Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4765

c9.4765

Then Candramatī shouted. "You outcaste. My son is lying dead on the bank of the Ganges near this town. Let me bring his body and cremate it. Allow me this much time. After that I will come and sit here to be cut into pieces by you." Hariścandra agreed to it. Crying all the way Candramatī went to the bank of the Ganges and brought the dead body of her son to the cremation place. Seeing her pitiable condition Hariścandra went close to the dead body and removing the shroud looked at the corpse. Because of poison the body of the child was blue and ugly and as Hariścandra and Candramatī had undergone so thorough a change they did not recognize each other. But from her lamentation and talk, he understood that the woman was his wife Candramatī. He also cried aloud. Candramatī recognized her husband. Still Hariścandra said that if the child was cremated without collecting the usual fee, it would be deceiving his master. At last both of them decided to commit suicide before the night ended. Without loss of time Hariścandra gathered half-burned fire-wood, and built a pile big enough to burn the child's body and for them to jump into it. He laid the child on it and set fire to it. Hariścandra and Candramatī stood with closed eyes ready to jump into the burning fire. Then Brahmā appeared there and prevented them from jumping into the fire. Indra and the Devas showered Amṛta (Ambrosia). The child came to life and got out of the fire. The King and the queen regained their shining bodies and royal garments and ornaments. The outcaste who was the master of Hariścandra was really, Dharmadeva. All the Devas blessed Hariścandra and Viśvāmitra returned the kingdom to the truthful Hariścandra. Their subjects were overjoyed at the return of their King and queen. After that Rohita was anointed as the King of Ayodhyā and the Devas went with Hariścandra to heaven. (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 7).