by Bibek Debroy
‘Then, the king started to think. “How will I give him the promised dakshina? Where do I have prosperous friends? Where can I get the wealth now? Tainted by the sin of receiving, 166 how can I prevent my downfall? I have nothing. Which direction will I go to? Shall I give up my life? If I am destroyed without giving what I have pledged, I will commit the sin of stealing a brahmana’s possessions and become a worm, the worst among the worst. It may be better to sell myself into servitude.” Distressed and anxious, the king reflected, his face cast downwards. With her voice choking with tears, his wife replied. “O great king! Give up these thoughts and protect the pledge you have yourself given. Like a cremation ground, a man separated from the truth must be shunned. O tiger among men! For men, it is said that there is no dharma superior to that of protecting a pledge one has oneself made. If a person’s words become futile, his agnihotra, 167 studies, donations, rites and everything else bear no fruit. Those with knowledge about texts of dharma say that truth always leads to salvation and untruth leads to the downfall of those who have not cleansed their atmans. O king! In addition to seven horse sacrifices, you have performed a rajasuya sacrifice. Because you do not fulfil a single pledge, will you be dislodged from those deeds and heaven? O king! I have had offspring.” 168 Having said this, she wept and tears started to flow from her eyes. King Harishchandra said, “O fortunate one! Free yourself from this torment. The child is here. O one with the gait of an elephant! You should speak what you wish to say.” The wife continued, “O king! I have had a son. The virtuous have wives for the sake of sons. Sell me and obtain riches. Give that as dakshina to the brahmana.” On hearing these words, the lord of the earth lost his senses. When he regained his senses, he was extremely miserable and lamented. “O fortunate one! I grieve greatly because of what you have said. Am I such a sinner that I have forgotten your sweet smiles? Alas! O one with the beautiful smiles! Alas! How were you capable of speaking like this? These are wicked words. How can I be capable of acting in accordance with these words?” Having uttered these words, the best among men exclaimed, “Shame! Shame on me!” He completely lost his senses and fell down on the ground. Seeing that King Harishchandra was lying down on the ground, the king’s wife was filled with great sorrow and spoke in these piteous words. “O great king! Alas! The unthinkable has happened. Though you deserve to lie down on the hides of ranku deer, 169 you are lying down on the ground. My husband, the lord of the earth, donated crores of cattle and wealth to brahmanas. Such a person is lying down on the ground. What great misery! O god! What has this king done? He is the equal of Indra and Upendra. 170 Yet, like a sinner, he has been reduced to this state.” Saying this, the one with the excellent hips lost her senses and fell down. She suffered because the great burden of her husband’s misery was intolerable to her. The child was without a protector and saw that his parents had fallen down on the ground. He suffered because of his great hunger. Grieving greatly, he spoke these words. “O father! Give me food. O father! O mother! Give me food. O mother! My hunger is extremely strong and the tip of my tongue is drying up.” At this time, the great ascetic, Vishvamitra arrived there.
‘He was as angry as the Destroyer and had arrived there to collect the wealth. He saw that Harishchandra was lying down on the ground, senseless. He revived the king by sprinkling water on him and spoke to him. “Arise! O Indra among kings! Arise! Give me my desired dakshina. If one bears a debt, the consequent misery increases from one day to another day.” The king was sprinkled with water that was as cold as ice. He regained his senses. However, on seeing Vishvamitra, he lost his senses again. At this, the sage was filled with rage. The supreme brahmana comforted the king and spoke these words. “If you look towards dharma, give me the dakshina. It is through truth that the sun radiates heat. It is through truth that the earth exists. It is said that truth is supreme dharma. Heaven is established in truth. If truth and one thousand horse sacrifices are held up on a weighing scale, truth is heavier than the one thousand horse sacrifices. Why should I utter these comforting words to you? You are a powerful king, but you are ignoble. You are evil in your resolution and cruel. You do not speak the truth. Listen to the virtuous words I speak to you. O king! If you do not give me my dakshina today, before the sun goes beyond Mount Asta, 171 I will certainly curse you.” Having said this, the brahmana departed and the king was afflicted by fear. “I have been reduced to this state, without any riches and possessing nothing. Those who possess riches are cruel and slight me. Which direction will I head towards?” His wife said again, “Please act in accordance with my words. Do not get consumed in the fire of the curse. Do not embrace death.” The king’s wife urged him in this way, repeatedly.
‘He replied, “O fortunate one! I will undertake the heartless deed of selling you. I will do what even the cruel are incapable of doing, as long as I am capable of uttering words that are impossible to speak.” 172 Having spoken to his wife in this way, miserable, he went to the city. With his voice choking and tears flowing from his eyes, the king said, “O citizens! Listen to my words. Why are you asking me who I am? I am a cruel man. No, I am an extremely hard-hearted rakshasa. Indeed, I am more wicked than that. I am ready to sell my beloved, but have not given up my life. I love her more than my own life. Does anyone have need for a servant-maid? Please let him speak quickly. I can only sustain myself till evening.” At this, an aged brahmana arrived and spoke to the king. “Give me this servant-maid. I will buy her and give you riches. I possess plenty of wealth. My beloved 173 is delicate and is incapable of undertaking household work. Give her to me, so that she can do it instead. Your wife is young, beautiful and good in conduct. She can do those tasks. Give me this woman and accept the appropriate riches in return.” Thus addressed by the brahmana, King Harishchandra’s heart was shattered and he could say nothing in reply. The brahmana firmly tied the wealth to the bark the king wore. He seized the king’s wife by her hair and started to drag her away. Rohitashva 174 saw that his mother was being dragged away in this fashion and started to weep. The child’s sidelocks were like a crow’s wing. 175 With his hand, he clung on to her garment. She said, “O noble one! Release me so that I can take a look at my child. O son! It will be extremely difficult for you to see me again. O child! Behold. Your mother has now become a servant-maid. O prince! Do not touch me. I should not be touched by you now.” The child saw that his mother was being dragged away violently. With tears flowing from his eyes, he rushed forward, exclaiming, “O mother!” As he advanced, the brahmana angrily kicked the child with his foot. Nevertheless, he kept saying “O mother” and did not let go of his mother. The king’s wife said, “O master! Show me your favours. Buy this child too. Otherwise, without him, even if you purchase me, I will be of no use to you. I am unfortunate. Look favourably towards me and show me this kindness. I am like a cow with a calf. Do not separate me from him.” The brahmana replied, “Take this wealth and give me the child. Those who know the sacred texts of dharma have determined the value of either a man or a woman at one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand or one crore.” 176 Having tied up the riches in his 177 upper garment, he seized them and bound mother and child together.
‘The king saw that his wife and child were being dragged away. He lamented in great misery and sighed repeatedly. “Earlier, my wife was not seen by the wind, the sun, the moon, or any other man. She has now become a servant-maid. The child was born in the solar dynasty and his fingers are delicate. But he has been sold now. Shame on my wicked intelligence. Alas, beloved! Alas, infant child! I am ignoble and have followed a wicked policy. Destiny has reduced you to this state. Despite that, I have not died. Shame on me.” While the king was lamenting in this way, taking them with him, the brahmana quickly disappeared amidst the tall trees and houses. Vishvamitra arrived there and sought the riches from the king and Harishchandra gave him that wealth. Koushika saw that the riches obtained from selling the wife had not amounted to much. He spoke angrily to the king, who was overwhelmed with grief. �
�O kshatra-bandhu! 178 In connection with the sacrifice, is this an appropriate dakshina for me? If that is what you think, you will swiftly witness my supreme strength. These unblemished and fierce powers of the brahman have been obtained by severely tormenting myself through austerities and purifying myself through studying.” The king replied, “O illustrious one! I will give you some more. Please wait for some more time. I possess nothing now and have sold my wife and my infant son.” Vishvamitra said, “O lord of men! One fourth of the day still remains. That is the time I will wait for and you should not say anything in reply.” He spoke these cruel words, devoid of qualities, to the Indra among kings. Taking the wealth, the angry Koushika swiftly departed.
‘When Vishvamitra had left, the king was overcome by grief and fear. He resolved to sell himself. With his face cast downwards, he spoke. “In return for riches, is there a man who wishes to buy me as a servant? Let him speak quickly, before the sun sets.” Assuming the form of a chandala, Dharma swiftly arrived there. 179 He was malformed and possessed a bad odour. He was rough, with a beard and large teeth. He was loathsome. He was dark, with a stomach that hung down. His eyes were coppery red and his voice was harsh. He clutched some birds in his hand and he wore garlands taken from corpses. He held a skull in his hand and his long face was horrible. With a staff in his hand, he was terrible. He was surrounded by dogs and it was as if he had no form at all. The chandala said, “I want you. Quickly tell me your price, a little or a lot. How can I get you?” His glance was cruel and extremely rough. Extremely miserable, the king looked at him and asked, “Who are you?” The chandala replied, “I am a chandala and in this excellent city, I am known as Pravira. I am famous as one who kills those who deserve to be killed. I take the blankets away from dead bodies.” Harishchandra said, “I do not wish to be the servant of such a contemptible chandala. Instead of coming under the subjugation of a chandala, it is better that I should be consumed by the fire of the curse.” While he was speaking in this way, Vishvamitra, the store of austerities, arrived there. With eyes dilated in rage, he spoke to the lord of men. Vishvamitra said, “The chandala has come here to give you plenty of riches. Why should you not give me the dakshina for the sacrifice?” Harishchandra replied, “O illustrious one! O Koushika! Know that I am descended from the solar dynasty. Desiring money, how can I become the servant of a chandala?” Vishvamitra said, “If you do not give me the riches you receive from selling yourself to the chandala, when the time comes, there is no doubt that I will curse you.” King Harishchandra’s mind was full of various thoughts. Confounded, he clasped the rishi’s feet and spoke to him. “Show me your favours. I am your servant. I am afflicted. I am terrified. In particular, I am devoted to you. O brahmana rishi! Show me your favours. Association with a chandala is difficult. Though my riches are exhausted, for every task, I will be under your control. O tiger among sages! I will be your servant and follow every inclination of yours.” Vishvamitra said, “If you are my servant, I am handing you over to the chandala. Since he will give me riches worth one arbuda, 180 you will become his servant.” Harishchandra replied, “If the brahmana Koushika is satisfied with this, if you are capable of doing so, accept me today as your servant and I will act accordingly.” The chandala said, “I will protect this land, which extends for one hundred yojanas and is ornamented with many villages. I will give this to Koushika.” Having said this, happy in his mind, the shvapacha 181 gave Vishvamitra that object and tied up the lord of men.
‘The king’s senses were in a whirl. Beaten with a stick, he was extremely scared. He was separated from his beloved relatives. He was taken away to the chandala’s house. King Harishchandra resided in that house. At the time of morning, noon and evening, he sang, “With a miserable face, the maiden sees the child in front of her, also with a miserable face. Seated in that unhappy state, she remembers me and thinks that the king will free her. He will earn riches. He will give the brahmana an even greater amount of wealth. The one with eyes like a fawn does not know, and has not heard, of the greater evil. The kingdom has been destroyed. The well-wishers have left me. I have had to sell my wife and son. I have now been reduced to the state of a chandala. Alas! This has been a succession of calamities.” He resided there and always remembered his beloved wife and son, who were in his heart. With all his possessions gone, he was despondent.
‘The chandala stripped garments from dead bodies in the cremation ground and he was under his subjugation. After some time had passed, the chandala instructed King Harishchandra to strip garments from corpses. “Remain here night and day, waiting for the dead bodies to arrive. One-sixth of what is obtained from corpses is to be given to the king. Half is my share and one-third is your salary.” Thus instructed, he went to the place where the corpses were housed, then located to the south of Varanasi. The terrible cremation ground resounded to the howling of hundreds of jackals. The heads of dead bodies were strewn around. There was a terrible stench and a lot of smoke. The place was infested with pishachas, bhutas, vetalas, dakinis and yakshas. 182 Large numbers of great bhutas created a tumultuous noise. It was infested with vultures and jackals and surrounded by packs of dogs. There were heaps of bones and there was an extremely foul stench. There was the terrible sound of relatives of dead people lamenting. “Alas, son! Alas, friend! Alas, relative! Alas, brother! Alas, beloved! Alas, husband! Alas, sister! Alas, mother! Alas, maternal uncle! Alas, paternal grandfather! Alas, maternal grandfather! Alas, father! Alas, grandson! Alas, kin! Where have you gone? Come here.” Such great lamentations were uttered and heard. The eyes of the dead bodies no longer blinked. One was permeated with fear. Some closed their eyes and thought of the relatives who were lying down on the pyres. The flesh, fat and marrow burned and that sound filled the directions. There were half-burnt corpses, dark and displaying rows of teeth. In the midst of fires, they seemed to smile and say, “This is the state that bodies are reduced to.” There was the crackling sound of the fire and that of crows seated on piles of bones. There were the cries of relatives, mixed with the delighted sound made by pulkasas. 183 Large numbers of bhutas, vetalas, pishachas and rakshasas sang. Those extremely terrible sounds were heard, like the sound that comes at the end of a kalpa. In some places, there were giant piles of dung from buffaloes and cows on piles of ashes, surrounded by heaps of bones. There were masses of gifts, garlands and lamps and offerings given to the crows. There were many kinds of sounds and the cremation ground was like hell. In some places, the mouths of the jackals seemed to be full of flames. In some places, from within caves, jackals emitted inauspicious howls. Even fear seemed to be terrified at the terrible lamentations made by people in that fearful cremation ground. Having reached there, the miserable king started to lament. “Alas! Where are the servants, ministers and brahmanas? Everything has been lost to destiny. Alas, Shaibya! Alas, infant child! I am unfortunate! Because of the taint caused by Vishvamitra, where have you gone, abandoning me?” In this way, he repeatedly thought about the state of being a chandala that he had been reduced to. His body was rough and coarse all over. He had a mass of hair and exuded a bad odour. Resembling the Destroyer, he rushed around here and there, with a staff in his hand. “This is the entire price I have obtained for this corpse. This is my share. This belongs to the king. This belongs to the chief chandala.” Saying this, the king rushed around in different directions. He had assumed a different kind of life. He was clad in a garment made by stitching together tattered rags. His face, arms, stomach and feet were smeared with ash from funeral pyres. He sighed, with many kinds of fat, oil and marrow smearing his fingers. He was satisfied with the many kinds of food that were offered to the corpses. His head was ornamented with garlands that he gathered from them. Night or day, he did not sleep and repeatedly exclaimed, “Alas! Alas!” In this way, twelve months passed and they were like one hundred years.
‘On one occasion, separated from his relatives, the best among kings was exhausted. Immobile and rough in his limbs, he fell asleep. While sleeping, h
e saw an extremely wonderful dream. Perhaps this was because he was used to the cremation ground. Or perhaps it was because of destiny being more powerful. He saw that he paid the dakshina due to his guru in a different body. After having spent twelve years in misery, he saw himself being freed and being born in the womb of a pulkasi. 184 While he was inside the womb, the king thought, “When I emerge from here, I will follow the dharma of donating.” After this, he was born as a pulkasa child. In cremation grounds, he was always ready to perform the funeral rites for dead bodies. When he was seven years old, he saw that a dead brahmana was brought to the cremation ground. He possessed qualities, but was poor and had been brought there by his relatives. When he asked for his fee, the brahmanas 185 reprimanded him. The brahmanas said, “This is because of what Vishvamitra has done. O one who undertakes wicked tasks! You are undertaking this evil and inauspicious task. Earlier, you were King Harishchandra and Vishvamitra has made you a pulkasa. That brahmana’s curse destroyed the merits of all your good deeds.” However, since he did not show them mercy, 186 they angrily cursed him. “O worst among men! Instantly go to a terrible hell.” He then saw Yama’s messengers arrive, with terrible nooses in their hands. They gathered him up and forcibly dragged him away. He saw himself screaming, “Alas, mother and father! This is my state now.” While he was speaking, in that hell, he was flung into a tub filled with oil. He was cut with saws that were sharp at the edges. Grieving with misery, he was thrown into blinding darkness and fed on pus and blood. For seven years, as a pulkasa, his atman had been dead. He saw himself in hell. From one day to another day, he was burnt somewhere, cooked elsewhere. In some places, he was miserable. In others, he was agitated. He was struck in some places and brought down in others. In some places, he was immersed in corrosive substances. In others, he was burnt. In other parts, he was struck by winds and cold. One day in hell seemed to be like one hundred years. From the servants in hell, he heard that one hundred years had passed. Thereafter, he was flung down on the ground and was born as a dog that lived on excrement. Feeding on excrement and vomit, he suffered from cold and died within a month. Thereafter, he saw himself in the body of an animal—an ass, an elephant, a monkey, a goat, a cat, a heron, a cow, a ram, a bird, a worm, a fish, a turtle, a boar, a porcupine, a cock, a parrot, a sharika, 187 a snake and the bodies of other immobile entities. From one day to another day, he saw himself being born in one kind of species and another kind of species and was tormented by grief. A day was like one hundred years. A full one hundred years passed as such inferior species. Then, on one occasion, the king saw himself being born in his own lineage. While he was there, the king lost his kingdom while gambling. Having lost his wife and son, he went alone to the forest. There, he saw a dreadful lion with a gaping mouth. Along with a sharabha, 188 it was advancing to devour him. As he was being devoured, he grieved and exclaimed to his wife, “O Shaibya! Alas! Leaving me in this misery, where have you gone now?” However, he next saw his wife, along with his own son, screaming, “O Harishchandra! Save us. O lord! Why do you gamble? Your son, along with your wife Shaibya, has been reduced to this state of misery.” He rushed around here and there, but could no longer see them. After this, the lord of men saw himself in heaven again. With dishevelled hair and naked, she was miserable and was being dragged away forcibly. She wailed in these words, “Alas! Save me. Alas!” He next saw those who followed Dharmaraja’s 189 commands. They were in the sky and shouted, “O lord of men! Come. For your sake, Vishvamitra has sent word to Yama.” Having been addressed in this way, the lord was dragged away, bound in nooses made out of snakes. Shraddhadeva 190 was recounting what Vishvamitra had done. In this way, he directly saw all these miserable states in his dream. Nevertheless, there was no increase in his perverse inclinations and adharma. He endured all this for twelve years. After the twelve years were over, the servants forcibly conducted the lord of men. He saw Yama’s form and he said, “This rage of the great-souled Vishvamitra cannot be quenched. Koushika will bring about the death of your son. Go to the world of men and endure the remaining miseries. O Indra among men! When you go there, you will obtain what is good for you. O lord of men! When twelve years are over, your miseries will come to an end.” Urged by Yama’s messengers, he fell down from the sky. As he fell down from Yama’s world, because of his great fear and terror, he woke up. “Alas! This is great sorrow. What I have seen is like sprinkling an alkaline solution over a wound. I have witnessed great miseries in my sleep and there is no end to those. While I witnessed these in my sleep, have twelve years passed?” In fear, he went to the pulkasas and asked them about it. Some said, “No.” Others said, “It may have.” Hearing this, the grieving king sought refuge with the gods. “O gods! Please ensure safety for me, Shaibya and the child. I bow down to the great Dharma. I bow down to Krishna, the one who ordains. I bow down to the supreme one. I bow down to the pure one. I bow down to the ancient one. I bow down to the one without decay. I bow down to Brihaspati. I bow down to Vasava.” 191 Having said this, the king engaged himself in the tasks of a pulkasa.