Markandeya Purana

सूर्यवंशप्रसूतोऽयं सुकुमारकराङ्गुलिः । सम्प्राप्तो विक्रयं बालो धिङ्मामस्तु सुदुर्मतिम्॥८.

This boy, born in the solar dynasty, with tender hands and fingers, has now been sold—shame on me, so misguided!

हा प्रिये ! हा शिशो ! नत्स ! ममानार्यस्य दुर्नयैः । दैवाधीनां दशां प्राप्तो न मृतोऽस्मि तथापि धिक्॥८.

Alas, beloved! Alas, child! O dear one! Because of my unrighteous actions, you have come to this state, subject to fate, and yet I do not die—shame on me!

; पक्षिण ऊचुः एवं विलपतो राज्ञः स विप्रोऽन्तरधीयत । वृक्षगेहादिभिस्तुङ्गैस्तावादाय त्वरान्वितः॥८.

The birds said: 'As the king was lamenting thus, the brahmin vanished, quickly taking them away through lofty trees and houses.'

विश्वामित्रस्ततः प्राप्तो नृपं वित्तमयाचत । तस्मै समर्पयामास हरिश्चन्द्रोऽपि तद्धनम्॥८.

Then Viśvāmitra arrived and asked the king for the wealth; Hariścandra handed over that money to him.

तद्वित्तं स्तोकमालोक्य दारविक्रयसम्भवम् । शोकाभिभूतं राजानं कुपितः कौशिकोऽब्रवीत्॥८.

Seeing that small amount of wealth, gained from selling his wife and son, the sage Kauśika, angered, spoke to the grief-stricken king.

क्षत्रबन्धो ! ममेमां त्वं सदृशीं यज्ञदक्षिणाम् । मन्यसे यदि तत् क्षिप्रं पश्य त्वं मे बलं परम्॥८.

'O kṣatriya of low conduct! If you think this is a fitting sacrificial fee for me, then quickly witness my supreme power.'

तपसोऽत्र सुतप्तस्य ब्राह्मण्यस्यामलस्य च । मत्प्रभावस्य चोग्रस्य शुद्धस्याध्ययनस्य च॥८.

'Here is the power of my severe austerity, of my pure brahminhood, of my fierce might, and of my faultless study.'

अन्यां दास्यामि भगवन् ! कालः कश्चित्प्रतीक्ष्यताम् । साम्प्रतं नास्ति विक्रीता पत्नी पुत्रश्च बालकः॥८.

O venerable one, I will give you another; please wait for some time. At present, my wife has been sold and my son is but a child.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच चतुर्भागः स्थितो योऽयं दिवसस्य नराधिप । एष एव प्रतीक्ष्यो मे वक्तव्यं नोत्तरं त्वया॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: O king, this fourth part of the day remains; this alone is the time I will wait. You must not speak any further.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तमेवमुक्त्वा राजेन्द्रं निष्ठुरं निर्घृणं वचः । तदादाय धनं तूर्णं कुपितः कौशिको ययौ॥८.

The birds said: Having spoken such harsh and merciless words to the king, he took the wealth and, angered, the sage Kauśika departed swiftly.

विश्वामित्रे गते राजा भयशोकाब्धिमध्यगः । सर्वाकारं विनिश्चित्य प्रोवाचोच्चैरधोमुखः॥८.

When Viśvāmitra had gone, the king, submerged in an ocean of fear and sorrow, considered every possibility and spoke aloud, his face cast down.

वित्तक्रीतेन यो ह्यर्थो मया प्रेष्येण मानवः । स ब्रवीतु त्वरायुक्तो यावत् तपति भास्करः॥८.

Let the man whom I purchased with wealth, my servant, speak quickly, before the sun sets, about the task for which he was bought.

अथाजगाम त्वरितो धर्मश्चण्डालरूपधृक् । दुर्गन्धो विकृतो रूक्षः श्मश्रुलो दन्तुरो घृणी॥८.

Then, Dharma arrived in haste, taking the form of a caṇḍāla, foul-smelling, deformed, harsh, bearded, with protruding teeth, and repulsive.

कृष्णो लम्बोदरः पिङ्गरूक्षाक्षः परुषाक्षरः । गृहीतपक्षिपुञ्जश्च शवमाल्यैरलङ्कृतः॥८.

He was dark, pot-bellied, with tawny, rough eyes, harsh in speech, holding a bundle of wings, adorned with garlands of corpses.

कपालहस्तो दीर्घास्यो भैरवोऽतिवदन् मुहुः । श्वगणाभिवृतो घोरो यष्टिहस्तो निराकृतिः॥८.

With a skull in his hand, a long face, terrifying, constantly opening his mouth, surrounded by packs of dogs, staff in hand, and of dreadful appearance.

; चण्डाल उवाच अहमर्थो त्वया शीघ्रं कथयस्वात्मवेतनम् । स्तोकेन बहुना वापि येन वै लभ्यते भवान्॥८.

The caṇḍāla said: I am the one you bought; quickly tell me your own price—whether little or much—by which you may be obtained.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तं तादृशमथालक्ष्य क्रूरदृष्टिं सुनिष्ठुरम् । वदन्तमतिदुः शीलं कस्त्वमित्याह पार्थिवः॥८.

The birds said: Seeing him thus—cruel in gaze, extremely harsh, and speaking most wickedly—the king asked, 'Who are you?'

; चण्डाल उवाच चण्डालोऽहमिहाख्यातः प्रवीरेति पुरोत्तमे । विख्यातो वध्यवधको मृतकम्बलहारकः॥८.

The caṇḍāla said: I am called a caṇḍāla here, known as Pravīra in this city, famed as an executioner and remover of corpse-clothes.

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच नाहं चण्डालदासत्वमिच्छेयं सुविगर्हितम् । वरं सापाग्निना दग्धो न चण्डालवशं गतः॥८.

Hariścandra said: I do not wish for the servitude of a caṇḍāla, which is greatly condemned. Better to be burned by a curse and fire than fall under a caṇḍāla's power.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तस्यैवं वदतः प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिधिः । कोपामर्षविवृताक्षः प्राह चेदं नराधैपम्॥८.

The birds said: As he spoke thus, Viśvāmitra, the storehouse of austerity, arrived, his eyes wide with anger and indignation, and addressed the king.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच चण्डालोऽयमनल्पं ते दातुं वित्तमुपस्थितः । कस्मान्न दीयते मह्यमशेषा यज्ञदक्षिणा॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: This caṇḍāla has come to give you ample wealth; why is the full sacrificial fee not given to me?

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच भगवन् ! सूर्यवंशोत्थमात्मानं वेद्मे कौशिक । कथं चण्डालदासत्वं गमिष्ये वित्तकामुकः॥८.

Hariścandra said: O venerable one, I know myself to be born of the Solar dynasty, O Kauśika. How can I, desiring wealth, become a caṇḍāla's servant?

; विश्वामित्र उवाच यदि चण्डालवित्तं त्वमात्मविक्रयजं मम । न प्रदास्यसि कालेन शाप्स्यामि त्वामसंशयम्॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: If you do not give me, in due time, the wealth obtained from the caṇḍāla by selling yourself, I will surely curse you.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः हरिश्चन्द्रस्ततो राजा चिन्तावस्थितजीवितः । प्रसीदेति वदन् पादावृषेर्जग्राह विह्वलः॥८.

The birds said: Then King Hariścandra, his life caught in anxiety, trembling, clasped the sage's feet and pleaded, 'Be gracious!'

दासोऽस्म्यार्तोऽस्मि भीतोऽस्मि त्वद्भक्तश्च विशेषतः । कुरु प्रसादं विप्रर्षे कष्टश्चण्डालसङ्करः॥८.

I am your servant, I am afflicted, I am afraid, and above all, I am your devotee. Show me your favor, O great sage; this union with the caṇḍāla is dreadful.

भवेयं वित्तशेषेण सर्वकर्मकरो वशः । तवैव मुनिशार्दूल ! प्रेष्यश्चित्तानुवर्तकः॥८.

With the wealth that remains, I shall perform all tasks under your command, O best of sages! I will be your servant, obedient to your will.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच यदि प्रेष्यो मम भवान् चण्डालाय ततो मया । दासभावमनुप्राप्तो दत्तो वित्तार्बुदेन वै॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: If you become my servant, then to the caṇḍāla I have given you, having received a hundred million in wealth, as one who has assumed the state of a slave.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः एकमुक्ते तदा तेन श्वपाको हृष्टमानसः । विश्वामित्राय तद्द्रव्यं दत्त्वा बद्ध्वा नरेश्वरम्॥८.

The birds said: When this was spoken, the outcaste, his mind delighted, gave that wealth to Viśvāmitra and bound the king.

दण्डप्रहारसम्भ्रान्तमतीव व्याकुलेन्द्रियम् । इष्टबन्धुवियोगार्तमनयन्निजपत्तनम्॥८.

Struck with a staff, his mind bewildered, his senses greatly disturbed, grieving from separation from his beloved kin, he was led to the outcaste's city.