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Devi Bhagavatam (Devi
Puranam)
Chapter XXI
On the description of the sorrows of Haris’chandra
1-5. Vyâsa said :-- O King! At this moment, the Muni Vis’vâmitra, endowed
with his power of tapas, came up there, very angry as if the God of Death,
to ask of his wealth. Seeing him Haris’chandra fallen thus senseless on the
ground, Vis’vâmitra, then, began to sprinkle water on his body. O King! The
man who is involved in a debt his troubles increase day by day. So get up
and pay your promised Daksinâ. The King, thus sprinkled with water, cold as
snow, regained his consciousness; but, seeing Vis’vâmitra, he fainted again.
At this, the Dvîja Vis’vâmitra consoled him and angrily spoke to him thus
:--
6-10. O King! If you want to maintain your steadiness, give, then my Daksinâ.
Look! It is Truth that makes the Sun shine; It is the Truth that has
stationed this Earth in its position; what to speak more, even the Svarga is
established on Truth; so the greatest Dharma lies in Truth. If the fruit of
the thousand As’vamedhas be held in one pan and Truth be held on the other
pan of the balance, then Truth outweighs the thousand horse sacrifices or
what need I to speak all about this! O King! If you fail to give my Daksinâ
before the Sunset, I will, no doubt, curse you. Saying this, Vis’vâmitra
went away. The King also became very terrified. The wealthless King was
pained by the words of the Muni; but he was more troubled with the thought
how he would pay him and keep to Truth.
11-13. Sűta said :-- O Risis! At this time, a Brâhmin, skilled in the Vedas,
with many other Brâhmins, started out of his house, at that very place. The
queen, then seeing the Brâhmin ascetic close by, addressed the King in words
reasonable and in accordance with the Dharma, O Lord! A Brâhmin is
considered the father of the other three Varnas (i.e., Ksattriyas, Vais’yas,
and S’űdras) and a son can certainly take the father’s things; so it is my
intention that you beg your wealth from this Brâhmin.
14-18. The King said :-- “O One of thin waist! To beg suits the Brâhmanas;
it is prohibited to the Ksattriyas; I being a Ksattriya do not wish to take
anything as gift. The Brâhmins are the Gurus of all the Varnas. So they are
always to be respected. It is not proper to beg from a Brâhmin; especially
the Ksattriyas never ask anything from the Brâhmins; it is totally
prohibited. Offering oblations, study, gift and the governing of subjects
and protecting those that take refuge is the Dharma of the Ksattriyas but
they would never, never, ask any other man ‘Give, give,’ and utter these
words indicative of humility O Devî! The words ‘I am giving you’ are
impressed within my heart; so I will earn money from some other source and
give that to the Muni.”
19-20. The Queen said :-- “O King! Time keeps some men in one and the same
state; again it throws others into troubles; Time it is that gives respect
to one and again it is Time that gives disrespect to others. Time it is that
makes one a donor and it is the same Time that makes another a beggar. So
even the Risi Vis’vâmitra, learned and endowed with the strength of Tapas,
becoming angry has deprived you of your kingdom and happiness and has thus
done quite an irreligious act in the shape of tormenting others. You can now
judge in this the wonderful workings of Time.”
21-22. The King said :-- “I would rather out off my tongue into two pieces
by a sharp sword than I would quit my Ksattriya pride; and I would never be
able to utter the words ‘Give, give.’ O Fortunate One! I am a Ksattriya; so
I never ask anything of anyone. I always say that, by the strength of my
arms, I will earn money and pay off my debt.”
23-27. The Queen said :-- “O King! Indra and the other Devas have given me
over duly to your hands. So I am your religious (legal) wife; especially I
have got education and I ought to be protected. Therefore O Luminous One! If
you do not like to beg then you can sell me and pay off your Daksinâ.” The
King Haris’chandra became grieved very much to hear these words and
lamented, saying, “O What a painful thing is this! What a painful thing is
this!” His wife again spoke :-- “O King! Will we, afterwards, be burnt by
the fire of curse from a Brâhmin and thus lowered very much? So keep my word
now. You are selling me, not because that you are infatuated with desire for
gambling nor you are deprived of all knowledge by enjoyments in worldly
things nor you are selling me owing to avert the danger of your kingdom. It
is that you are selling me to pay off the debt to your Guru. So nothing
sinful a fault will be incurred by you. So sell me and keep to Truth and the
fruits thereof.”
Here ends the Twenty-First Chapter of the Seventh Book on the description of
the sorrows of Haris’chandra in the Mahâ Purânam, S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam
of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XXII
On the selling of Haris’chandra’s wife
1-6. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When the Queen Madhavî requested repeatedly the
King, He said :-- “O Good Auspicious One! When you have not met with any
scruple to utter clearly these harsh and cruel words, I will do that act now
which the most ruthless persons do not dare to do.” Saying this, the King
went with his wife, very distressed, to the city. Placing her on the public
road, the King cried out in a voice choked with feelings and eyes full of
tears :-- “O Citizens! Hear you all. Do any one of you require any
maidservant? This lady is dearer to me than my life. If any of you be able
to offer price of her as I will declare, then let him give it out quickly.”
The Pundits then said :-- “Who are you? Why are you come here to sell your
wife?”
7. The King said :-- “Are you asking me of my introduction? Hear then; I am
a heartless brute and not fit to be called a man; or I am a Râksasa; nay, I
am more than that; I am prepared to do this sinful act.”
8-11. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing this, Kaus’ika suddenly assumed the
form of an old man and came out and spoke to Haris’chandra :-- I am master
of boundless wealth; so I am able to give you the money you want; I am ready
to purchase the maidservant by giving an equivalent wealth. Better give me
the maidservant. My wife is exceedingly delicate; she is unable to do all
the household work; so let me have the maid. But say quickly what value am I
to pay? When the Brâhmin spoke this, Haris’chandra felt his heart, as it
were, torn asunder; so he could not for the moment speak anything.
12-15. The Brâhmana said :-- Take an equivalent amount of money according to
the age, beauty, qualifications and capabilities of your wife and hand her
over to me. Hear about the prices of the male and female servants as written
in the Dharma S’âstras :-- The price of a female servant clever, good,
well-qualified and possessing thirty-two auspicious qualities is one Koti
gold mohurs; and the male servant similarly qualified fetches one Arbuda
gold mohurs. Haris’chandra became very much pained to hear the Brâhmin
speaking thus; but he could not say anything. The Brâhmin then placed in
front of the King the money over a bark and caught hold of the hair of the
Queen and was ready to drag Her.
16-21. The Queen said :-- “O Ârya! Let me see once the lotus-face of my son;
leave me once. O Brâhmin! Please see that it will be hard for me again to
see this boy. O Son! Behold! Your mother is now a slave. So, O Prince, do
not touch me. I am not fit now to be touched by you.” The boy, then, seeing
the mother suddenly snatched away, cried out, “O Mother! O Mother!” and
followed her with tears in his eyes. That boy tumbled at every step still he
caught hold of the mother’s clothing by his hand and began to accompany her.
The Brâhmin, seeing this behaviour of the boy, became impatient with anger
and began to beat him. Still the boy wept, saying, “Mother! Mother!” and
never quitted the hold of his mother. The Queen said :-- “O Lord! Have mercy
on me and purchase this boy also. Though you are purchasing me, yet without
this boy I will not be able to do your work. My fate is bad; therefore this
calamity has happened. Shew this favour to me.”
22-24. The Brâhmin said :-- Take this money and give me the boy too. For the
Wise in the Dharma S’âstras fix such to be the prices of a female and a
male. The other Pundits make differences in the prices, e.g., one hundred,
one thousand, one lakh, one crore and so on, according to the different
qualifications. But for the female, who is skilled in all actions, modest,
of good behaviour, and well qualified and, on whose body the thirty-two
auspicious signs are seen, her price is one Koti gold mohurs and for a man
qualified, one Arbuda gold mohurs.
25-35. Sűta said :-- O King! The Brâhmin then gave over the price of the boy
as decided, in gold mohurs in front of the King over a bark and then tied
both the mother and son. He, then, gladly and without any delay, carried
them to his home. At the time of departure, the Queen circumambulated the
King and, kneeling down, bowed down to him and, in that state of humility,
began to speak :-- If ever I have done any charities, if ever I have poured
oblations on the Fire, if ever I have satisfied the Brâhmins, then, by that
virtue, Haris’chandra will again be my husband. Seeing his wife, dearer then
his life, fallen on his feet, the King became very distracted and lamented,
crying, “Alas! Alas! The shadow of a tree never leaves the tree; but you
being verily modest and endowed with all qualifications, are now separated
from me.” Speaking thus reasonably with his wife, the King said to his son
:-- “O Child! Where will you go, leaving me here? Where shall I go now? and
who will stop my miseries?” The King, then, spoke to the Brâhmin :-- “O
Brâhmin! The pain that I experience in the separation from my son, I did not
feel on the occasion of quitting my kingdom or on my being exiled in a
forest.
O Auspicious One! The husband, good natured in this world, nourishes always
his wife and keeps her always in comfort and happiness. But I am such a bad
husband of yours, as I have left you and made you float in the sea of
sorrows. Born in the Iksâku family, I inherited the kingdom and its
pleasures; but, Alas! Your getting such a husband has now been reduced to
slavery! O Devî! I am merged in this ocean of sorrows and troubles. Who will
rescue me, by narrating this story of the Purânas!”
36-40. Sűta said :-- O King! The Brâhmin, then, began to take away the queen
and the boy, whipping them, in the face of the King. Seeing his wife and son
being dragged away in that state, the King’s pain knew no bounds and be
frequently sighed and sighed and bitterly wept aloud. Alas! My dear wife,
whom the Moon, the Sun, Wind or any other body could not see ere this, has
become now reduced to slavery today! Oh! How beautiful and gentle are the
fingers of my child? He has been sold off today, being born in the Solar
Dynasty? Alas! Fie on my foolish understanding! Oh my Dear! Oh my child
Rohitâs’va! Your this wretched condition is due to my Anârya irrespectable
bad maxims! Oh! Through the mockery of the Daiva, I have got this distress!
Fie on Me!
41-42 Vyâsa said :-- The King was lamenting thus when the Brâhmin
disappeared with them, in the very tall trees and walls of palatial
buildings. At this time the cruel fiendish Muni, endowed with great power of
asceticism came there quickly, accompanied by his disciples.
43. Vis’vâmitra said :-- “O One of mighty arm! If you think it your duty to
respect Truth, then pay me the Daksinâ of Râjasűya sacrifice that you
promised before.”
44. Haris’chandra said :-- “O Râjarsi! I bow down to Thee. O Sinless One!
Now take the Daksinâ of the Râjasűya Sacrifice that I promised to pay you
before.”
45. Vis’vâmitra said :-- “O King! Whence have you collected these gold
Mohurs that you are now paying me as my Daksinâ. How have you earned this?
Say.”
46. Haris’chandra said :-- “O Dvîja! O Sinless One! What use is there in
telling this to you. It will increase agony by hearing. O One of good vows!”
47. Vis’vâmitra said :-- “I won’t accept money earned not rightly. Give what
you have acquired by rightful means. Say truly how you have acquired it.”
48. Haris’chandra spoke :-- “O Brâhmin! I have sold my wife the Devî Madhavî
for one Koti Gold Mohurs and my son for ten Kotis of gold Mohurs. So take
this eleven Koti Gold Mohurs from me.”
49. Sűta said :-- Seeing the gold collected out of the sale of wife and son
very small, and seeing the King overpowered with pain and sorrow, Kaus’ika
angrily spoke :--
50-52. O King! The Daksinâ of the Râjasűya Sacrifice cannot be so small; so
collect quickly other money to complete it. O Vilest of Ksattriyas! If you
think this much to be proper for me, see first the enormous power of mine
that I possess of my tapasyâ, practised duly, of my pure Brâhmanyahood, of
my violent power and of my chaste study and then you can pay my Daksinâ.
53. Haris’chandra said :-- “O Bhagavân! I have sold just now my wife; and so
wait for some time and I will collect more gold and will pay that to you.”
54. Vis’vâmitra said :-- “O King! The fourth part of the day is now
remaining; I will wait till then. After this you won’t expect any other
reply from me.”
Here ends the Twenty second Chapter of the Seventh Book on the selling of
Haris’chandra’s wife in the Mahâpurânam S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, of 18,000
verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XXIII
On the King Haris’chandra’s acknowledging of the slavery of the Chândâla
1-5. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Speaking these harsh and cruel words to the
King, the Muni took that money and went away. When Vis’vâmitra went away,
the King Haris’chandra became very much perplexed with sorrows and sighed
frequently. He then began to say with his face bent downwards. “Suffering
from constant pain and troubles, I am now turned into a Preta; if anybody
finds me serviceable, he may purchase me with value in gold as proper; but
he should do this quickly before the sun sets.” Dharma, then, assuming the
form of a heartless Chândâla, came there quickly to test Haris’chandra. The
body of that low mean person was of a black colour, his air looking
ferocious, his belly elongated, body emitting stench odours, teeth very
long, and his face, covered with beards. He had one bamboo in his hand; in
his neck, the bones of the dead were hanging and his chest was very
distorted.
6. The Chândâla said :-- “I am in urgent need of a servant; I will keep you
as my slave; say, then, quickly what is your price?”
7. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When the cruel, extremely ferocious and heartless
Chândâla said thus, the King Haris’chandra was surprised to see his
appearance and said :-- “Who are you?”
8-12. The Chândâla said :-- “O King! I am the famous Chândâla, Pravîra; you
will have to remain always subject to me and to collect the clothes of the
dead persons.” Hearing his word, the King said, “I want to be purchased by a
Brâhmin or a Ksattriya. See! The sages say, that the Dharma of good people
is excellent; the Dharma of the persons intermediate is middling; and the
Dharma of the mean is depressing. You belong to the low and mean class. So
my Dharma cannot be observed if I remain in your house.” The Chândâla said
:-- “O King! This is the Dharma of yours now mentioned by you; then why did
you mention that anybody can purchase you; without any previous
consideration, you spoke before me. He who speaks with preconsideration
attains his desired object; but, O Sinless One! You did not consider and you
spoke that ordinarily. However, if I take your words that you spoke first to
be true, then you are no doubt, purchased by me.”
13. Haris’chandra said :-- The villain that speaks untruth, goes downright
to a terrible hell; so to become a Chândâla is far better for me than to use
an untrue word.
14-15. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When the King was speaking thus, the ascetic
Vis’vâmitra arrived there out of anger and impatience; he rolled his eyes
and said :-- This Chândâla is come to give you your desired money; why,
then, are you not giving me the remnant of my Daksinâ!
16. Haris’chandra said :-- “O Kaus'ika! Nothing is unknown to you. My this
body is born for the Solar Line; how then can I accept this slavery of a
Chândâla!”
17-20. Vis’vâmitra said :-- If you do not sell yourself to a Chândâla, be
certain that I will just now put you under my curse. Give me immediately my
Daksinâ, be it whether from a Chândâla or from a Brâhmana. There is no other
purchaser at present than this Chândâla. But know this as certain that I
won’t go back until I get my money. O King! If you do not give me money just
now, then when half the Ghatikâ of the day is remaining, I will burn you up
by my fire of anger.
2l. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Hearing these words of Vis’vâmitra, the King
became almost dead; bewildered with fear, then he clasped the feet of the
Risi and said, “Be friendly, please.”
22-23. Haris’chandra said :-- “O Viprarsi! I am now very humiliated and have
become very afflicted and distressed. Especially I am your Bhakta, I am your
servant; so be graciously pleased and free me from this painful companion of
a Chândâla. O Muni! In lieu of my remnant Daksinâ, I will be your obedient
slave; I will do your work and follow your commands.”
24. Visvamitra said :-- “O King! You are then my slave, you will obey always
my commands.”
25-26. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When Vis’vâmitra said so, the King, out of
joy, thought that he regained his life and said to Kaus’ika. Always I will
obey your words; now order me what work I will have to do.
27-28. Vis’vâmitra, then addressed the Chândâla and said :-- “O Chândâla!
Come to me and give me the price for this slave. I am now handing this slave
over to you; give me the price and take him. I want money; I have no need
for a servant.”
29. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When Vis’vâmitra spoke thus, the Chândâla,
overflowed with joy, came immediately to the Risi Vis’vâmitra and said :--
30. O Dvîja! The relief that you have given me by selling this servant, for
that I will give you the ten Yoyanas wide land of Prayâga Mandalam, covered
over with jewels.
31-36. Vyâsa said :-- O King! The Chândâla then gave one thousand gems, one
thousand jewels, one thousand pearls and one thousand gold Mohurs and
Vis’vâmitra took them. No signs of distraction nor unpleasantness were
visible on the face of the King Haris’chandra. Rather he laid hold of his
patience and thought within himself, “Vis’vâmitra is now my master; I will
do any work that he puts me in.” At this time, the incorporeal voice, the
voice of the fourth dimensional space, sounded from the Heavens :-- “O
Fortunate One! You are freed from the Daksinâ, the debt before that you
promised to give me.” A shower of flowers fell on the head of the King from
the Heavens. At this time the powerful Indra and the other hosts of the
Devas praised the King, saying :-- “Sâdhu! Sâdhu! Well-done, Well-done.” The
heart of the King was then filled with intense joy and the King then said to
Kaus’ika :--
37-38. O Intelligent One! You are a greater benefactor to me than my father,
mother and friend as you have freed me in a moment from my debts. So, O
mighty armed one! Your words are beneficial to me. Now order what am I to
do.
39. When the King said so, Vis’vâmitra then said :-- Go and observe from
today the words of the Chândâla. Let good befall on you! Thus saying, the
Maharsi Vis’vâmitra took the money given by the Chândâla and went away to
his own place.
Here ends the Twenty-third Chapter of the Seventh Book on the King
Haris’chandra’s acknowledging of the slavery of the Chândâla in the
Mahâpurânam S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda
Vyâsa.
Chapter XXIV
On the stay of Haris’chandra in the burning ground
1. S’aunaka said :-- “O Sűta! Now describe as quickly as you can in detail
what the King Haris’chandra did afterwards in the house of the Chândâla.
2-14. Sűta said :-- When Vis’vâmitra went away, the mind of the Chândâla was
filled with joy. He already gave to Vis’vâmitra 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
Chândâla, his senses were lost. In this state the Chândâla took him to his
house and fastened him with a chain. Then the Chândâla’s troubles were over
and he fell asleep. The King lived in the Chândâla’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 Brâhmin 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 Chândâla.
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 Chândâla. 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 Chândâla. Four days passed; and on the fifth day the Chândâla 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’masân (burial ground) on the southern
part of Kâs’î; 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 Vîravâhu and this staff is his.”
15-33. Sűta said :-- O Risis! Thus Haris’chandra became a Chândâla’s servant
and was engaged in collecting the cloths of the dead persons. Thus ordered
by the Chândâla, whose duty was to collect the rags of the dead bodies, the
King went to the burial ground. To the south of the city Kâs’î, was situated
the dreadful S’masâna, 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’masâna 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 Brâhmin’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 Chândâla’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 Chândâla.” 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 Mahâ Purânam, S'rî Mad Devî
Bhâgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter XXV
On the quarrels between Haris’chandra and Vis’vâmitra
1-12. Sűta said :-- Here, on the other hand, one day the boy Rohitâs’va went
out with other boys to play at some place close to Kâs’î. He first played
with the his comrades; he then began to root out and collect, as far as he
could, the Darbha (Kus’a) grass, with its ends and which had not deep roots.
On being questioned why he was taking the Dharba grass, Rohitâ told his
comrades that his master was a Brâhmin and that he was collecting them for
his satisfaction. Saying this, he began to collect carefully by his hands
the sacrificial fuel (Samidha) and other fuel for the burning purposes. He
collected the Palâsa wood for Homa purpose and making it into a bundle with
other articles already collected, took it on his head, but at every step he
seemed to be fatigued. Feeling thirsty he went to a pool of water close by
and keeping his load on the ground went down to drink water. Drinking water
he rested a while and then as he had kept his load on the anthill, be began
to take it back on his head, a very poisonous deadly serpent came out
suddenly out of that anthill at the order of Vis’vâmitra. The snake
immediately bit the boy who instantly fell down and died. His comrades
seeing Rohitâs’va dead went to the house of the Brâhmin. With much anxiety
the boys went soon out of fear, to his mother and said :-- “O Brâhmin’s
maidservant! Your son went out with us to play outside; but suddenly a
poisonous snake bit him and he is dead.” Rohitâ’s mother, hearing these
cruel words like thunder and lightning at once fell down on the ground like
a plantain tree, cut off from its roots. The Brâhmin, then, came and
sprinkled water on her face. When she regained her consciousness, the
Brâhmin then angrily spoke :--
13-19. O wicked One! It is very inauspicious to cry at the evening time;
especially the disfavour of the Goddess Laksmî; the poverty comes to the
householder, you know this; why are you then weeping? Have you not a bit of
shame in your heart? She made no reply at this. Rather very much immersed in
grief for her son, she wept in a pitiful voice. Her body was covered with
dust, hairs were dishevelled and her face covered all over with tears from
eyes. She constantly wept out of sorrow. The Brâhmin, then, became very
angry and spoke to the queen :-- “O Villain! O Wicked! Fie on you. I have
bought you for money; yet you are hindering my luck. If you had this thought
that you would not work under me, why did you take for nothing my money?”
Thus repeatedly scolded by the Brâhmin, she pitifully cried and spoke to the
Brâhmin in a voice choked with feelings :-- “O Lord! My son has fallen into
the jaws of death, being smitten by a serpent. O One of good vows! I will
never be able to see him. So kindly permit me to go and see my boy.” Saying
thus, that lady began again to weep in a pitiful voice. The Brâhmin became
very angry and spoke thus :--
20-26. O Cheat! Your conduct is extremely blameable; you do not know how one
commits a sin. The man who taking his pay from his master spoils his
master’s work, he goes to the terrible hell Raurava and is being scorched
there. Living in the Hell for a short while, he is born as a cock. Or it is
useless for me to give you this instruction of the Dharma S’âstra, for to
speak to such to an illiterate, cruel, low, hypocrite and liar and to one
addicted to sinful acts is to sow seed on an usar land and to see it
fruitless. Now if you have any fear for the afterlife, come and do the
household affairs. Hearing this, she said to the Brâhmin, trembling :-- “O
Lord! Be graciously pleased and shew your mercy on a maidservant. Only for a
moment I will go to see the dead son of mine; so give me order to go there
for a moment.” That lady was deeply absorbed with sorrows for her son; then
she put her head on the feet of the Brâhmin and with a pitiful voice cried.
The angry Brâhmin with eyes reddened then began to speak.
27-41. What purpose of mine will be served by your son? Don’t you know about
my anger? Have you forgotten about my whipping? So be ready and do my
household work without any delay. Hearing his words, the queen held her
patience and began to do the household work. She spent half the night time,
when she finished champooing his feet. When this was over, the Brâhmin spoke
to her :-- “You can go now to your son; but see, finish his burning
ceremonies and come back quickly. See that my morning works do not suffer.”
Thus getting the permission, the Queen went at that dead of night to look
for her son, alone and weeping. Gradually she went out of the precincts of
the city of Kâsî and there she saw her son like a poor man’s son lying on
the ground over leaves and pieces of woods. Seeing her son dead, the humble
Queen was very troubled with sorrow like an antelope, straying from its herd
and as a cow missing her calf. The Queen Mâdhavî then began to lament, in a
very pitiful tone, thus :-- “O my Son! Come once before me; say why you are
angry. Oh! My child! You used to come frequently to me, uttering Ma! Ma!
Then why are you not coming now?” Saying thus, she tumbling went and fell
over his son. She, regaining her consciousness, embraced her son and placing
her face on the face of the child began to weep pitifully. “Oh! My son! Oh!
My child! Oh my Kumâra! Oh! My Beautiful! and began to beat her head and her
breast with her hands. O King! Where are you now? You used to look upon your
son dearer than even your life. Your that son is now lying dead on the
ground. Come and behold him once. It seems that the son has got back his
life.” Thus thinking she looked upon his face; but when it looked dead, she
fell immediately unconscious. Getting back soon her consciousness, she held
his face by her hands and said :-- “O Child! Rise up from your sleep; awake;
now is the dreadful night time; hundreds of jackals are yelling into our
ears. Even Pretas, Bhutas, Pis’âchas and Dâkinîs are roaming in packs and
making terrible sounds Hum, Hum. Your comrades returned to their homes just
at sunset; Why are you alone remaining here?
42-56. Sűta said :-- The thin-bodied queen, thus saying, began to lament,
“Oh my Child! Oh! My son, Oh! Rohitâs’va, O Kumâra, why are you not replying
to my words! Oh my Child! I am your mother; do you not recognise me; look at
me once. O Child! I am deprived of my kingdom and exiled from my country; my
husband has sold even his body and I am myself reduced to slavery. What man
is there that can live in this state! I am living simply by seeing your
lotus-face. The astrologer who cast your horoscope at your birth, calculated
future events in your life; but where? none of them is fructified. They said
that this child will be a hero, warrior, long-lived, very charitable man,
and always ready to do the worship of the Devas, Dvîjas and the Gurus. What
more than this that the child will be one paramount sovereign and with his
sons and grandsons will enjoy his kingdom. This boy will be the master of
his senses and will fulfil the desires of his father and mother. Oh my Son!
Now all those predictions have turned out false. O Child! You have on your
palms so many auspicious signs, discus, fishes, umbrella, S’rî Vatsa,
Svastika, flags, Kalas’a (earthen jar), Châmara and other signs; besides
these, various other auspicious omens exist on your hands. Are all these
become in vain today! O Son! You are the Lord of this whole dominion; but
where are your that Kingdom now, those ministers, that royal throne, that
umbrella, that axe, that vast amount of riches, that Ayodhyâ city, those
palatial buildings, those elephants, horses, and chariots? Where have gone
your subjects! O Child! Where have you gone now, quitting all these and even
me! O beloved Husband! See the condition of your son who in his early
childhood used to move on all fours (the hands and feet) and get up on your
broad chest, anointed with Kumkum, and spoil it with dust; O King! Come once
and witness the condition of your child who used to press, out of ignorance
due to his young age, the Tilak on your forehead, prepared of Mriganâbhi,
(musk). Alas! Flies are now sitting on the lotus face today which I used to
kiss over, covered with dirt; the insects are now stinging that. Oh! This I
have got to witness now! O King! Come and see once your child is now
sleeping on the ground like a poor man’s dead son. O Fate! What bad act did
I commit in my past life, that I have got to suffer so much in this life and
I do not get an end of them! O Child! O Son! Oh, my Kumâra! Oh! My
Beautiful! Shall I not be able to see you once any more elsewhere?” The
Queen Mâdhavî thus lamented very much when the warders of the city, hearing
her lamentations awoke and came to her without any delay, greatly
astonished. They asked her thus :--
57-77. Who are you? Whose son is this? Where is your husband? Why are you
weeping here in this dead of night, without any fear? Though thus
questioned, the thin Queen did not reply anything. Being again asked, she
remained silent; and in the next moment she was pained with extreme agony
and began again to cry. Tears flowed incessantly from her two eyes out of
her sorrow. The guards then began to suspect her and were greatly afraid. So
much that hairs stood on their ends out of terror. They at once raised their
arms and began to talk with each other. When this lady is not giving any
sort of reply, she is then certainly not a woman; most probably she will be
a Râksasî, knowing magic and destroying young children. So she should be
killed with great attention. If she be not a Râksasî, then why she should
stay in this dead of night outside the city? No doubt, this Râksasî has
brought someone’s child to eat here. Thus saying, they, without any delay,
tied her hairs closely and some caught hold of her hand and some caught hold
of her neck, saying O Râksasî! where will you go now? The armed men, then
dragged her perforce to the house of the Chândâla and handed her over to
him. All the people said :-- “O Chief of the Chândâlas! We have caught today
outside the city this child eating Râksasî; so you better take her quickly
on the slaughter ground and slaughter her.” The Chândâla looked at her body
and said, “This Râksasî is widely celebrated in this world. I know her from
before; but nobody is able to see her. This Mâyâvinî has devoured many sons
of many persons. You all will acquire great merit when she will be
slaughtered and your good name will be known to all and will last long. You
better now go back to your own homes. The man who kills women, children,
cows and Brâhmins, who burns another’s house with fire, who destroys the
wayfares of others, who steals his Guru’s wife, who quarrels with saintly
persons, and who drinks wine, if killed, will certainly yield merits to the
man who kills him. If such a one be a female or a Brâhmin, no sin will
accrue if he or she be slaughtered. So it is my paramount duty to kill her.”
Saying this, the Chândâla tied her closely and drawing her by her hairs,
began to beat her with a rope. Then he told to Haris’chandra in terse
language :-- “O Slave! Kill her; this woman is by her very nature wicked; so
do not judge anything in this matter of killing her.” Hearing these harsh
words, like the falling of a thunderbolt, the King shuddered. When he came
back to his nature, he fearing lest a woman be killed, said to the Chândâla
:-- “I am not at all able to carry this order out; so kindly make over this
task to some other servant of yours. He will kill her. I will certainly
carry out any other order that you would task me to do.” Thus hearing the
King, the Chândâla said :-- Discard your fear and take the sword; this
Mâyâvinî kills always the children; so to kill her is meritorious; in no way
whatsoever ought she to be saved. The King became very sorry and said :--
Women should always be protected with care, never to be killed; the more so
as the religious Munis have assigned greater sin in the killing of women.
The man who kills consciously or unconsciously females, certainly becomes
boiled in the Mahâ Raurava hell.
78-79. The Chândâla said :-- “Don’t you say this; take this sharp sword,
lustrous like a lightning; where killing one engenders happiness to many,
abundance of merits are acquired in doing that. This wicked fellow has eaten
many children of this place; so kill her as early as possible and bring
peace and happiness to the Kâsî people.”
80. The King said :-- “O Chief of the Chândâlas! I have taken the difficult
vow from my childhood, not to kill any woman. Therefore I cannot exert
myself in this matter of killing the woman as you order.”
81-82. The Chândâla said :-- “O Wicked Fellow! No work is superior which is
not the master’s work. Why then are you cancelling today to carry out my
order, when you are taking pay from me. The servant that spoils his master’s
work, taking his money, is not freed from the hell even if he remains for
ten thousand years there.”
83-86. The King said :-- “O Lord of the Chândâlas! Put me to some other task
that is very difficult. I will do that easily. Or if you have an enemy,
specify and I will kill him no doubt within an instant. I will give you the
whole earth by killing him. Even if Indra comes against you with the other
Devas, or Dânavas, or Uragas, or Kinnaras, or Siddhas, or Gandharbas, I will
slay him with my sharpened arrows, but I will never be able to kill a
woman.” The Chândâla, then, began to tremble with anger at these words and
said to the King.
87-89. You are a servant and what you have spoken is not fit for a servant.
Working as a slave of a Chândâla, you are speaking the words of the gods.
Therefore, O slave! hear now what I say; no need of exchanging any further
words. O Shameless One! If you fear sin a bit why then did you accept the
slavery in a Chândâla’s house. Take this sword and cut off her head.” Thus
speaking the Chândâla gave him the axe.
Here ends the Twenty-fifth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the quarrels
between Haris’chandra and Vis’vâmitra in the Mahâ Purânam, S’rî Mad Devî
Bhâgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
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