तिष्ठन्ति तानपास्यैवं कथं यास्याम्यहं दिवम् । ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं गोवधः स्त्रीवधस्तथा
'Remain there, abandoned thus; how then can I go to heaven? Killing a Brahmin, drinking liquor, killing a cow, and killing a woman,'
तुल्यमेभिर्महत्पापं भक्तत्यागादुदाहृतम् । भजन्तं भक्तमत्याज्यं त्यजतः स्यात्कथं सुखम्
'Are declared to be great sins equal to forsaking a devotee. How can happiness arise for one who abandons a devotee who is devoted?'
तैर्विना न प्रयास्यामि तस्माच्छक्र दिवं व्रज । यदि ते सहिताः स्वर्गं मया यान्ति सुरेश्वर
Without them, I will not depart; therefore, O wielder of the discus, go to heaven. If they may go to heaven together with me, O Lord of the gods—
ततोऽहमपि यास्यामि नरकं वापि तैः सह । इन्द्र उवाच - बहूनि पुण्यपापानि तेषां भिन्नानि वै नृप
Then I too shall go, even to hell, together with them. Indra said: Their merits and demerits, O king, are indeed diverse.
कथं सङ्घातभोज्यं त्वं भूप स्वर्गमभीप्ससि । हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच - भुङ्क्ते शक्र नृपो राज्यं प्रभावात्प्रकृतेध्रुवम्
How do you, who have eaten in common with them, O king, desire to attain heaven? Harishchandra said: O Shakra, a king enjoys his realm by the power of his people, certainly.
यजते च महायज्ञैः कर्म पूर्तं करोति च । तच्च तेषां प्रभावेण मया सर्वमनुष्ठितम्
He performs great sacrifices and accomplishes works of merit; and all this has been performed by me through their power.
उपदादान्न संत्यक्ष्ये तानहं स्वर्गलिप्सया । तस्माद्यन्मम देवेश किञ्चिदस्ति सुचेष्टितम्
For the sake of attaining heaven, I will not abandon them whom I have nourished. Therefore, O Lord of the gods, whatever good deeds I have performed—
दत्तमिष्टमथो जप्तं सामान्यं तैस्तदस्तु नः । बहुकालोपभोज्यं च फलं यन्मम कर्मगम्
Whatever has been given, offered, or recited by me, let that be shared with them; and whatever fruit of my actions has been enjoyed over many years—
तदस्तु दिनमप्येकं तैः समं त्वप्रसादतः । सूत उवाच - एवं भविष्यतीत्युक्त्वा शक्रस्त्रिभुवनेश्वरः
Let that, by your grace, be granted for even a single day together with them.
प्रसन्नचेता धर्मश्च विश्वामित्रश्च गाधिजः । गत्वा तु नगरं सर्वे चातुर्वर्ण्यसमाकुलम्
Suta said: Having declared, 'So it shall be,' the lord of the three worlds, Shakra, with a pleased mind, together with Dharma and Vishvamitra, son of Gadhi, all went to the city filled with the four orders.
हरिश्चन्द्रस्य निकटे प्रोवाच विबुधाधिपः । आगच्छन्तु जनाः शीघ्रं स्वर्गलोकं सुदुर्लभम्
Near Harishchandra, the lord of the gods proclaimed: 'Let the people quickly come to the heavenly world, so difficult to attain.'
धर्मप्रसादात्सम्प्राप्तं सर्वैर्युष्माभिरेव तु । हरिश्चन्द्रोऽपि तान्सर्वाञ्जनान्नगरवासिनः
'It has been attained by all of you alone, through the grace of Dharma.' Harishchandra also addressed all the city-dwellers:
प्राह राजा धर्मपरो दिवमारुह्यतामिति । सूत उवाच - तदिन्द्रस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रीतास्तस्य च भूपतेः
The king devoted to righteousness said, 'Ascend to heaven.' Suta said: Hearing those words of Indra, and of that king—
ये संसारेषु निर्विण्णास्ते धुरं स्वसुतेषु वै । कृत्वा प्रहृष्टमनसो दिवमारुरुहुर्जनाः
Those who were disillusioned with worldly existence, having placed their burdens upon their sons, ascended to heaven with joyful hearts.
विमानवरमारूढाः सर्वे भास्वरविग्रहाः । तदा सम्भूतहर्षास्ते हरिश्चन्द्रश्च पार्थिवः
All, having mounted splendid aerial chariots, their forms shining, then, filled with joy, together with King Harishchandra—
राज्येऽभिषिच्य तनयं रोहिताख्यं महामनाः । अयोध्याख्ये पुरे रम्ये हृष्टपुष्टजनान्विते
That great-souled king installed his son named Rohita in the kingdom, in the delightful city called Ayodhya, filled with happy and prosperous people.
तनयं सुहृदश्चापि प्रतिपूज्याभिनन्द्य च । पुण्येन लभ्यां विपुलां देवादीनां सुदुर्लभाम्
Having honored and blessed his son and friends, he attained, through merit, the vast and incomparable fame, so difficult even for the gods to obtain.
सम्प्राप्य कीर्तिमतुलां विमाने स महीपतिः । आसाञ्चक्रे कामगमे क्षुद्रघण्टाविराजिते
That renowned king, having attained unparalleled glory in the celestial chariot, dwelt there as he wished, amidst the ringing of small bells.
ततस्तर्हि समालोक्य श्लोकमन्त्रं तदा जगौ । दैत्याचार्यो महाभागः सर्वशास्त्रार्थतत्त्ववित्
Then, beholding this, the great and fortunate preceptor of the Daityas, master of all the meanings and truths of the scriptures, recited a verse.
शुक्र उवाच - अहो तितिक्षामाहात्म्यमहो दानफलं महत् । यदागतो हरिश्चन्द्रो महेन्द्रस्य सलोकताम्
Shukra said: 'Oh, the greatness of forbearance! Oh, the great fruit of generosity, by which Harishchandra has attained the same world as Mahendra!'
सूत उवाच - एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यानं हरिश्चन्द्रस्य चेष्टितम् । यः शृणोति च दुःखार्तः स सुखं लभतेऽन्वहम्
Sūta said: This entire account of Hariścandra’s deeds has been told to you; whoever, being afflicted by sorrow, hears it, obtains happiness day by day.
स्वर्गार्थी प्राप्नुयात् स्वर्गं सुतार्थी सुतमाप्नुयात् । भार्यार्थी प्राप्नुयाद्भार्यां राज्यार्थीं राज्यमाप्नुयात्
One who seeks heaven attains heaven, one who desires a son obtains a son; one who wishes for a wife gains a wife, and one who seeks a kingdom acquires a kingdom.
शताक्षीचरित्रवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच - विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं हरिश्चन्द्रस्य कीर्तितम् । शताक्षीपादभक्तस्य राजर्षेर्धार्मिकस्य च
The story of Śatākṣī is described. Janamejaya said: This marvelous tale of Hariścandra has been recounted, of the royal sage devoted to the feet of Śatākṣī and steadfast in righteousness.
शताक्षी सा कुतो जाता देवी भगवती शिवा । तत्कारणं वद मुने सार्थकं जन्म मे कुरु
From where was that goddess Śatākṣī, the blessed and auspicious one, born? Tell me the reason, O sage, and make my birth meaningful.
को हि देव्या गुणाञ्छृण्वंस्तृप्तिं यास्यति शुद्धधीः । पदे पदेऽश्वमेधस्य फलमक्षय्यमश्नुते
For who, upon hearing the virtues of the goddess, would not attain satisfaction, being pure of mind? At every step, one enjoys the inexhaustible fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
व्यास उवाच - शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि शताक्षीसम्भवं शुभम् । तवावाच्यं न मे किञ्चिद्देवीभक्तस्य विद्यते
Vyāsa said: Hear, O king, I shall tell you the auspicious origin of Śatākṣī. For a devotee of the goddess, there is nothing I would withhold from you.
दुर्गमाख्यो महादैत्यः पूर्वं परमदारुणः । हिरण्याक्षान्वये जातो रुरुपुत्रो महाखलः
There was formerly a great and exceedingly fierce demon named Durgama, born in the lineage of Hiraṇyākṣa, the wicked son of Ruru.
देवानां तु बलं वेदो नाशे तस्य सुरा अपि नंक्ष्यन्त्येव न संदेहो विधेयं तावदेव तत्
The strength of the gods is the Veda; if that is destroyed, the gods themselves will surely perish—there is no doubt. Therefore, this must be accomplished.
विमृश्यैतत्तपश्चर्यां गतः कर्तुं हिमालये । ब्रह्माणं मनसा ध्यात्वा वायुभक्षो व्यतिष्ठत
Having considered this, he went to perform austerities in the Himalayas, meditating on Brahmā in his mind, and subsisted on air alone.
सहस्रवर्षपर्यन्तं चकार परमं तपः । तेजसा तस्य लोकास्तु सन्तप्ताः ससुरासुराः
For a thousand years he performed supreme austerity; by his energy, the worlds, along with the gods and demons, became scorched.