Markandeya Purana

सर्वास्तास्तेन सम्भुक्ता यावद्वर्षाणि द्वादश । अतीते द्वादशे वर्ष नीयमानो भटैर्बलात्॥८.

He experienced all those conditions for twelve years; and when the twelfth year had passed, he was dragged away by the guards with force.

यमं सोऽपश्यदाकारादुवाच च नराधिपम् । विश्वामित्रस्य कोपोऽयं दुर्निवार्यो महात्मनः॥८.

He saw Yama, and Yama spoke to the king: 'This is the wrath of Vishvamitra, the great soul, which is impossible to resist.'

पुत्रस्य ते मृत्युमपि प्रदास्यति स कौशिकः । गच्छ त्वं मानुषं लोकं दुः खशेषञ्च भुङ्क्ष्व वै । गतस्य तत्र राजेन्द्र श्रेयस्तव भविष्यति॥८.

'That Kaushika will even bring about the death of your son. Go now to the world of humans and experience the remainder of your suffering; once you have gone there, O king, it will be for your good.'

व्यतीते द्वादशे वर्षे दुः खस्यान्ते नराधिपः । अन्तरीक्षाच्च पतितो यमदूतैः प्रणोदितः॥८.

When the twelfth year had ended, the king, at the end of his suffering, was cast down from the sky by the messengers of Yama.

पतितो यमलोकाच्च विबुद्धो भयसम्भ्रमात् । अहो कष्टमिति ध्यात्वा क्षते क्षारावसेवनम्॥८.

Falling from Yama's realm, he awoke, agitated by fear; thinking, 'Ah, what misery!' he applied alkaline substances to his wounds.

स्वप्ने दुः खं महद्दृष्टं यस्यान्तो नोपलभ्यते । स्वप्ने दृष्टं मया यत्तु किं नु मे द्वादशाः समाः॥८.

He had seen great suffering in a dream, whose end could not be found; and he thought, 'What is this that I have seen in my dream? Have twelve years truly passed for me?'

गतेत्यपृच्छत् तत्रस्थान् पुक्कसांस्तु स सम्भ्रमात् । नेत्युचुः केचित् तत्रस्था एवमेवापरेऽब्रुवन्॥८.

He anxiously asked those present there, the outcastes: 'Has it passed?' Some of those present said, 'No,' while others replied, 'Yes, it has.'

श्रुत्वा दुः खी तदा राजा देवान् शरणमीयिवान् । स्वस्ति कुर्वन्तु मे देवाः शैव्याया बालकस्य च॥८.

Hearing this, the king became distressed and sought refuge in the gods, praying: May the gods grant well-being to me and to Shaivya's child.

नमो धर्माय महते नमः कृष्णाय वेधसे । परावराय शुद्धाय पुराणायाव्ययाय च॥८.

Salutations to the great Dharma, salutations to Krishna the creator, to the supreme and the lowest, to the pure, to the ancient and imperishable.

नमो बृहस्पते तुभ्यं नमस्ते वासवाय च । एवमुक्त्वा स राजा तु युक्तः पुक्कसकर्मणि॥८.

Salutations to you, Brihaspati; salutations also to Vasava. Having spoken thus, the king engaged himself in the work of the outcaste.

शवानां मूल्यकरणे पुनर्नष्टस्मृतिर्यथा । मलिनो जटिलः कृष्णो लकुटी विह्वलो नृपः॥८.

While collecting payment for the corpses, his memory was lost again; filthy, matted-haired, dark, carrying a staff, the king was bewildered.

नैव पुत्रो न भार्या तु तस्य वै स्मृतिगोचरे । नष्टोत्साहो राज्यनाशात् श्मशाने निवसंस्तदा॥८.

Neither son nor wife entered his memory; his enthusiasm destroyed by the loss of his kingdom, he dwelled then in the cremation ground.

अथाजगाम स्वसुतं मृतमादाय लापिनी । भार्या तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य सर्पदष्टं हि बालकम्॥८.

Then his wife, weeping, came carrying her dead son, the child of the king, bitten by a snake.

हा वत्स ! हा पुत्र ! शिशो ! इत्येवं वदती मुहुः । कृशा विवर्णा विमनाः पांशुध्वस्तशिरोरुहा॥८.

Alas, child! Alas, son! O little one!—she cried again and again, emaciated, pale, distressed, her hair disheveled with dust.

; राजपत्न्युवाच हा राजन्नद्य बालं त्वं पश्य सोमं महीतले । रममाणं पुरा दृष्टं दुष्टाहिना मृतम्॥८.

The queen spoke: Alas, king! Today look upon your child, Soma, lying on the earth, once seen playing, now dead by the bite of a wicked serpent.

तस्या विलापशब्दं तमाकर्ण्य स नराधिपः । जगाम त्वरितोऽत्रेति भविता मृतकम्बलः॥८.

Hearing her lamenting voice, the king hastened there, about to become the one who covers the dead.

स तां रोरुदतीं भार्यां नाभ्यजानात्तु पार्थिवः । चिरप्रवाससन्तप्तां पुनर्जातामिवाबलाम्॥८.

He did not recognize his wife, who was crying, scorched by long separation, as if she were newly born.

सापि तं चारुकेशान्तं पुरा दृष्ट्वा जटालकम् । नाभ्यजानान्नृपसुता शुष्कवृक्षोपमं नृपम्॥८.

She too, seeing him with beautiful hair now matted, did not recognize the king's son, resembling a dried-up tree.

सोऽपि कृष्णपटे बालं दृष्ट्वाशीविषपीडितम् । नरेन्द्रलक्षणोपेतं चिन्तामाप नरेश्वरः॥८.

He, seeing the child wrapped in a dark cloth, afflicted by snake venom, bearing royal marks, fell into deep thought.

अहो कष्टं नरेन्द्रस्य कस्याप्येष कुले शिशुः । जातो नीतः कृतान्तेन कामप्याशां दुरात्मना॥८.

Alas, how terrible! In whose family is this child born, now taken away by Death, who has destroyed some hope with his evil nature?

एवं दृष्ट्वा हि मे बालं मातुरुत्सङ्गशायिनम् । स्मृतिमभ्यागतो बालो रोहिताश्वोऽब्जलोचनः॥८.

Seeing the child lying in his mother's lap, I remembered my own son, Rohitashva, with lotus-like eyes.

सोऽप्येतामेव मे वत्सो वयोऽवस्थामुपागतः । नीतो यदि न घोरेण कृतान्तेनात्मनो वशम्॥८.

He too, my child, has reached this same age and condition, unless he has not been taken by the dreadful Death, subject to his own fate.

; राजपत्न्युवाच हा वत्स ! कस्य पापस्य अपध्यानादिदं महत् । दुः खमापतितं घोरं यस्यान्तो नोपलभ्यते॥८.

The queen spoke: Alas, child! By whose sinful thoughts has this great and terrible sorrow fallen, whose end cannot be found?

हा नाथ ! राजन् ! भवता मामनाश्वास्य दुः खिताम् । क्वापि सन्तिष्ठता स्थाने विश्रब्धं स्थीयते कथम्॥८.

Alas, lord! O king! Console me, who am distressed; how can one remain confidently anywhere in such a state?

राज्यनाशः सुहृत्त्यागो भार्यातनयविक्रयः । हरिश्चन्द्रस्य राजर्षेः किं विधे ! न कृतं त्वया॥८.

Loss of kingdom, abandonment of friends, sale of wife and son—O fate, what has not been done to Harishchandra, the royal sage, by you?

इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा राजा स्वस्थानतश्च्युतः । प्रत्यभिज्ञाय दयितां पुत्रञ्च निधनं गतम्॥८.

Hearing her words, the king fell from his place, recognizing his beloved and his son who had met their end.

कष्टं शैव्येयमेषा हि स बालोऽयमितीरयन् । रुरोद दुः खसन्तप्तो मूर्च्छामभिजगाम च॥८.

He lamented, 'Alas, this is Shaivya, and this is my boy,' and, tormented by grief, he wept bitterly and then fainted.

सा च तं प्रत्यभिज्ञाय तामवस्थामुपागतम् । मूर्च्छिता निपपातार्ता निश्चेष्टा धरणीतले॥८.

She too, recognizing him in that condition, collapsed in distress, unconscious, motionless upon the ground.

चेतः सम्प्राप्य राजेन्द्रो राजपत्नी च तै समम् । विलेपतुः सुसन्तप्तौ शोकभारावपीडितौ॥८.

Regaining consciousness, the king and the queen together, overwhelmed by the weight of sorrow, wept in deep anguish.