Markandeya Purana

नयास्मानपि राजर्षे यदि धर्ममवेक्षसे । मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र भवतो मुखपङ्कजम्॥७.

Take us also, O royal sage, if you regard righteousness. Wait a moment, O king, so we may see your lotus-like face.

पिबामो नेत्रभ्रमरैः कदा द्रक्ष्यामहे पुनः । यस्य प्रयातस्य पुरो यान्ति पृष्ठे च पार्थिवाः॥७.

Let us drink with our bee-like eyes; when will we see you again? Those who go before and behind the departing king.

तस्यानुयाति भार्येयं गृहीत्वा बालकं सुतम् । यस्य भृत्याः प्रयातस्य यान्तयग्रे कुञ्जचरस्थिताः॥७.

His wife follows him, carrying their young son; his servants, as he departs, walk ahead, standing in the path like elephants.

स एष पद्भ्यां राजेन्द्रो हरिश्चन्द्रोऽद्य गच्छति । हा राजन् सुकुमारं ते सुभ्रु सुत्वचमुन्नसम्॥७.

This king Hariścandra now goes by foot; alas, O king, your tender-skinned, beautiful-browed son walks with you.

पथि पांशुपरिक्लिष्टं मुखं कीदृग्भविष्यति । तिष्ठ तिष्ठ नृपश्रेष्ठ स्वधर्ममनुपालय॥७.

What will his face become, covered with dust along the road? Stay, stay, O foremost of kings, uphold your own duty.

आनृशंस्यं परो धर्मः क्षत्रियाणां विशेषतः । किं दारैः किं सुतैर्नाथ धनैर्धान्यैरथापि वा॥७.

Compassion is the highest duty, especially for Kṣatriyas. What are wives, what are sons, O lord, what are riches or grains?

सर्वमेतत् परित्यज्य छायाभूता वयं तव । हानाथ हा महाराज हा स्वामिन् किं जहासि नः॥७.

Having abandoned all this, we have become your shadow. Alas, O great king, alas, O master, why do you leave us?

यत्र त्वं तत्र हि वयं तत् सुखं यत्र वै भवान् । नगरं तद्भवान् यत्र स स्वर्गो यत्र नो नृपः॥७.

Wherever you are, there we are also; happiness is where you dwell. The city is where you reside, and heaven is wherever our king is.

इति पौरवचः श्रुत्वा राजा शोकपरिप्लुतः । अतिष्ठत् स तदा मार्गे तेषामेवानुकम्पया॥७.

Hearing these words of the townspeople, the king, overwhelmed by sorrow, remained on the path out of compassion for them.

विश्वामित्रोऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा पौरवाक्याकुलीकृतम् । रोषमर्षविवृत्ताक्षः समागम्य वचोऽब्रवीत्॥७.

Seeing him disturbed by the words of the townspeople, Viśvāmitra approached, his eyes wide with anger and indignation, and spoke.

धिक् त्वां दुष्टसमाचारमनृतं जिह्मभाषणम् । मम राज्यं च दत्वा यः पुनः प्राक्रष्टुमिच्छसि॥७.

Shame on you, wicked in conduct, speaking false and crooked words! Having given me my kingdom, why do you now wish to take it back?

इत्युक्तः परुषं तेन गच्छामीति सवेपथुः । ब्रुवन्नेवं ययौ शीघ्रमाकर्षन् दयितां करे॥७.

Addressed so harshly by him, trembling, he said, 'I will go,' and quickly departed, grasping his beloved by the hand.

कर्षतस्तां ततो भार्यां सुकुमारीं श्रमातुराम् । सहसा दण्डकाष्ठेन ताडयामास कौशिकः॥७.

As he dragged his delicate wife, weary from exhaustion, Kauśika suddenly struck her with a stick.

तां तथा ताडितां दृष्ट्वा हरिश्चन्द्रो महीपतिः । गच्छामीत्याह दुः खार्तो नान्यत् किञ्चिदुदाहरत्॥७.

Seeing her struck in this way, King Hariścandra, afflicted with grief, said, 'I will go,' and spoke nothing else.

अथ विश्वे तदा देवाः पञ्च प्राहुः कृपालवः । विश्वामित्रः सुपापोऽयं लोकान् कान् समवाप्स्यति॥७.

Then the five compassionate gods spoke: 'What worlds will Viśvāmitra, so sinful, attain?'

येनायां यज्वनां श्रेष्ठः स्वराज्यादवरोपितः । कस्य वा श्रद्धया पूतं सुतं सोमं महाध्वरे । पीत्वा वयं प्रयास्यामो मुदं मन्त्रपुरः सरम्॥७.

By whom the best of sacrificers has been cast down from his own kingdom—by whose faith will we drink the purified soma at the great sacrifice and depart joyfully, led by the mantras?

; पक्षिण ऊचुः इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा कौशिकोऽतिरुषान्वितः । शशाप तान् मनुष्यत्वं सर्वे यूयमवाप्स्यथ॥७.

Hearing their words, Kauśika, filled with great anger, cursed them: 'All of you shall attain human birth.'

प्रसादितश्च तैः प्राह पुनरेव महामुनिः. मानुषत्वेऽपि भवतां भवित्री नैव सन्ततिः॥७.

Appeased by them, the great sage spoke again: 'Even in your human birth, you shall have no offspring.'

न दारसंग्रहश्चैव भविता न च मत्सरः । कामक्रोधविनिर्मुक्ता भविष्यथ सुराः पुनः॥७.

There will be no taking of wives, nor envy; freed from desire and anger, you will become gods again.

ततोऽवतेरुरंशैः स्वैर्देवास्ते कुरुवेश्मनि । द्रौपदीगर्भसम्भूताः पञ्च वै पाण्डुनन्दनाः॥७.

Then those gods descended by their own portions into the house of Kuru, and the five sons of Pāṇḍu were born from Draupadī's womb.

एतस्मात् कारणात् पञ्च पाण्डवेया महारथाः । न दारसंग्रहं प्राप्ताः शापात् तस्य महामुनेः॥७.

For this reason, the five mighty sons of Pāṇḍu did not take wives, due to the curse of that great sage.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं पाण्डवेयकथाश्रयम् । प्रश्नं चतुष्टयं गीतं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि॥७.

Thus I have told you everything, the basis of the story of the sons of Pāṇḍu, and have sung the fourfold question. What else do you wish to hear?

जैमिनिरुवाच भवद्भिरिदमाख्यातं यथाप्रश्नमनुक्रमात् । महत् कौतूहलं मेऽस्ति हरिश्चन्द्र कथां प्रति॥८.

Jaimini said: You have narrated all this in order, according to my questions. I have great curiosity regarding the story of Hariścandra.

अहो महात्मना तेन प्राप्तं कृच्छ्रमनुत्तमम् । कच्चित् सुखमनुप्राप्तं तादृगेव द्विजोत्तमाः॥८.

Ah! That great-souled one endured the utmost hardship. Did he at last attain happiness, O best of twice-born?

; पक्षिण ऊचुः विश्वामित्रवचः श्रुत्वा स राजा प्रययौ शनैः । शैव्ययानुगतो दुः खी भार्यया बलापुत्रया॥८.

Hearing Viśvāmitra's words, the king slowly departed, followed by his sorrowful wife Śaivya and his son Rohita.

स गत्वा वसुधापालो दिव्यां वाराणसीं पुरीम् । नैषा मनुष्यभोग्येति शूलपाणेः परिग्रहः॥८.

The lord of the earth went to the divine city of Varanasi; it is not for human enjoyment, for it is under the protection of the wielder of the trident.

जगाम पद्भ्यां दुः खार्तः सह पत्न्यानुकूलया । पुरीप्रवेशे ददृशे विश्वामित्रमुपस्थितम्॥८.

Afflicted by sorrow, he went there on foot with his devoted wife; as he entered the city, he saw Visvamitra present.

तं दृष्ट्वा समनुप्राप्तं विनयावनतोऽभवत् । प्राह चैवाञ्जलिं कृत्वा हरिश्चन्द्रो महामुनिम्॥८.

Seeing him arrive, he became humble and respectful; Harishchandra, with joined palms, spoke to the great sage.

इमे प्राणाः सुतश्चायमियं पत्नी मुने ! मम । येन ते कृत्यमस्त्याशु तद्गृहाणार्घ्यमुत्तमम्॥८.

O sage, here are my life, my son, and this wife of mine; whatever you require, accept it at once as the highest offering.