Markandeya Purana

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.

नातः परतरं धर्मं वदन्ति पुरुषस्य तु । यादृशं पुरुषव्याघ्र स्वसत्यपरिपालनम्॥८.

O tiger among men, they say there is no higher duty for a person than the preservation of his own truth.

अग्निहोत्रमधीतं वा दानाद्याश्चाखिलाः क्रियाः । भजन्ते तस्य वैफल्यं यस्य वाक्यमकारणम्॥८.

Whether one has performed the Agnihotra or all acts of charity, all these become fruitless for one whose word is unfulfilled.

सत्यमत्यन्तमुदितं धर्मशास्त्रेषु धीमताम् । तारणायानृतं तद्वत् पातनायाकृतात्मनाम्॥८.

Truth is declared supreme in the scriptures of the wise; for crossing over, untruth is like a raft, but for the unsteady, it leads to downfall.

सप्ताश्वमेधानाहृत्य राजसूयं च पार्थिवः । कृतिर्नाम च्युतः स्वर्गादसत्यवचनात् सकृत्॥८.

Having performed seven Ashvamedha sacrifices and a Rajasuya, a king falls from heaven by a single false word.

राजन् जातमपत्यं मे इत्युक्त्वा प्ररुरोद ह । बाष्पाम्बुप्लुतनेत्रान्तामुवाचेदं महीपतिः॥८.

O King, saying, 'My child is born,' she began to weep; her eyes filled with tears, and the king spoke to her these words.

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच विमुञ्च भद्रे सन्तापमयं तिष्ठति बालकः । उच्यतां वक्तुकामासि यद्वा त्वं गजगामिनि॥८.

Harishchandra said: 'Compose yourself, good lady, do not grieve; the child is alive. Speak, O elephant-gaited one, if you wish to say something.'

; पत्न्युवाच राजन् जातमपत्यं मे सतां पुत्रफलाः स्त्रियः । स मां प्रदाय वित्तेन देहि विप्राय दक्षिणाम्॥८.

His wife said: 'O King, my child is born; for virtuous women, sons are their reward. Therefore, give me away with wealth as a gift to the Brahmin.'

; पक्षिण ऊचुः एतद्वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य ययौ मोहं महीपतिः । प्रतिलभ्य च संज्ञां स विललापातिदुः खितः॥८.

Hearing these words, the king fell into a swoon; regaining consciousness, he lamented, overwhelmed by intense sorrow.

महद्दुः खमिदं भद्रे यत् त्वमेवं ब्रवीषि माम् । किं तव स्मितसंलापा मम पापस्य विस्मृताः॥८.

'This is a great sorrow, dear one, that you speak to me in this way. Have you forgotten the smiles and gentle words you once shared with this sinful man?'

हा हा कथं त्वया शक्यं वक्तुमेतत् शुचिस्मिते । दुर्वाच्यमेतद्वचनं कर्तुं शक्नोम्यहं कथम्॥८.

'Alas, alas! How could you, pure-smiled one, utter such words? How can I, too, bring myself to say such unspeakable things?'