Markandeya Purana

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—

प्राह भद्रे करोम्येष विक्रयं तव निर्घृणः । नृशंसैरपि यद् कर्तुं न शक्यं तत् करोम्यहम्

—said, 'O gentle one, I will sell you, though it is pitiless; I will do what even the cruel-hearted would not do.'

यदि मे शक्यते वाणी वक्तुमीदृक् सुदुर्वचः । एवमुक्त्वा ततो भार्यां गत्वा नागरमातुरः । बाष्पापिहितकण्ठाक्षस्ततो वचनमब्रवीत्॥८.

'If I am able to utter such harsh words...' Having said this, the distressed king went to the city with his wife, his throat and eyes choked with tears, and spoke these words.

; राजोवाच भो भो नागरिकाः सर्वे शृणुध्वं वचनं मम । किं मां पृच्छथ कस्त्वं भो नृशंसोऽहममानुषः॥८.

The king said: 'Ho, ho! All citizens, hear my words. Why do you ask me, "Who are you?" I am cruel, inhuman.'

राक्षसो वातिकठिनस्ततः पापतरोऽपि वा । विक्रेतुं दयितां प्राप्तो यो न प्राणांस्त्यजाम्यहम्॥८.

'I am like a demon, hard-hearted, or even more sinful; for I have come to sell my beloved, yet I do not give up my own life.'

यदि वः कस्यचित् कार्यं दास्या प्राणेष्टया मम । स ब्रीवीतु त्वरायुक्तो यावत् सन्धारयाम्यहम्॥८.

'If any of you has need of a maid, dearer to me than life, let him speak quickly, while I still have the strength to endure.'

; पक्षिण ऊचुः अथ वृद्धो द्विजः कश्चिदागत्याह नराधिपम् । समर्पयस्व मे दासीमहं क्रेता धनप्रदः॥८.

Then an old brahmin approached and said to the king: 'Give her to me as a maid; I am the buyer and will pay the price.'

अस्ति मे वित्तमस्तोकं सुकुमारी च मे प्रिया । गृहकर्म न शक्नोति कर्तुमस्मात् प्रयच्छ मे॥८.

'I have a little wealth, and my beloved is delicate; she cannot perform household tasks, so give her to me.'

कर्मण्यता-वयो-रूप-शीलानां तव योषितः । अनुरूपमिदं वित्तं गृहाणार्पय मेऽबलाम्॥८.

'According to the ability, age, beauty, and character of your wife, this wealth is appropriate; accept it and give me the woman.'

एवमुक्तस्य विप्रेण हरिश्चन्द्रस्य भूपतेः । व्यदीर्यत मनो दुः खान्न चैनं किञ्चिदब्रवीत्॥८.

When the brahmin spoke thus to King Harishchandra, his mind was torn by sorrow, and he said nothing in reply.

ततः स विप्रो नृपतेर्वल्कलान्ते दृढं धनम् । बद्ध्वा केशेष्वथादाय नृपपत्नीमकर्षयत्॥८.

Then the brahmin firmly tied the money in the end of his garment, seized her by the hair, and dragged the queen away.