापि दुःखबाहुल्यात्त्यक्ष्यामि तु निजां तनुम्
How can I give up my life? I am helpless and destitute; yet, because of the abundance of sorrow, I will abandon my own body.
त्रैलोक्ये नास्ति तद्दुःखं नासिपत्रवने तथा । वैतरण्यां कुतस्तद्वद्यादृशं पुत्रविप्लवे
There is no suffering like this in the three worlds, nor even in the forest of sword-leaves, nor in the Vaitarani river—how could there be such as this, the loss of a son?
सोऽहं सुतशरीरेण दीप्यमाने हुताशने । निपतिष्यामि तन्वङ्गि क्षन्तव्यं तन्ममाधुना
I shall fall, slender-waisted one, into the blazing fire with my son's body; forgive me for this now.
न वक्तव्य त्वया किञ्चिदतः कमललोचने । मम वाक्यं च तन्वङ्गि निबोधाहतमानसा
You must not say anything further, lotus-eyed one; slender-waisted one, listen to my words, though my mind is struck down.
अनुज्ञाताथ गच्छ त्वं विप्रवेश्म शुचिस्मिते । यदि दत्तं यदि हुतं गुरवो यदि तोषिताः
Now, with my permission, go to the house of the Brahmin, O pure-smiling one; if gifts have been given, if offerings made, if the teachers have been satisfied—
सङ्गमः परलोके मे निजपुत्रेण चेत्त्वया । इहलोके कुतस्त्वेतद्भविष्यति समीप्सितम्
If, in the next world, you and I are united with our own son, how could such a wish be fulfilled in this world?
यन्मया हसता किञ्चिद्रहसि त्वां शुचिस्मिते । अशेषमुक्तं तत्सर्वं क्षन्तव्यं मम यास्यतः
If ever I laughed at you in private, O pure-smiling one, all that I have said—let it be forgiven as I depart.
राजपत्नीति गर्वेण नावज्ञेयः स मे द्विजः । सर्वयत्नेन तोष्यं स्यात्स्वामी दैवतवच्छुभे
Because of the pride of being a royal wife, do not look down on that Brahmin; by every effort, the master should be pleased, O auspicious one, as if he were a deity.
राज्ञ्युवाच अहमप्यत्र राजर्षे निपतिष्ये हुताशने । दुःखभारासहा देव सह यास्यामि वै त्वया
The queen said: 'I too, O royal sage, shall fall into the fire here; unable to bear the weight of sorrow, I will go with you, O Lord.'