Seventh Skandha · Chapter 24
Sourceशौनक उवाच - ततः किमकरोद्राजा चाण्दालस्य गृहे गतः । तद् ब्रूहि सूतवर्य त्वं पृच्छतः सत्वरं हि मे ॥ १ ॥ सूत उवाच - विश्वामित्रे गते विप्रे श्वपचो हृष्टमानसः । विश्वामित्राय तद् द्रव्यं दत्त्वा बद्ध्वा नरेश्वरम् ॥ २ ॥ असत्यो यास्यसीत्युक्त्वा दण्डेनाताडयत्तदा । दण्डप्रहारसम्भ्रान्तमतीव व्याकुलेन्द्रियम् ॥ ३ ॥ इष्टबन्धुवियोगार्तमानीय निजपक्कणे । निगडे स्थापयित्वा तं स्वयं सुष्वाप विज्वरः ॥ ४ ॥ निगडस्थस्ततो राजा वसंश्चाण्डालपक्कणे । अन्नपाने परित्यज्य सदा वै तदशोचयत् ॥ ५ ॥ तन्वी दीनमुखी दृष्ट्वा बालं दीनमुखं पुरः । मां स्मरन्त्यसुखाविष्टा मोक्षयिष्यति नौ नृपः ॥ ६ ॥ उपात्तवित्तो विप्राय दत्त्वा वित्तं प्रतिश्रुतम् । रोदमानं सुतं वीक्ष्य मां च सम्बोधयिष्यति ॥ ७ ॥ तातपार्श्वं व्रजामीति रुदन्तं बालकं पुनः । तात तातेति भाषन्तं तथा सम्बोधयिष्यति ॥ ८ ॥ न सा मां मृगशावाक्षी वेत्ति चाण्डालतां गतम् । राज्यनाशः सुहृत्त्यागो भार्यातनयविक्रयः ॥ ९ ॥ ततश्चाण्डालता चेयमहो दुःखपरम्परा । एवं स निवसन्नित्यं स्मरंश्च दयितां सुतम् ॥ १० ॥ निनाय दिवसान् राजा चतुरो विधिपीडितः । अथाह्नि पञ्चमे तेन निगडान्मोचितो नृपः ॥ ११ ॥ चाण्डालेनानुशिष्टश्च मृतचैलापहारणे । क्रुद्धेन परुषैर्वाक्यैर्निर्भत्स्य च पुनः पुनः ॥ १२ ॥ काश्याश्च दक्षिणे भागे श्मशानं विद्यते महत् । तद्रक्षस्व यथान्यायं न त्याज्यं तत्त्वया क्वचित् ॥ १३ ॥ इमं च जर्जरं दण्डं गृहीत्वा याहि मा चिरम् । वीरबाहोरयं दण्ड इति घोषस्व सर्वतः ॥ १४ ॥ सूत उवाच - कस्मिंश्चिदथ काले तु मृतचैलापहारकः । हरिश्चन्द्रोऽभवद्राजा श्मशाने दद्वशानुगः ॥ १५ ॥ चाण्डालेनानुशिष्टस्तु मृतचैलापहारिणा । राजा तेन समादिष्टो जगाम शवमन्दिरम् ॥ १६ ॥ पुर्यास्तु दक्षिणे देशे विद्यमानं भयानकम् । शवमाल्यसमाकीर्णं दुर्गन्धं बहुधूमकम् ॥ १७ ॥ श्मशानं घोरसन्नादं शिवाशतसमाकुलम् । गृद्ध्रगोमायुसंकीर्णं श्ववृन्दपरिवारितम् ॥ १८ ॥ अस्थिसङ्घातसङ्कीर्णं महादुर्गन्धसंकुलम् । अर्धदग्धशवास्यानि विकसद्दन्तपंक्तिभिः ॥ १९ ॥ हसन्तीवाग्निमध्यस्थकायस्यैवं व्यवस्थितिः । नानामृतसुहृन्नादं महाकोलाहलाकुलम् ॥ २० ॥ हा पुत्र मित्र हा बन्धो भ्रातर्वत्स प्रियाद्य मे । हाप्यते भागिनेयार्ह हा मातुल पितामह ॥ २१ ॥ मातामह पितः पौत्र क्व गतोऽस्येहि बान्धव । इति शब्दैः समाकीर्णं भैरवैः सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ २२ ॥ ज्वलन्मांसवसामेदच्छूमिति ध्वनिसङ्कुलम् । अग्नेश्चटचटाशब्दो भैरवो यत्र जायते ॥ २३ ॥ कल्पान्तसदृशाकारं श्मशानं तत्सुदारुणम् । स राजा तत्र सम्प्राप्तो दुःखादेवमशोचत ॥ २४ ॥ हा भृत्या मन्त्रिणो यूयं क्व तद्राज्यं कुलोचितम् । हा प्रिय पुत्र मे बाल मां त्यक्त्वा मन्दभाग्यकम् ॥ २५ ॥ ब्राह्मणस्य च कोपेन गता यूयं क्व दूरतः । विना धर्मं मनुष्याणां जायते न शुभं क्वचित् ॥ २६ ॥ यत्नतो धारयेत्तस्मात्पुरुषो धर्ममेव हि । इत्येवं चिन्तयंस्तत्र चाण्डालोक्तं पुनः पुनः ॥ २७ ॥ मलेन दिग्धसर्वाङ्गः शवानां दर्शने व्रजन् । लकुटाकारकल्पश्च धावंश्चापि ततस्ततः ॥ २८ ॥ अस्मिञ्छव इदं मौल्यं शतं प्राप्स्यामि चाग्रतः । इदं मम इदं राज्ञ इदं चाण्डालकस्य च ॥ २९ ॥ इत्येवं चिन्तयन् राजा व्यवस्थां दुस्तरां गतः । जीर्णैकपटसुग्रन्थिकृतकन्थापरिग्रहः ॥ ३० ॥ चिताभस्मरजोलिप्तमुखबाहूदराङ्घ्रिकः । नानामेदोवसामज्जालिप्तपाण्यङ्गुलिः श्वसन् ॥ ३१ ॥ नानाशवौदनकृतक्षुन्निवृत्तिपरायणः । तदीयमाल्यसंश्लेषकृतमस्तकमण्डलः ॥ ३२ ॥ न रात्रौ न दिवा शेते हाहेति प्रवदन्मुहुः । एवं द्वादश मासास्तु नीता वर्षशतोपमाः ॥ ३३ ॥
śaunaka uvāca - tataḥ kimakarodrājā cāṇdālasya gṛhe gataḥ | tad brūhi sūtavarya tvaṃ pṛcchataḥ satvaraṃ hi me || 1 || sūta uvāca - viśvāmitre gate vipre śvapaco hṛṣṭamānasaḥ | viśvāmitrāya tad dravyaṃ dattvā baddhvā nareśvaram || 2 || asatyo yāsyasītyuktvā daṇḍenātāḍayattadā | daṇḍaprahārasambhrāntamatīva vyākulendriyam || 3 || iṣṭabandhuviyogārtamānīya nijapakkaṇe | nigaḍe sthāpayitvā taṃ svayaṃ suṣvāpa vijvaraḥ || 4 || nigaḍasthastato rājā vasaṃścāṇḍālapakkaṇe | annapāne parityajya sadā vai tadaśocayat || 5 || tanvī dīnamukhī dṛṣṭvā bālaṃ dīnamukhaṃ puraḥ | māṃ smarantyasukhāviṣṭā mokṣayiṣyati nau nṛpaḥ || 6 || upāttavitto viprāya dattvā vittaṃ pratiśrutam | rodamānaṃ sutaṃ vīkṣya māṃ ca sambodhayiṣyati || 7 || tātapārśvaṃ vrajāmīti rudantaṃ bālakaṃ punaḥ | tāta tāteti bhāṣantaṃ tathā sambodhayiṣyati || 8 || na sā māṃ mṛgaśāvākṣī vetti cāṇḍālatāṃ gatam | rājyanāśaḥ suhṛttyāgo bhāryātanayavikrayaḥ || 9 || tataścāṇḍālatā ceyamaho duḥkhaparamparā | evaṃ sa nivasannityaṃ smaraṃśca dayitāṃ sutam || 10 || nināya divasān rājā caturo vidhipīḍitaḥ | athāhni pañcame tena nigaḍānmocito nṛpaḥ || 11 || cāṇḍālenānuśiṣṭaśca mṛtacailāpahāraṇe | kruddhena paruṣairvākyairnirbhatsya ca punaḥ punaḥ || 12 || kāśyāśca dakṣiṇe bhāge śmaśānaṃ vidyate mahat | tadrakṣasva yathānyāyaṃ na tyājyaṃ tattvayā kvacit || 13 || imaṃ ca jarjaraṃ daṇḍaṃ gṛhītvā yāhi mā ciram | vīrabāhorayaṃ daṇḍa iti ghoṣasva sarvataḥ || 14 || sūta uvāca - kasmiṃścidatha kāle tu mṛtacailāpahārakaḥ | hariścandro'bhavadrājā śmaśāne dadvaśānugaḥ || 15 || cāṇḍālenānuśiṣṭastu mṛtacailāpahāriṇā | rājā tena samādiṣṭo jagāma śavamandiram || 16 || puryāstu dakṣiṇe deśe vidyamānaṃ bhayānakam | śavamālyasamākīrṇaṃ durgandhaṃ bahudhūmakam || 17 || śmaśānaṃ ghorasannādaṃ śivāśatasamākulam | gṛddhragomāyusaṃkīrṇaṃ śvavṛndaparivāritam || 18 || asthisaṅghātasaṅkīrṇaṃ mahādurgandhasaṃkulam | ardhadagdhaśavāsyāni vikasaddantapaṃktibhiḥ || 19 || hasantīvāgnimadhyasthakāyasyaivaṃ vyavasthitiḥ | nānāmṛtasuhṛnnādaṃ mahākolāhalākulam || 20 || hā putra mitra hā bandho bhrātarvatsa priyādya me | hāpyate bhāgineyārha hā mātula pitāmaha || 21 || mātāmaha pitaḥ pautra kva gato'syehi bāndhava | iti śabdaiḥ samākīrṇaṃ bhairavaiḥ sarvadehinām || 22 || jvalanmāṃsavasāmedacchūmiti dhvanisaṅkulam | agneścaṭacaṭāśabdo bhairavo yatra jāyate || 23 || kalpāntasadṛśākāraṃ śmaśānaṃ tatsudāruṇam | sa rājā tatra samprāpto duḥkhādevamaśocata || 24 || hā bhṛtyā mantriṇo yūyaṃ kva tadrājyaṃ kulocitam | hā priya putra me bāla māṃ tyaktvā mandabhāgyakam || 25 || brāhmaṇasya ca kopena gatā yūyaṃ kva dūrataḥ | vinā dharmaṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ jāyate na śubhaṃ kvacit || 26 || yatnato dhārayettasmātpuruṣo dharmameva hi | ityevaṃ cintayaṃstatra cāṇḍāloktaṃ punaḥ punaḥ || 27 || malena digdhasarvāṅgaḥ śavānāṃ darśane vrajan | lakuṭākārakalpaśca dhāvaṃścāpi tatastataḥ || 28 || asmiñchava idaṃ maulyaṃ śataṃ prāpsyāmi cāgrataḥ | idaṃ mama idaṃ rājña idaṃ cāṇḍālakasya ca || 29 || ityevaṃ cintayan rājā vyavasthāṃ dustarāṃ gataḥ | jīrṇaikapaṭasugranthikṛtakanthāparigrahaḥ || 30 || citābhasmarajoliptamukhabāhūdarāṅghrikaḥ | nānāmedovasāmajjāliptapāṇyaṅguliḥ śvasan || 31 || nānāśavaudanakṛtakṣunnivṛttiparāyaṇaḥ | tadīyamālyasaṃśleṣakṛtamastakamaṇḍalaḥ || 32 || na rātrau na divā śete hāheti pravadanmuhuḥ | evaṃ dvādaśa māsāstu nītā varṣaśatopamāḥ || 33 ||
English translation
1. S’aunaka said “O Suta! Now describe as quickly as you can in detail what the King Haris’chandra did afterwards in the house of the Chandala.
2-14. Suta said When VisVamitra went away, the mind of the Chandala was filled with joy. He already gave to VisVamitra that amount of jewels; so he tied now the King and, telling him, “Do you now stand on the path of falsehood?” began to beat him with sticks. The King was already very much tired of the bereavements from his dear ones; now being beaten by the Chandala, his senses were lost. In this state the Chandala took him to his house and fastened him with a chain. Then the Chandala’s troubles were over and he fell asleep. The King lived in the Chandala’s house in that state fettered by a chain; but he did not take any food there. Incessantly he wept for his wife and son and others. “Alas! That thin lady, seeing the sad face of her son is now remembering me with a morose face. She is now perhaps thinking, with a grieved heart, that whenever the King will get the money, he will pay off the promised money to the Brahmin and then will free us from this yoke of slavery. Alas! When will that day come when will he see me and this crying child and speak with us. When the son will cry, saying, ‘I will go to my father; father!’ When will he come and speak with the child? That fawn eyed gentle woman does not know that I am now placed under a Chandala. Alas! I am deprived of my kingdom, friends; and I have sold away my wife and son; now I am bound in the chain of slavery of a Chandala. Alas! So many miseries have fallen on me all one after another.” Thus thinking incessantly about his dear consort and son, the King passed his days in the house of that Chandala. Four days passed; and on the fifth day the Chandala came there and rebuked the King with very harsh words and freed him from his
fastenings and said, “Go to the burial ground and collect the clothings of the dead bodies. There is a wide S’masan (burial ground) on the southern part of Kas’i; go and protect that and whatever is due to you, justly take that; do not leave it. Take this Jarjara club and go there quickly. Say to all that you are the messenger of Viravahu and this staff is his.”
15-33. Suta said O Risis! Thus Haris’chandra became a Chandala’s servant and was engaged in collecting the cloths of the dead persons. Thus ordered by the Chandala, whose duty was to collect the rags of the dead bodies, the King went to the burial ground. To the south of the city Kas’i, was situated the dreadful S’masana, scattered over with the garlands of the dead, bad odours were emitting on all sides and it was covered all over with smoke. Hundreds of jackals were yelling there and the ground was being reverberated by their yells. Vultures, jackals and dogs were at many places dragging the dead bodies. At other places were scattered heaps of bones; the whole ground was covered with the putrid smell of the dead. At some places it seemed that from within the funeral pyre, the half-burnt dead bodies were laughing wildly with their teeth wide open from their mouths. Thus the dead bodies looked terrible when being placed under fire. Lots of dead bodies were brought there and there was a great tumultuous uproar made by the cries of their friends and relatives. Oh! My son! My friend! My relative! My brother! My child! My dear wife! Oh! My cousin! Oh! My grandfather! Oh! My father! My grandson! My acquaintance! Where hast thou gone leaving me here! Come once and let me have a sight of thee! With such dreadful sounds as these, the burial ground was being echoed. Flesh, marrow, fat all were being burnt in the fire and a peculiar sound Son, Son was being produced there and creating voidness in the minds of the people. The fire was burning with a crackling noise. Thus the S’masana looked very terrible as if the universe was being destroyed at the end of a Kalpa. The King Haris’chandra arrived there; and, with extreme pain, he began to
give vent to his sorrows. “My ministers, servants! Where are you all now? Where is kingdom that I got by a succession of inheritance! O my Son! O my dear wife! Where are you staying now, at what a long distance, leaving me here out of the Brahmin’s anger. Without Dharma man can never get auspicious fruits. So men should carefully earn Dharma.” The King, whose body was covered with dust and dirt, thought thus repeatedly; and at last, remembering the Chandala’s words, went out in quest of the dead. Out of this eventful cares and anxieties, his body became lean like a stick; still he ran, to and fro, and calculated thus “This dead body will fetch for its price one hundred gold mohurs; out of this, this belongs to the King; this to me, and this to the Chandala.” So he thought constantly and his state became awful. His face, arm, belly and feet and the other parts of body were all covered over with ashes and dust; the King wore a ragged cloth where hundred places were sewn over; his toes were all besmeared with all sorts of flesh, marrow, fat and other things. He began to satisfy his hunger out of the food that was prepared for all sorts of dead bodies; and, taking their garlands, he encircled his head with them. Day and night he did not sleep and always he sighed and sighed, crying, Alas! Alas! Thus one year passed away, as if it had been three hundred years.
Here ends the Twenty-fourth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the stay of Haris’chandra in the burning ground in the Maha Puranam, S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25164, revision 76310 (2016-08-19T05:19:17Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk07ch24.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.