Markandeya Purana

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.

यद्वान्यत् कार्यमस्माभिस्तदनुज्ञातुमर्हसि॥८.

Or if there is any other task for us, you should permit it.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच पूर्णः स मासो राजर्षे दीयतां मम दक्षिणा । राजसूयनिमित्तं हि स्मर्यते स्ववचो यदि॥८.

Visvamitra said: The month is now complete, O royal sage; give me my fee, for it was promised by you for the Rajasuya sacrifice, if you remember your word.

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच ब्राह्मन्नद्यैव सम्पूर्णो मासोऽम्लानतपोधन । तिष्ठत्येतद् दनार्धं यत्तत् प्रतीक्षस्व माचिरम्॥८.

Harishchandra said: O Brahmin, the month is indeed complete today, O possessor of unfading austerity; please wait a little for the remaining half of the gift.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच एवमस्तु महाराज आगमिष्याम्यहं पुनः । शापं तव प्रदास्यामि न चेदद्य प्रदास्यसि॥८.

Visvamitra said: So be it, great king; I will come again. But if you do not give it today, I will pronounce a curse upon you.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः इत्युक्त्वा प्रययौ विप्रो राजा चाचिन्तयत् तदा । कथमस्मै प्रदास्यामि दक्षिणा या प्रतिश्रुता॥८.

Having said this, the sage departed, and the king then thought, 'How shall I give the promised fee to him?'

कुतः पुष्टानि मित्राणि कुतोर्ऽथः साम्प्रतं मम । प्रतिग्रहः प्रदुष्टो मे नाहं यायामधः कथम्॥८.

Where are my prosperous friends now, and where is my wealth? Accepting gifts is forbidden to me; how could I go to ruin?

किमु प्राणान् विमुञ्चामि कां दिशं याम्यकिञ्चनः । यदि नाशं गमिष्यामि अप्रदाय प्रतिश्रुतम्॥८.

Should I abandon my life? To which direction shall I go, destitute? If I perish without giving what I promised—

ब्रह्मस्वहृत्कृमिः पापो भविष्याम्यधमाधमः । अथवा प्रेष्यतां यास्ये वरमेवात्मविक्रयः॥८.

I will become the lowest of the low, a sinner, a worm in the heart of Brahman; or else, let me be sold as a servant—better to sell myself.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः राजानं व्याकुलं दीनं चिन्तयानमधोमुखम् । प्रत्युवाच तदा पत्नी बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा॥८.

Seeing the king troubled, dejected, and bowed down in thought, his wife then addressed him with words choked by tears.

त्यज चिन्तां महारजा स्वसत्यमनुपालय । श्मशानवद् वर्जनीयो नरः सत्यबहिष्कृतः॥८.

Abandon your anxiety, great king, and uphold your truth; a man who abandons truth should be shunned like a cremation ground.