Markandeya Purana

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.

; राजोवाच हा वत्स ! सुकुमारं ते स्वक्षिभ्रूनासिकालकम् । पश्यतो मे मुखं दीनं हृदयं किं न दीर्यते॥८.

The king said: 'Alas, my son! Your tender face, with its beautiful eyes, brows, nose, and dark hair—why does my heart not break as I gaze upon your stricken countenance?'

तात ! तातेति मधुरं ब्रुवाणं स्वयमागतम् । उपगुह्य वदिष्ये कं वत्स ! वत्सेति सौहृदात्॥८.

'My child! My child!'—when you would sweetly call out and come to me, whom shall I now embrace and affectionately call, 'My son! My son!'?

कस्य जानुप्रणीतेन पिङ्गेन क्षितिरेणुना । ममोत्तरीयमुत्सङ्गं तथाङ्गं मलमेष्यति॥८.

Whose knees, dusted with the earth's yellow soil, will now soil my upper garment and limbs as you once did?

अङ्गप्रत्यङ्गसम्भूतो मनोहृदयनन्दनः । मया कुपित्रा हा वत्स ! विक्रीतो येन वस्तुवत्॥८.

Born from my own body, delight of my heart and mind—alas, my son!—in anger I sold you as if you were a mere object.

हृत्वा राज्यमशेषं मे ससाधनधनं महत् । दैवाहिना नृशंसेन दष्टो मे तनयस्ततः॥८.

Having lost my entire kingdom, with all its great wealth and resources, my son has now been struck down by the cruel serpent of fate.

अहं दैवाहिदष्टस्य पुत्रस्याननपङ्कजम् । निरीक्षन्नपि घोरेण विषेणान्धीकृतोऽधुना॥८.

Now, as I look upon the lotus-face of my son, bitten by the serpent of fate, I am blinded by its dreadful poison.

एकमुक्त्तवा तमादाय बालकं बाष्पगद्गदः । परिष्वज्य च निश्चेष्टो मूर्च्छया निपपात ह॥८.

Taking up the boy, his only pearl, the king, his voice choked with tears, embraced him and, overcome by faintness, fell motionless.

; राजपत्न्युवाच अयं स पुरुषव्याघ्रः स्वरेणैवोपलक्ष्यते । विद्वज्जनमनश्चन्द्रो हरिश्चन्द्रो न संशयः॥८.

The queen said: 'This is indeed that tiger among men—by his very voice he is recognized. He is Harishchandra, the moon among the wise—there is no doubt.'

तथास्य नासिका तुङ्गा अग्रतोऽधोमुखं गता । दन्ताश्च मुकुलप्रख्याः ख्यातकीर्तेर्महात्मनः॥८.

His nose is high and prominent, his teeth like buds—such are the marks of that great-souled one, famed for his renown.

श्मशानमागतः कस्मादद्यैष स नरेश्वरः । अपहाय पुत्रशोकं सापश्यत् पतितं पतिम्॥८.

Why has this lord of men come to the cremation ground today? Setting aside her grief for her son, she saw her husband fallen.