Markandeya Purana

विश्वामित्रे गते राजा भयशोकाब्धिमध्यगः । सर्वाकारं विनिश्चित्य प्रोवाचोच्चैरधोमुखः॥८.

When Viśvāmitra had gone, the king, submerged in an ocean of fear and sorrow, considered every possibility and spoke aloud, his face cast down.

वित्तक्रीतेन यो ह्यर्थो मया प्रेष्येण मानवः । स ब्रवीतु त्वरायुक्तो यावत् तपति भास्करः॥८.

Let the man whom I purchased with wealth, my servant, speak quickly, before the sun sets, about the task for which he was bought.

अथाजगाम त्वरितो धर्मश्चण्डालरूपधृक् । दुर्गन्धो विकृतो रूक्षः श्मश्रुलो दन्तुरो घृणी॥८.

Then, Dharma arrived in haste, taking the form of a caṇḍāla, foul-smelling, deformed, harsh, bearded, with protruding teeth, and repulsive.

कृष्णो लम्बोदरः पिङ्गरूक्षाक्षः परुषाक्षरः । गृहीतपक्षिपुञ्जश्च शवमाल्यैरलङ्कृतः॥८.

He was dark, pot-bellied, with tawny, rough eyes, harsh in speech, holding a bundle of wings, adorned with garlands of corpses.

कपालहस्तो दीर्घास्यो भैरवोऽतिवदन् मुहुः । श्वगणाभिवृतो घोरो यष्टिहस्तो निराकृतिः॥८.

With a skull in his hand, a long face, terrifying, constantly opening his mouth, surrounded by packs of dogs, staff in hand, and of dreadful appearance.

; चण्डाल उवाच अहमर्थो त्वया शीघ्रं कथयस्वात्मवेतनम् । स्तोकेन बहुना वापि येन वै लभ्यते भवान्॥८.

The caṇḍāla said: I am the one you bought; quickly tell me your own price—whether little or much—by which you may be obtained.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तं तादृशमथालक्ष्य क्रूरदृष्टिं सुनिष्ठुरम् । वदन्तमतिदुः शीलं कस्त्वमित्याह पार्थिवः॥८.

The birds said: Seeing him thus—cruel in gaze, extremely harsh, and speaking most wickedly—the king asked, 'Who are you?'

; चण्डाल उवाच चण्डालोऽहमिहाख्यातः प्रवीरेति पुरोत्तमे । विख्यातो वध्यवधको मृतकम्बलहारकः॥८.

The caṇḍāla said: I am called a caṇḍāla here, known as Pravīra in this city, famed as an executioner and remover of corpse-clothes.

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच नाहं चण्डालदासत्वमिच्छेयं सुविगर्हितम् । वरं सापाग्निना दग्धो न चण्डालवशं गतः॥८.

Hariścandra said: I do not wish for the servitude of a caṇḍāla, which is greatly condemned. Better to be burned by a curse and fire than fall under a caṇḍāla's power.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः तस्यैवं वदतः प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिधिः । कोपामर्षविवृताक्षः प्राह चेदं नराधैपम्॥८.

The birds said: As he spoke thus, Viśvāmitra, the storehouse of austerity, arrived, his eyes wide with anger and indignation, and addressed the king.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच चण्डालोऽयमनल्पं ते दातुं वित्तमुपस्थितः । कस्मान्न दीयते मह्यमशेषा यज्ञदक्षिणा॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: This caṇḍāla has come to give you ample wealth; why is the full sacrificial fee not given to me?

; हरिश्चन्द्र उवाच भगवन् ! सूर्यवंशोत्थमात्मानं वेद्मे कौशिक । कथं चण्डालदासत्वं गमिष्ये वित्तकामुकः॥८.

Hariścandra said: O venerable one, I know myself to be born of the Solar dynasty, O Kauśika. How can I, desiring wealth, become a caṇḍāla's servant?

; विश्वामित्र उवाच यदि चण्डालवित्तं त्वमात्मविक्रयजं मम । न प्रदास्यसि कालेन शाप्स्यामि त्वामसंशयम्॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: If you do not give me, in due time, the wealth obtained from the caṇḍāla by selling yourself, I will surely curse you.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः हरिश्चन्द्रस्ततो राजा चिन्तावस्थितजीवितः । प्रसीदेति वदन् पादावृषेर्जग्राह विह्वलः॥८.

The birds said: Then King Hariścandra, his life caught in anxiety, trembling, clasped the sage's feet and pleaded, 'Be gracious!'

दासोऽस्म्यार्तोऽस्मि भीतोऽस्मि त्वद्भक्तश्च विशेषतः । कुरु प्रसादं विप्रर्षे कष्टश्चण्डालसङ्करः॥८.

I am your servant, I am afflicted, I am afraid, and above all, I am your devotee. Show me your favor, O great sage; this union with the caṇḍāla is dreadful.

भवेयं वित्तशेषेण सर्वकर्मकरो वशः । तवैव मुनिशार्दूल ! प्रेष्यश्चित्तानुवर्तकः॥८.

With the wealth that remains, I shall perform all tasks under your command, O best of sages! I will be your servant, obedient to your will.

; विश्वामित्र उवाच यदि प्रेष्यो मम भवान् चण्डालाय ततो मया । दासभावमनुप्राप्तो दत्तो वित्तार्बुदेन वै॥८.

Viśvāmitra said: If you become my servant, then to the caṇḍāla I have given you, having received a hundred million in wealth, as one who has assumed the state of a slave.

; पक्षिण ऊचुः एकमुक्ते तदा तेन श्वपाको हृष्टमानसः । विश्वामित्राय तद्द्रव्यं दत्त्वा बद्ध्वा नरेश्वरम्॥८.

The birds said: When this was spoken, the outcaste, his mind delighted, gave that wealth to Viśvāmitra and bound the king.

दण्डप्रहारसम्भ्रान्तमतीव व्याकुलेन्द्रियम् । इष्टबन्धुवियोगार्तमनयन्निजपत्तनम्॥८.

Struck with a staff, his mind bewildered, his senses greatly disturbed, grieving from separation from his beloved kin, he was led to the outcaste's city.

हरिश्चन्द्रस्ततो राजा वसंश्चण्डालपत्तने । प्रातर्मध्याह्नसमये सायञ्चैतदगायत॥८.

Then King Hariścandra dwelled in the city of the outcaste, and morning, noon, and evening, he sang this:

बाला दीनमुखी दृष्ट्वा बालं दीनमुखं पुरः । मां स्मरत्यसुखाविष्टा मोचयिष्यति नौ नृपः॥८.

Seeing the child with a sorrowful face, and the girl with a sorrowful face before me, afflicted with suffering, she remembers me; the king will release us.

उपात्तवित्तो विप्राय दत्त्वा वित्तमतोऽधिकम् । न सा मां मृगशावाक्षी वेत्ति पापतरं कृतम्॥८.

Having obtained wealth, I gave even more to the brāhmaṇa; yet that doe-eyed one does not know the greater sin I have committed.

राज्यनाशः सुहृत्त्यागो भर्यातनयविक्रयः । प्राप्ता चण्डालता चेयमहो दुः खपरम्परा॥८.

The loss of the kingdom, the abandonment of friends, the sale of wife and son, and now this state as an outcaste—alas, what a succession of sorrows!

एवं स निवसन् नित्यं सस्मार दयितं सुतम् । आर्याञ्चात्मसमाविष्टां हृतसर्वस्व आतुरः॥८.

Thus, dwelling there always, he remembered his beloved son and his noble wife, who was as dear as his own self, distressed, having lost everything.

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य मृतचेलापहारकः । हरिश्चन्द्रोऽभवद्राजा श्मशाने तद्वशानुगः॥८.

Then, after some time, Hariścandra the king became one who collected shrouds from the dead, following the command of the outcaste, at the cremation ground.

चण्डालेनानुशिष्टश्व मृतचेलापहारिणा । शवागमनमन्विच्छन्निह तिष्ठ दिवानिशम्॥८.

Instructed by the outcaste who gathered shrouds from the dead, he remained there day and night, watching for the arrival of corpses.

इदं राज्ञेऽपि देयञ्च षड्भागन्तु शवं प्रति । त्रयस्तु मम भागाः स्युर्द्वो भागौ तव वेतनम्॥८.

This must be given to the king as well—a sixth part from the corpse; three shares are mine, and two shares are your wages.

इति प्रतिसमादिष्टो जगाम शवमन्दिरम् । दिशन्तु दक्षिणां यत्र वाराणस्यां स्थितं तदा॥८.

Thus instructed, he went to the house of the dead, where offerings are given, at that time in Vārāṇasī.

श्मशानं घोरसंनादं शिवाशतसमाकुलम् । शवमौलिसमाकीर्णं दुर्गन्धं बहुधूमकम्॥८.

The cremation ground, resounding with dreadful noise, crowded with hundreds of Śiva's followers, filled with heaps of corpses, foul-smelling, and thick with smoke.