Table of Contents
Introduction
Jaimini was listening to the birds. He then spoke. "I
thank you for answering my questions in details. I am intrigued by what you
told me about Harishchandra. He was a great king and he has been referred to in
the Mahabharata. I have heard he was a righteous king who had the credit of
being the only living king who got a place in the heavens, with the gods. I am
concerned for him. What happened to him after this? Was he able to return to
his former state? Do tell me what happened to him. I want to hear about
Harishchandra." The birds began telling the story, continuing from where
they had stopped.
The Price of Truth
"We told you how the sage claimed the king's entire kingdom and demanded the Dakshina for accepting the kingdom. He had given the king a month's time to produce this Dakshina, threatening him with severe consequences if he failed. To ensure their immediate departure and to further test the king's detachment, the sage drove them out of the city, resorting to beating them with a stick to ensure they left quickly. He also cursed the gods who showed sympathy for the king."
The Journey to Varanasi
"Harishchandra was wearing rough garments made of bark. He walked on dusty roads with Shaivya and their son. Shaivya who was used to walking on soft carpets was now walking behind her husband, bare footed, holding their son's hand, who had no idea why they were on the road, why they were not going home.
They left Ayodhya and decided to go to the city of Varanasi. They walked, relying on strangers for food or fruit trees on the way. They drank from streams and slept in the open, under trees. Their dignity did not let them beg and there were days when they went hungry. Harishchandra's face was now full of worry lines. They looked frail and vulnerable. It took them a month and finally they reached the outskirts of Varanasi. This was no ordinary city. This city was 'Avimukta', the city that was never abandoned by Shiva, who had created this wonderful place. This city was a place of spiritual significance. They hoped to stay there, find a way to earn money and repay the sage. As they prepared to step through the city gates, they heard someone call out. "Harishchandra". This was surprising. Who knew them there? Also, Harishchandra did not expect anyone to recognize him in the state he was. He walked on and saw someone calling out to him. It was Vishvamitra."
Confrontation at the City Gates
"The surprise of seeing Vishvamitra gave way to humility and righteousness. Despite the suffering he was enduring, Harishchandra bowed down. Then joining his hands in salutation he said, "Please let me know how we can serve you. Please choose whom you would want, among us, to take care of you."
"Harishchandra", the sage said, "You spoke about dharma and promise. Where is that? A month has passed since the day you left Ayodhya. You were to give me my Dakshina. You set that time of one month. I did not force you. Now that the time is over, give me what I am owed."
Harishchandra said, "Respected sage, I have been on the road with my family and not a single day has gone when I have not thought about how to repay you. I have kept track of time and today is the last day. After the day ends, the month will actually complete. So, give me time till then. Please wait for half a day." Vishvamitra said, "I will wait for that period. I will let you alone now and I will come back again. Arrange for my Dakshina by then." With that, Vishvamitra turned walked away, entering the holy city. Harishchandra stood at the gates with his wife and son."
Despair and a Desperate Solution
"They spotted a fallen tree nearby and went and sat there. Harishchandra looked at the sky. He was thinking. "How will I give the sage his Dakshina. He wants wealth and I have none. I am a stranger in the city and I have no friends here who will stand for me and give me money. That also will be begging and Harishchandra will never beg come what may. I will not bring down my family name by resorting to that. What do I do? Where should I go? How do I get the money that the sage is owed? Let me kill myself. Then what will that achieve? I will end up with the sin of killing myself. And on top of that, there will be the sin of stealing what was due to a brahmin. Afterall, the sage needs his Dakshina. Doing this will make me be born as a lowly creature, may be a worm or even worse. No, that is not an option. I think I should sell myself. I do not see any other option."
He looked down at the ground. Looked around, hoping for a miracle. Thinking of a way to get the money to pay the sage.
Shaivya had been looking at her husband. She said to him, "I can understand what you are going through. Having lived with you as your wife, I have come to understand you. Give up the thoughts that haunt you. We need to be practical. You are not alone in this. I am there with you. I will not let you go back on your word. I will do what I can to protect your truth. What use is your education, your deeds, donations if you give up on your promise? Remember one thing, however bitter it may be, truth will lead you to salvation. It will give you freedom. Let not wavering from your path by not fulfilling one promise, bring your name down. I want to say something to you, I am not sure if I should say that in front of our son, who is oblivious to what is going around him."
Harishchandra said, "O beautiful one, I am so grateful that I have you as my wife. Our son is playing in the grass, near the tree where we are sitting. He is more interested in his games. Even if he hears what we have to say, it is better he understands reality. Do speak what is in your mind."
She was in grief, but controlling her emotions, Shaivya said, "Please try to understand what I am saying. When you married me, you wanted a wife to give you companionship and more, to give you a son. There are many kings that we know of, in history, who have had multiple wives for having a son. I gave you company in your life as the king of Ayodhya. I gave you a child who can carry your name forward. My role is over. Listen to me and hear what I am going to tell you. Sell me. With the money that you will get from the act, pay the sage, and then leave, taking our son.""
The Agonizing Decision
"“How could you even say such a thing," Harishchandra said and got up from the tree trunk on which he was sitting. He was weak, and this was an emotional setback. He was not able to stand steadily and he fell on the ground. Lying on the ground, he broke down. He said, "Shaivya, I am hurt by what you have just said. What do you take me to be? I have not forgotten the day when you came to Ayodhya and became my wife. I have not forgotten how you took time to adjust to the new life. I have not forgotten how you would smile and wake me up. I have not forgotten anything. How can you say such a thing. I will not be able to perform this act. I will not be able to sell you." Saying this, Harishchandra became quiet. Seeing her husband on the ground, Shaivya sat on the ground and began to fan him with her garment. She then said, "Alas my lord, what days have come. The king of Ayodhya who would lie on luxurious beds is now lying on bare ground in a strange city."
She stood up and said, "You had donated cattle and wealth to the needy and this is the result of that? How could a person like you have to suffer like this? Answer me O gods - why is this king, who has always been true to his dharma, have to suffer in this manner? He is my Indra, my Vishnu. And this lord of mine, now rolls in the dust."
She could not stand long and fell on the ground."
The Looming Deadline
"Rohitasva, who had been playing looked around, He saw his parents on the ground. He was not sure what was going. He tried to push them, to get them to stand up, sit up, but they were not responding. He got scared and began crying. Someone answered his cries. Vishvamitra came there. He saw the king and queen lying on the ground. They seemed to be senseless. Grief and exhaustion seemed to have done this to them. Vishvamitra had some cool water of Ganga in his water pot. He took some and sprinkled that on them, all the time muttering in anger, "All that I have to do, for my Dakshina. Get up. Give me my Dakshina."
Revived, Harishchandra looked up and saw the sage. The reality of his situation, the impossible Dakshina, the sage's anger and seeing his wife and child suffering rushed back to him. He became senseless again. This angered the sage. He had come there angry, and was expecting a Dakshina. Seeing Harishchandra become senseless again was too much for this. He began shouting there, "Harishchandra, you talk about dharma. If you truly believe in that, then give me what is due to me. You made a promise to me. Keep your word. Fulfil your promise. You may have done many good deeds in your life, but not keeping your promise this one time, will bring your name down for ever. Do you want that to happen? You are an evil person, Harishchandra. If you intended to give me my Dakshina, you would have found out a way by now. Listen to me. I know you can hear me. You have time till sunset. If you do not give me what is due to me, I will curse you. Your name, your family's name all will vanish if I decide to curse you. Do not let that happen. Let me have my money by sunset. Remember what I said." Saying this, Vishvamitra turned and left the place. Slowly, Harishchandra sat up, holding on to the tree trunk. It was afternoon. In a few hours the sun would set. Already a cool breeze was blowing around, probably coming from the river. He said, "See my condition. I am going to become responsible for bringing the name of my family down. I think wealth is everything. If you have money, people come to you. If you are poor, you are ignored." Shaivya who had sat up herself said, "Listen to me, my lord. Do not argue. We do not have much time. We have to pay the sage. If you do not, he will curse you. It will put your lineage in shame. What will your ancestors think? Think of what I had said to you earlier. Do that."
Harishchandra looked at Shaivya. She had been crying, seeing her husband's state. He thought for a while and then taking a deep breath, he sighed and said, "I do not see any other option, my dear. Let people hear about me. Let them say how cruel I was that I agreed to your words. I will do what you told me to. I will sell you. I have never heard of any other person who had sold his wife. I will be the first one to do so. Forgive me, my dear wife. I am not sure what other option I have.""
Harishchandra Sells His Wife and Son
"He got up slowly. Then he stood for a moment. Feeling that he would be able to independently walk, he entered the city. People looked at him wondering who he was. They saw a handsome, shabby person with an overgrown beard, long hair dressed in rags. Along with him was a beautiful woman, dusty, tired holding the hand of a young boy. Harishchandra looked around. A market was in session. He went there and shouted as loudly as he could manage. "Listen to me citizens of the city of Shiva. I have to come to you with a request. Do not ask me who I am, where I come from or why I am here. You may have heard of demons in stories. See one in front of you today. I will not say more about myself. Who here is in the need for a maid servant? Is there anyone? I have a woman here with me. I am offering her as a maid servant for anyone who is willing to pay the correct price for that. Let that person come forward." Saying this Harishchandra stopped for breath. An elderly brahman was standing there. He heard what the king had to say. He wanted a maid servant. His wife was sick most of the days, and he wanted a person who could carry on with the household duties. He came forward and said, "I live here in the city of Varanasi. I am rich and I know the price. I will take the woman who is with you as my maid servant. If you are willing and the woman is willing, let us go through the sale."
Harishchandra could not say a single word. He stood there like a pillar. The brahman did not bother. He counted the amount that he thought was the correct price, took that, put it in a piece of cloth and tying it in a bundle, he put that in Harishchandra's hand and began walking away. Shaivya stood there looking at her husband. Seeing her not following him, the brahman went and caught hold of her hair and began pulling her like an animal.
Rohitasva saw this. He saw a stranger pull his mother by hair and forcibly ask her to go with him. He began crying. Harishchandra was not sure what was going. He tried to push his father, get him to respond. When he saw nothing was happening, Rohitasva ran behind his mother. He managed to go and catch hold of Shaivya's garment. She said to the boy, "Do not pull me, my son. I am a servant woman, Go back to your mother. You are royalty and should not be touching me. Go to your father."
The boy refused to let go. The brahman seeing the child stopping them from proceeding kicked out at the boy. The boy cried out to his mother. Shaivya then said to the brahman, "I beg of you. Please do not separate me from this child. Please show kindness. I am his mother. If you separate me from him, I will be thinking about him all the time and will not be able to do anything. Buy the child. He will be of help in the household and I can perform my tasks, not having to worry about him."
The brahman stopped. He thought getting the boy meant a helping hand for his worship. He accepted the deal. He counted some coins and put that in Harishchandra's hands. Then taking a rope, he tied Shaivya and Rohitashva together and started dragging them along with him.
Harishchandra watched his wife and son being taken away from him. Realizing what he had done, he sat down on the ground He began crying, "Shaivya was always a delicate one. She refused to come out of her chambers if it was too windy or if it rained. Today she is being dragged away like an animal to work as a servant in a brahman's house. All because I sold her. I am here alive, seeing all this. "
When Harishchandra was crying Vishvamitra arrived there."
Some more on this
There is tension between truth, righteous duty and the worldly realities of suffering and loss. Harishchandra is an example for whom dharma is more sacred than anything. His wife supports him and offers herself into bondage.
In Mahabharata (Anushasan Parva), Yudhishthira is compared to Harishchandra.
Harishchandra appears in Devi Bhagwat Purana also and his story is there in the seventh book of the Purana.
Varanasi is the city of Shiva. Shiva is the lord of renunciation. Harishchandra’s journey from Ayodhya (his kingdom) to Varanasi (a place for spiritual renunciation) is symbolic of a pilgrimage from royal power to purification of the soul. In the Shiva Purana, Varanasi is described as a city where liberation is assured.
Vishvamitra symbolizes divine testing. In many Puranas, gods and sages test humans. The sage's harshness is that of an examiner testing his student.
Is Suffering always a trial and a path for redemption? Job from the Bible is a righteous man who refuses to curse God and suffers. Harishchandra accepts humiliation and separation from his family without ever forsaking his dharma. In the end Job is blessed.
Shaivya is an archetype of the divine female. Without her resolve, Harishchandra’s vow would collapse. She is dharma’s hidden pillar.
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