Markandeya Purana

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?'

इत्युक्त्वा स नरश्रेष्ठो धिग्धिगित्यसकृद् ब्रुवन् । निपपात महीपृष्ठे मूर्च्छयाभिपरिप्लुतः॥८.

Having spoken thus, that foremost of men, repeatedly crying 'Fie, fie!', fell to the ground, overcome by faintness.

शयानं भुवि तं दृष्ट्वा हरिश्चन्द्रं महीपतिम् । उवाचेदं सकरुणं राजपत्नी सुदुः खिता॥८.

Seeing Harishchandra, the king, lying on the ground, his queen, deeply distressed, spoke these words with great sorrow.

; पत्न्युवाच हा महारजा कस्येदमपध्यानमुपस्थितम् । यत् त्वं निपतितो भूमौ राङ्कवास्तरणोचितः॥८.

His wife said: 'Alas, great king, what misfortune has come upon you, that you lie fallen on the ground, who once were accustomed to royal couches?'

येन कोट्यग्रगोवित्तं विप्राणामपवर्जितम् । स एष पृथिवीनाथो भूमौ स्वपिति मे पतिः॥८.

'He who possessed wealth surpassing tens of millions of cows, untainted by Brahmins, this lord of the earth, my husband, now sleeps on the ground.'

हा कष्टं किं तवानेन कृतं देव ! महीक्षिता । यदिन्द्रोपेन्द्रतुल्योऽयं नीतः प्रस्वापनीं दशाम्॥८.

'Alas, what harm have you done, O king, that you, equal to Indra and Upendra, have been brought to this pitiable state of sleep?'

इत्युक्त्वा सापि सुश्रोणी मूर्च्छिता निपपात ह । भर्तृदुः खमहाभारेणासह्येन निपीडिता॥८.

Having spoken thus, that lovely-hipped lady also fainted and fell, crushed by the unbearable weight of her husband's sorrow.

तौ तथा पतितौ भूमावनाथौ पितरौ शिशुः । दृष्ट्वात्यन्तं क्षुधाविष्टः प्राह वाक्यं सुदुः खितः॥८.

Seeing both his parents fallen helpless on the ground, the child, tormented by hunger, spoke these words in great distress.

तात तात ! ददस्वान्नमम्बाम्ब ! भोजनं दद । क्षुन्मे बलवती जाता जिह्वाग्रं शुष्यते तथा॥८.

'Father, father! Give me food! Mother, mother! Give me something to eat! My hunger is intense, my tongue is parched.'

; पक्षिण ऊचुः एतस्मिन्नन्तरे प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः । दृष्ट्वा तु तं हरिश्चन्द्रं पतितं भुवि मूर्च्छितम्॥८.

At that moment, the great sage Vishvamitra arrived; seeing Harishchandra fallen on the ground in a faint—

स वारिणा समभ्युक्ष्य राजानमिदमब्रवीत् । उत्तिष्ठोतिष्ठ राजेन्द्र तां ददस्वेष्टदक्षिणाम्॥८.

He sprinkled water on the king and said: 'Rise, rise, O king of kings! Give now the desired gift.'

ऋणं धारयतो दुः खमहन्यहनि वर्धन्ते । आप्याय्यमानः स तदा हिमशीतेन वारिणा॥८.

'For one who bears a debt, sorrow increases day by day; so he, being revived by cold water, was thus addressed.'

अवाप्य चेतनां राजा विश्वामित्रमवेक्ष्य च । पुनर्मोहं समापेदे स च क्रोधं ययौ मुनिः॥८.

Regaining consciousness, the king looked upon Vishvamitra; but again he fell into a swoon, and the sage became angry.

स समाश्वास्य राजानं वाक्यमाह द्विजोत्तमः । दीयतां दक्षिणा सा मे यदि धर्ममवेक्षसे॥८.

Then, having reassured the king, the foremost of the twice-born spoke these words: 'If you regard righteousness, give me my due reward.'

सत्येनार्कः प्रतपति सत्ये तिष्ठति मेदिनी । सत्यं चोक्तं परो धर्मः स्वर्गः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः॥८.

By truth the sun shines, upon truth the earth stands firm; truth, it is said, is the highest dharma, and heaven is established upon truth.

अश्वमेधसहस्रं च सत्यं च तुलया धृतम् । अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेव विशिष्यते॥८.

If a thousand horse sacrifices and truth were weighed on a scale, truth would surpass a thousand horse sacrifices.

अथवा किं ममैतेन साम्ना प्रोक्तेन कारणम् । अनार्त्ये पापसङ्कल्पे क्रूरे चानृतवादिनि॥८.

Or else, what use is there for me in this conciliatory speech? What reason is there to speak to one who is destitute, of wicked intent, cruel, and a speaker of falsehood?

त्वयि राज्ञि प्रभवति सद्भावः श्रूयतामयम् । अद्य मे दक्षिणां राजन् न दास्यति भवान् यदि॥८.

Since you, O king, possess authority, listen to this: if today you do not give me my reward, then—

अस्ताचलं प्रयातेर्ऽके शप्स्यामि त्वां ततो ध्रुवम् । इत्युक्त्वा स ययौ विप्रो राजा चासीद्भयातुरः॥८.

'When the sun sets behind the western mountain, I shall curse you—then surely it will be so.' Having said this, the brahmin departed, and the king was seized by fear.

कान्दिग्भूतोऽधमो निः स्वो नृशंसधनिनार्दितः । भार्यास्य भूयः प्राहेदं क्रियतां वचनं मम॥८.

Reduced to misery, degraded, bereft of wealth, tormented by the harsh words of the brahmin, his wife again said to him: 'Do as I say.'

मा शापानलनिर्दग्धः पञ्चत्वमुपयास्यसि । स तथा चोद्यमानस्तु राजा पत्न्या पुनः पुनः॥८.

'Do not, consumed by the fire of a curse, meet your end.' Thus, urged again and again by his wife, the king—