Devibhagavatapurana 7.20: viṃśo'dhyāyaḥ | hariścandropākhyānavarṇanam

7.20.1

hariścandra uvāca -
adattvā te hiraṇyaṃ vai na kariṣyāmi bhojanam |
pratijñā me muniśreṣṭha viṣādaṃ tyaja suvrata ||

7.20.2

sūryavaṃśasamudbhūtaḥ kṣatriyo'haṃ mahīpatiḥ |
rājasūyasya yajñasya kartā vāñchitado nṛṣu ||

7.20.3

kathaṃ karomi nākāraṃ svāmindattvā yadṛcchayā |
avaśyameva dātavyamṛṇaṃ te dvijasattama ||

7.20.4

svastho bhava pradāsyāmi suvarṇaṃ manasepsitam |
kañcitkālaṃ pratīkṣasva yāvatprāpsyāmyahaṃ dhanam ||

7.20.5

viśvāmitra uvāca -
kutaste bhavitā rājan dhanaprāptirataḥ param |
gataṃ rājyaṃ tathā kośo balaṃ caivārthasādhanam ||

Vis’vâmitra said:-- “O King! Kingdom, treasury and strength are the three sources of income; but you are now deprived of all these. Whence, now, do you expect to get gold? O King! Vain are your hopes to get money; what am I to do now? You are now wealthless and how can I, out of greed, give you trouble? O King! Better say ‘I will not be able to give you Daksinâ,’ and I will then quit my strong expectation and go away as I like. And you, too, can think that you have no gold, so how can you give money and so you can go wherever you like with your wife and son.”

7.20.6

vṛthāśā te mahīpāla dhanārthe kiṃ karomyaham |
nirdhanaṃ tvāṃ ca lobhena pīḍayāmi kathaṃ nṛpa ||

7.20.7

tasmātkathaya bhūpāla na dāsyāmīti sāmpratam |
tyaktvā''śāṃ mahatīṃ kāmaṃ gacchāmyahamataḥ param ||

7.20.8

yatheṣṭaṃ vraja rājendra bhāryāputrasamanvitaḥ |
suvarṇaṃ nāsti kiṃ tubhyaṃ dadāmīti vadādhunā ||

7.20.9

gacchanvākyamidaṃ śrutvā brāhmaṇasya ca bhūpatiḥ |
pratyuvāca muniṃ brahman dhairyaṃ kuru dadāmyaham ||

Vyâsa said:-- O King! Hearing these words of the Muni, at his time of departure, the King said:-- “O Brâhmana! Be patient and I will certainly give you your Daksinâ. O Dvîja! My wife, son and I myself are all healthy; so selling these, I will give you the money; there is no doubt in this. O Lord! Kindly enquire whether there is anyone who can purchase us and I will agree to become the slave with my wife and son. O Muni! You can sell all of us and the price you get, you can take two and a half loads of gold out of that and be pleased.” Thus saying, the King went to Benares where S’ankara was staying with his dear consort Umâ. The King saw the beautiful city, the sight of which makes one’s heart dance with more joy and he said that he had become blessed. Then he went to the banks of the Bhâgirathî and bathed in the Ganges and offered peace-offerings (Tarpan) to the Devas and the Pitris and completing the worship of his Ista Deva (his own Deity) looked around where he would go. The King entering into the beautiful city of Benares began to think that no human being is protecting this city but S’iva Himself is protecting it. So if he lives there, he would not be living in a city which has been given away by him to Vis’vâmitra. The King, then, distressed much with pain and trouble and being very much bewildered, began to journey on foot with his wife and son and entered into the city and placed his confidence. At this moment he saw the Muni Vis’vâmitra, wanting Daksinâ and humbly bowed down and spoke with folded palms:-- “O Muni! My dear wife, my son and I myself are living here; you can take any of us and have your work done; or say what other work we will have to do for you.”

7.20.10

mama deho'sti bhāryāyāḥ purasya ca hyanāmayaḥ |
krītvā dehaṃ tu taṃ nūnamṛṇaṃ dāsyāmi te dvija ||

7.20.11

grāhakaṃ paśya viprendra vārāṇasyāṃ puri prabho |
dāsabhāvaṃ gamiṣyāmi sadāro'haṃ saputrakaḥ ||

7.20.12

gṛhāṇa kāñcanaṃ pūrṇaṃ sārdhaṃ bhāradvayaṃ mune |
maulyena dattvā sarvānnaḥ santuṣṭo bhava bhūdhara ||

7.20.13

iti bruvañjagāmātha saha patnyā sutānvitaḥ |
umayā kāntayā sārdhaṃ yatrāste śaṅkaraḥ svayam ||

7.20.14

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā ca purīṃ ramyāṃ manaso hlādakāriṇīm |
uvāca sa kṛtārtho'smi purīṃ paśyansuvarcasam ||

7.20.15

tato bhāgīrathīṃ prāpya snātvā devāditarpaṇam |
devārcanaṃ ca nirvartya kṛtavān digvilokanam ||

7.20.16

praviśya vasudhāpālo divyāṃ vārāṇasīṃ purīm |
naiṣā manuṣyabhukteti śūlapāṇeḥ parigrahaḥ ||

7.20.17

jagāma padbhyāṃ duḥkhārtaḥ saha patnyā samākulaḥ |
purīṃ praviśya sa nṛpo viśvāsamakarottadā ||

7.20.18

dadṛśe'tha muniśreṣṭhaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ dakṣiṇārthinam |
taṃ dṛṣṭvā samanuprāptaṃ vinayāvanato'bhavat ||

7.20.19

prāha caivāñjaliṃ kṛtvā hariścandro mahāmunim |
ime prāṇāḥ sutaścāyaṃ priyā patnī mune mama ||

7.20.20

yena te kṛtyamastyāśu gṛhāṇādya dvijottama |
yaccānyatkāryamasmābhistanmamākhyātumarhasi ||

7.20.21

viśvāmitra uvāca -
pūrṇaḥ sa māso bhadraṃ te dīyatāṃ mama dakṣiṇā |
pūrvaṃ tasya nimittaṃ hi smaryate svavaco yadi ||

Vis’vâmitra said:-- “You promised that you would pay Daksinâ at the end of one month; and today that one month is completed; if you remember, then give me the Daksinâ.”

7.20.22

rājovāca - brahmannādyāpi sampūrṇo māso jñānatapobala |
tiṣṭhatyekadinārdhaṃ yattapratīkṣasva nāparam ||

The King said:-- “O Brâhmana! You are wise and are endowed with the power of tapas (asceticism); as yet one month is not complete; still half a day is remaining; wait till then; and no longer.”

7.20.23

viśvāmitra uvāca -
evamastu mahārāja āgamiṣyāmyahaṃ punaḥ |
śāpaṃ tava pradāsyāmi na cedadya prayacchasi ||

Vis’vâmitra said:-- “O King! Let it be. I will come again and if you do not give me then, I will curse you. Thus saying Vis’vâmitra went away. The King then thought within himself how be would pay him back what he had promised. There is no influential friend of mine in this Benares city who can help me with money; where then can I get the requisite money. I am a Ksattriya. Pratigraha (begging or accepting any gift) is forbidden to me and how can I beg or accept any gift! According to the code of Dharma, the offering of sacrifices (on one’s own behalf), studying, and giving are the three duties ordained to a King. And if I die not paying a Brâhmin’s Daksinâ, I will be polluted with the sin of stealing a Brâhmin’s property and I will then be born a worm or will became a Preta. So to sell myself (and pay off the debts) is better than this.”

7.20.24

ityuktvātha yayau vipro rājā cācintayattadā |
kathamasmai prayacchāmi dakṣiṇā yā pratiśrutā ||

7.20.25

kutaḥ puṣṭāni mitrāṇi kutrārthaḥ sāmprataṃ mama |
pratigrahaḥ praduṣṭo me tatra yāñcā kathaṃ bhavet ||

7.20.26

rājñāṃ vṛttitrayaṃ proktaṃ dharmaśāstreṣu niścitam |
yadi prāṇānvimuñcāmi hyapradāya ca dakṣiṇām ||

7.20.27

brahmasvahā kṛmiḥ pāpo bhaviṣyāmyadhamādhamaḥ |
athavā pretatāṃ yāsye vara evātmavikrayaḥ ||

7.20.28

sūta uvāca -
rājānaṃ vyākulaṃ dīnaṃ cintayānamadhomukham |
pratyuvāca tadā patnī bāṣpagadgadayā girā ||

Sûta said:-- O Risis! When the King was thus thinking humbly with his face bent downwards, and in a distracted state of mind, his wife spoke to him with tears in her eyes and in a voice, choked with feelings:-- “O King! Discard all cares and keep your own Dharma, Truth. He who is divorced from Truth is forsaken like a Preta. O Best of all men! To keep one’s Truth is one’s Dharma; there is no other Dharma superior to it; so the sages declare. He whose words turn out false, his Agnihotra, study, and gifts and all action, become fruitless. Truth is very much praised in the Dharma S’âstra and this Truth raises up and saves the virtuous souls. Similarly falsehood, no doubt, drags a vicious man to hell. The King Yayâti performed the Horse sacrifice, and the Râjasûya sacrifice and went to Heavens but once he spoke falsely and so he was dislodged from the Heavens.”

7.20.29

tyaja cintāṃ mahārāja svadharmamanupālaya |
pretavadvarjanīyo hi naraḥ satyabahiṣkṛtaḥ ||

7.20.30

nātaḥ parataraṃ dharmaṃ vadanti puruṣasya ca |
yādṛśaṃ puruṣavyāghra svasatyasyānupālanam ||

7.20.31

agnihotramadhītaṃ ca dānādyāḥ sakalāḥ kriyāḥ |
bhavanti tasya vaiphalyaṃ vākyaṃ yasyānṛtaṃ bhavet ||

7.20.32

satyamatyantamuditaṃ dharmaśāstreṣu dhīmatām |
tāraṇāyānṛtaṃ tadvatpātanāyākṛtātmanām ||

7.20.33

śatāśvamedhānādṛtya rājasūyaṃ ca pārthivaḥ |
kṛtvā rājā sakṛtsvargādasatyavacanāccyutaḥ ||

7.20.34

rājovāca - vaṃśavṛddhikaraścāyaṃ putrastiṣṭhati bālakaḥ |
ucyatāṃ vaktukāmāsi yadvākyaṃ gajagāmini ||

The King said:-- “O Thou, going like an elephant! I have my son who will multiply my line; speak out what Thou wishest to say.”

7.20.35

patnyuvāca -
rājan mābhūdasatyaṃ te puṃsāṃ putraphalāḥ striyaḥ |
tanmāṃ pradāya vittena dehi viprāya dakṣiṇām ||

The Queen said:-- “O King! The wives are meant for sons (your having me has been fulfilled as there is your son). So sell me for the money value and give the Daksinâ to the Brâhmin. Let you not deviate from the Truth.”

7.20.36

vyāsa uvāca -
etadvākyamupaśrutya yayau mohaṃ mahīpatiḥ |
pratilabhya ca saṃjñāṃ vai vilalāpātiduḥkhitaḥ ||

Vyâsa spoke:-- Hearing this, the King fainted. Afterward regaining consciousness, he wept with a grievous heart. O gentle One! What you have uttered just now has caused me much pain; am I such a Sinner as to forget entirely all your conversations and your sweet smiles! Alas! O Sweet-smiling One! You ought not to speak such words. O Fair One! How have you been able to utter these harsh words not fit to be spoken! Speaking thus, the King became impatient at the idea of selling his wife and fainted and fell to the ground. Seeing him fainted and lying flat on the ground, the Queen became grievously hurt and spoke with great compassion. O King! Whose evil have you done that you have fallen into this calamity? Alas! He who is accustomed to sleep in a room adorned with carpets is today like a humble man, sleeping on the ground! The King who gave crores and crores of golden mohurs to the Brâhmins, that same King, my husband is lying now on the ground! Alas! What a painful thing! O Fate! What has this King done to you that You have thrown this Indra and Upendra like King in this dire calamity! Thus saying, the beautiful queen (of good hips) very much grieved by the sight of her husband’s pain fell down unconscious on the ground. Then the boy prince, seeing father and mother both senseless, lying on the ground, became very much troubled, and, becoming hungry, cried, “O Father! O Father! I am very hungry; give me food to eat; O Mother! O Mother! My tongue is being parched; give me food to eat,” and the boy began to weep repeatedly.
Here ends the Twentieth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the earnestness of Haris’chandra to pay off the Daksinâ in the Mahâpurânam S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

7.20.37

mahaddukhaḥmidaṃ bhadre yattvamevaṃ bravīṣi me |
kiṃ tava smitasaṃllāpā mama pāpasya vismṛtāḥ ||

7.20.38

hā hā tvayā kathaṃ yogyaṃ vaktumetacchucismite |
durvācyametadvacanaṃ kathaṃ vadasi bhāmini ||

7.20.39

ityuktvā nṛpatiśreṣṭho na dhīro dāravikraye |
nipapāta mahīpṛṣṭhe mūrcchayātipariplutaḥ ||

7.20.40

śayānaṃ bhuvi taṃ dṛṣṭvā mūrcchayāpi mahīpatim |
uvācedaṃ sukaruṇaṃ rājaputrī suduḥkhitā ||

7.20.41

hā mahārāja kasyedamapadhyānādupāgatam |
yastvaṃ nipatito bhūmau raṅkavaccharaṇocitaḥ ||

7.20.42

yenaiva koṭiśo vittaṃ viprāṇāmapavarjitam |
sa eva pṛthivīnātho bhuvi svapiti me patiḥ ||

7.20.43

hā kaṣṭaṃ kiṃ tavānena kṛtaṃ daiva mahīkṣitā |
yadindropendratulyo'yaṃ nītaḥ pāpāmimāṃ daśām ||

7.20.44

ityuktvā sāpi suśroṇī mūrcchitā nipapāta ha |
bharturduḥkhamahābhāreṇāsahyenātipīḍitā ||

7.20.45

śiśurdṛṣṭvā kṣudhāviṣṭaḥ prāha vākyaṃ suduḥkhitaḥ |
tāta tāta pradehyannaṃ mātarme dehi bhojanam ||

7.20.46

kṣunme balavatī jātā jihvāgre me'tiśuṣyati ||

7.20.46.c1

iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ saptamaskandhe hariścandropākhyānavarṇanaṃ nāma viṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||