कृतार्हणं सुखासीनं भूपतिस्तं सुरोत्तमम् । उवाच विनयोपेतो हेतुगर्भं वचस्तदा
The king, after duly honoring him and seating him comfortably, addressed that best of gods with humility, speaking words full of reason.
असंस्कृतं सुतं स्वामिन्यूपे बध्नामि तं कथम् । संस्कत्य क्षत्रियं कृत्वा यजेऽहं यज्ञमुत्तमम्
Master, how can I bind my uninitiated son to the sacrificial post? After initiating him and making him a Kṣatriya, I will perform the supreme sacrifice.
दयसे यदि देव त्वं ज्ञात्वा दीनं स्वसेवकम् । असंस्कृतस्य बालस्य नाधिकारोऽस्ति कुत्रचित्
If you, O god, have compassion, knowing your servant is afflicted, understand that an uninitiated child has no right to any ritual.
वरुण उवाच प्रतारयसि राजेन्द्र कृत्वा समयमग्रतः । दुस्त्यजस्तव जानामि सुतस्नेहो ह्यपुत्रिणः
Varuṇa said: O king of kings, you deceive me after making a promise in my presence; I know well that your affection for your son is hard to abandon, especially for one who was childless.
गृहं व्रजामि भूपाल वचनात्तव कोमलात् । कियत्कालं प्रतीक्ष्याहमागमिष्यामि ते गृहम्
O king, I will return home, moved by your gentle words; after waiting for some time, I will come again to your house.
भवितव्यं त्वया तात तदा सत्यवचोऽन्वितम् । अन्यथा त्वयि मुञ्चामि कोपं शापसमन्वितम्
But then, O dear one, you must keep your word; otherwise, I will unleash my wrath upon you, accompanied by a curse.
राजोवाच समावर्तनकर्मान्ते सर्वथा यादसांपते । कृत्वा पुत्रपशुं यज्ञे यजिष्ये विधिपूर्वकम्
The king said: At the conclusion of the ceremony of returning from study, I will, in every way, fulfill the promise to the lord of the waters; having performed the sacrifice with my son as the sacrificial animal, I shall worship according to the prescribed rites.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राज्ञो वरुणः प्रीतमानसः । तथेत्युक्त्वा ययौ तूर्णं नृपस्तु सुस्थितोऽभवत्
Vyāsa said: Hearing the king’s words, Varuṇa was pleased in his heart; saying 'so be it,' he departed swiftly, while the king remained firm.
रोहिताख्य इति ख्यातः सुतस्तस्य विवृद्धिमान् । सञ्जातश्चतुरः सर्वविद्यानां च विशारदः
His son, renowned as Rohita, grew up; he became accomplished and skilled in all branches of knowledge.
यज्ञस्य कारणं तेन ज्ञातं सर्वं सविस्तरम् । भयभीतस्ततः सोऽपि मत्वा मरणमात्मनः
He learned in detail the entire reason for the sacrifice; then, fearing for his own life, he became terrified.
कृत्वा पलायनं वीरो गतोऽसौ गिरिगह्वरे । अगम्ये नृपतिस्थाने स्थितस्तत्र भयातुरः
Having resolved to flee, the courageous one went into the mountain caves; remaining in a place inaccessible to the king, he stayed there, afflicted by fear.
प्राप्ते कालेऽथ वरुणो यज्ञार्थी नृपतेर्गृहम् । गत्वा तमाह भूपालं कुरु यज्ञं विशांपते
Then, when the time came, Varuṇa, desiring the sacrifice, went to the king’s house; he spoke to the ruler, 'O lord of the people, perform the sacrifice.'
प्रम्लानवदनो राजा तमाह व्यथितेन्द्रियः । किं करोमि गतः क्वापि सुतो मे सुरसत्तम
With a downcast face, the king, his senses distressed, said to him, 'What can I do? Somewhere my son has gone, O best of the gods.'
श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं राज्ञः कुपितो यादसांपतिः । शशाप तं नृपं कोपादसत्यवादिनं भृशम्
Hearing the king’s words, the lord of the waters became angry; in wrath, he cursed the king, who had spoken falsely.
जलोदराभिधो व्याधिर्देहे भवतु ते नृप । यतः प्रतारितश्चाहं कृत्वा कपटपण्डित
Let the disease called 'water-belly' arise in your body, O king; for I have been deceived by you, who acted as a false scholar.
इति शप्त्वा ययौ धाम स्वकं पाशधरस्तदा । राजा चिन्तातुरस्तस्थौ भवने व्याधिपीडितः
Having thus cursed him, the noose-holder departed to his own abode; the king, tormented by disease, remained in his palace, troubled by anxiety.
यदातिव्याधितो राजा रोगेण शापजेन ह । तदा शुश्राव पुत्रोऽपि पितरं व्याधिपीडितम्
When the king was greatly afflicted by the disease caused by the curse, then his son heard that his father was suffering from illness.
पान्थिकः प्राह पुत्रं हि पिता ते भृशदुःखितः । जलोदरविकारेण शापजेन नृपात्मज
A traveler said to the son, 'Your father is greatly distressed, O prince, by the disease of water-belly brought on by the curse.'
विनष्टं जीवितं तेऽद्य वृथा जातस्य दुर्मते । यत्त्यक्त्वा पितरं दुःस्थं प्राप्तोऽसि गिरिगह्वरम्
Your life is lost today, uselessly born, O misguided one; for you abandoned your suffering father and came to the mountain cave.
किमनेन शरीरेण प्राप्तं ते जन्मनः फलम् । देहदं दुःखितं कृत्वा स्थितोऽस्यत्र सुताधम
What fruit has your birth brought you with this body? Having caused your father’s body to suffer, you remain here, O worst among sons.
प्राणास्त्याज्याः पितुः कार्ये सत्पुत्रेणेति निश्चयः । त्वदर्थे दुःखितो राजा क्रन्दति व्याधिपीडितः
It is determined that a good son must give up his life for his father’s sake; the king, suffering because of you, cries out, afflicted by disease.
व्यास उवाच तदाकर्ण्य वचस्तथ्यं पान्थिकाद्धर्मसंयुतम् । यदा चक्रे मनो गन्तुं द्रष्टुं तातं व्यथातुरम्
Vyāsa said: Hearing those truthful and righteous words from the traveler, he resolved in his mind to go and see his suffering father.
तदा विप्रवपुर्भूत्वा वासवस्तमुपागमत् । रहः प्राह हितं वाक्यं दयावानिव भारत
Then, having assumed the form of a Brāhmaṇa, Indra approached him; in private, he spoke words of advice, as if compassionately, O descendant of Bharata.
मूर्खोऽसि राजपुत्र त्वं गमनाय मतिं वृथा । करोषि पितरं त्वद्य न जानासि व्यथायुतम्
You are foolish, O prince, for you vainly resolve to go; today you do not understand that your father is afflicted with pain.
आडीबकयुद्ध वर्णनसहितं देवीमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् इन्द्र उवाच साहसं कृतवान् राजा पूर्वं यत्कथितो मखः । वरुणाय प्रतिज्ञातः पुत्रं कृत्वा पशुं प्रियम्
Indra said: The king once performed a bold act, as has been told before—the sacrifice—having promised Varuṇa to offer his beloved son as the sacrificial animal.
गते त्वयि पिता पुत्रं बद्ध्वा यूपेऽघृणः पुनः । पशुं कृत्वा महाबुद्धे वधिष्यति व्यथातुरः
When you had departed, his pitiless father bound his son to the sacrificial post again, and, making him the sacrificial animal, intended to kill him, tormented by anxiety.
इत्थं निषिद्धस्तत्पुत्रः शक्रेणामिततेजसा । स्थितस्तत्रैव मायेशीमायया मोहितो भृशम्
Thus, when the son was forbidden by Śakra, of immeasurable brilliance, he remained there, greatly deluded by the Māyā of the Goddess of Illusion.
यदा पुनः पुनः श्रुत्वा पितरं रोगपीडितम् । गमनाय मतिं चक्रे तदेन्द्रः प्रत्यषेधयत्
But when he repeatedly heard that his father was afflicted by disease, he resolved to go, but Indra restrained him.
हरिश्चन्द्रोऽतिदुःखार्तः पप्रच्छ गुरुमन्तिके । स्थितं वसिष्ठमेकान्ते सर्वज्ञं हिततत्परम्
Harishchandra, overwhelmed by intense sorrow, approached his guru, Vasiṣṭha, who was alone and all-knowing, intent on his welfare, and questioned him.
राजोवाच भगवन् कि करोम्यद्य कातरोऽस्मि व्यथाकुलः । त्राहि मां दुःखमनसं महाव्याधिभयातुरम्
The king said: O venerable one, what shall I do today? I am fearful and distressed; save me, whose mind is troubled, from this great fear of disease.