Markandeya Purana

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.

रुरोद रोहिताश्वोऽपि दृष्ट्वा कृष्टां तु मातरम् । हस्तेन वस्त्रमाकर्षन् काकपक्षधरः शिशुः॥८.

Rohitāśva too began to weep when he saw his mother being dragged away, the child with hair like raven's wings clutching her garment with his hand.

; राजपत्न्युवाच मुञ्चार्य मुञ्च तावन्मां यावत्पश्याम्यहं शिशुम् । दुर्लभं दर्शनं तात पुनरस्य भविष्यति॥८.

The queen said: 'Release me, priest, release me for a moment, so that I may see my child; O dear one, it will be difficult for me to see him again.'

पश्यैहि वत्स मामेवं मातरं दास्यतां गताम् । मां मा स्प्रार्क्षो राजपुत्र ! अस्पृश्याहं तवाधुना॥८.

Look at me, my child, as I am now being taken away to serve as a slave; do not touch me, prince, for I am no longer to be touched by you.

ततः स बालः सहसा दृष्ट्वा कृष्टां तु मातरम् । समभ्यधावदम्बेति रुदन् सास्त्राविलेक्षणः॥८.

Then that boy, suddenly seeing his mother being dragged away, ran after her crying 'Mother!' his eyes filled with tears.

तमागतं द्विजः क्रोधाद्वालमभ्याहनत् पदा । वदंस्तथापि सोऽम्बेति नैवामुञ्चत मातरम्॥८.

The brahmin, angered, struck the boy who had come near with his foot, but even so, the boy kept crying 'Mother!' and did not let go of her.

; राजपत्न्युवाच प्रसादं कुरु में नाथ क्रीणीष्वेमं च बालकम् । क्रीतापि नाहं भवतो विनैनं कार्यसाधिका॥८.

The queen said: 'Have mercy on me, lord; buy this child as well. Even if I am bought by you, I cannot fulfill my duties without him.'

इत्थं ममाल्पभाग्यायाः प्रसादसुमुखो भव । मां संयोजय बालेन वत्सेनेव पयस्विनीम्॥८.

Thus, be gracious to me, who am so unfortunate; unite me with my child, as a cow is joined with her calf.

; ब्राह्मण उवाच गृह्यतां वित्तमेतत् ते दीयतां बालको मम । स्त्रीपुंसोर्धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः कृतमेव हि वेतनम् । शतं सहस्रं लक्षं च कोटिमूल्यं तथा परैः॥८.

The brahmin said: 'Take this wealth, and give me the boy. According to the scriptures on the duties of men and women, the price has been set—whether it be a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a crore.'

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तथैव तस्य तद्वित्तं बद्ध्वोत्तरपटे ततः । प्रगृह्य बालकं मात्रा सहैकस्थमबन्धयत्॥८.

The birds said: 'So the wealth was tied up in an upper garment, and taking the boy along with his mother, he bound them together as one.'

नीयमानौ तु तौ दृष्ट्वा भार्या-पुत्रौ स पार्थिवः । विललाप सुदुः खार्तो निः श्वस्योष्णं पुनः पुनः॥८.

Seeing his wife and son being led away, the king, overwhelmed with grief, lamented bitterly, sighing hotly again and again.