Vishvamitra's Ultimatum and the Queen's Plea

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.7.21.1)

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः । अन्तकेन समः क्रुद्धो धनं स्वं याचितुं हृदा

etasminnantare prāpto viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ antakena samaḥ kruddho dhanaṁ svaṁ yācituṁ hṛdā

Meanwhile Vishvamitra, of great austerity, arrived there, wrathful as death itself, his heart resolved to demand his due wealth.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.7.21.2)

तमालोक्य हरिश्चन्द्रः पपात भुवि मूर्च्छितः । स वारिणा तमभ्युक्ष्य राजानमिदमब्रवीत्

tamālokya hariścandraḥ papāta bhuvi mūrcchitaḥ sa vāriṇā tamabhyukṣya rājānamidamabravīt

The moment he saw him, Harishchandra fell to the ground in a swoon; sprinkling him with water, Vishvamitra said this to the king —

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.7.21.3)

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र स्वां ददस्वेष्टदक्षिणाम् । ऋणं धारयतां दुःखमहन्यहनि वर्धते

uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha rājendra svāṁ dadasveṣṭadakṣiṇām ṛṇaṁ dhārayatāṁ duḥkhamahanyahani vardhate

O foremost of kings, rise, rise, give up your promised sacrificial fee; the sorrow of those who carry a debt grows greater day by day.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.7.21.4)

आप्यायमानः स तदा हिमशीतेन वारिणा । अवाप्य चेतनां राजा विश्वामित्रमवेक्ष्य च

āpyāyamānaḥ sa tadā himaśītena vāriṇā avāpya cetanāṁ rājā viśvāmitramavekṣya ca

Sprinkled with that water, cold as ice, and regaining his senses, the king looked upon Vishvamitra,

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.7.21.5)

पुनर्मोहं समापेदे ह्यथ क्रोधं ययौ मुनिः समाश्वास्य च राजानं वाक्यमाह द्विजोत्तमः

punarmohaṁ samāpede hyatha krodhaṁ yayau muniḥ samāśvāsya ca rājānaṁ vākyamāha dvijottamaḥ

and fell once more into a swoon; then the sage was overcome with anger, and, having comforted the king, that best of brahmins spoke these words.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.7.21.6)

विश्वामित्र उवाच । दीयतां दक्षिणा सा मे यदि धैर्यमवेक्षसे । सत्येनार्कः प्रतपति सत्ये तिष्ठति मेदिनी

viśvāmitra uvāca dīyatāṁ dakṣiṇā sā me yadi dhairyamavekṣase satyenārkaḥ pratapati satye tiṣṭhati medinī

Vishvamitra said: If you hold true to your resolve, give me my sacrificial fee; by truth alone the sun burns, on truth alone this earth is upheld.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.7.21.7)

सत्ये प्रोक्तः परो धर्मः स्वर्गः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः । अश्वमेधसहस्रं तु सत्यं च तुलया धृतम्

satye proktaḥ paro dharmaḥ svargaḥ satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ aśvamedhasahasraṁ tu satyaṁ ca tulayā dhṛtam

In truth alone is the highest dharma said to reside, in truth alone heaven is established; place a thousand horse-sacrifices on one side of a scale and truth on the other,

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.7.21.8)

अश्वमेधसहस्राद्धि सत्यमेकं विशिष्यते । अथवा किं ममैतेन प्रोक्तेनास्ति प्रयोजनम्

aśvamedhasahasrāddhi satyamekaṁ viśiṣyate athavā kiṁ mamaitena proktenāsti prayojanam

and truth alone will outweigh even a thousand horse-sacrifices. But of what use is it to me to say all this?

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.7.21.9)

मदीयां दक्षिणां राजन्न दास्यति भवान्यदि । अस्ताचलगते ह्यर्के शप्स्यामि त्वामतो ध्रुवम्

madīyāṁ dakṣiṇāṁ rājanna dāsyati bhavānyadi astācalagate hyarke śapsyāmi tvāmato dhruvam

O king, if you do not give me my sacrificial fee, then the moment the sun sets behind the western mountain, I shall most certainly curse you.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.7.21.10)

इत्युक्त्वा स ययौ विप्रो राजा चासीद्भयातुरः । दुःखीभूतोऽवनौ निःस्वो नृशंसमुनिनार्दितः

ityuktvā sa yayau vipro rājā cāsīdbhayāturaḥ duḥkhībhūto'vanau niḥsvo nṛśaṁsamuninārditaḥ

So saying, the brahmin departed, and the king was seized with terror; tormented by that pitiless sage, penniless, he lay upon the ground in the deepest sorrow.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.7.21.11)

सूत उवाच । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र ब्राह्मणो वेदपारगः । ब्राह्मणैर्बहुभिः सार्धं निर्ययौ स्वगृहाद् बहिः

sūta uvāca etasminnantare tatra brāhmaṇo vedapāragaḥ brāhmaṇairbahubhiḥ sārdhaṁ niryayau svagṛhād bahiḥ

Suta said: Meanwhile, a brahmin learned in the Veda, together with many other brahmins, went out from his own house at that moment.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.7.21.12)

ततो राज्ञी तु तं दृष्ट्वा आयान्तं तापसं स्थितम् । उवाच वाक्यं राजानं धर्मार्थसहितं तदा

tato rājñī tu taṁ dṛṣṭvā āyāntaṁ tāpasaṁ sthitam uvāca vākyaṁ rājānaṁ dharmārthasahitaṁ tadā

Then the queen, seeing that ascetic approaching, spoke to the king a word grounded in both dharma and worldly prudence.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.7.21.13)

त्रयाणामपि वर्णानां पिता ब्राह्मण उच्यते । पितृद्रव्यं हि पुत्रेण ग्रहीतव्यं न संशयः

trayāṇāmapi varṇānāṁ pitā brāhmaṇa ucyate pitṛdravyaṁ hi putreṇa grahītavyaṁ na saṁśayaḥ

The brahmin is called the father even of all three other varnas; a father's wealth should rightly be received by his son, of this there is no doubt.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.7.21.14)

तस्मादयं प्रार्थनीयो धनार्थमिति मे मतिः । राजोवाच । नाहं प्रतिग्रहं काङ्क्षे क्षत्रियोऽहं सुमध्यमे

tasmādayaṁ prārthanīyo dhanārthamiti me matiḥ rājovāca nāhaṁ pratigrahaṁ kāṅkṣe kṣatriyo'haṁ sumadhyame

Therefore, in my judgment, it is from him that wealth should be sought. The king said: O fair one, I have no wish to receive alms — I am a kshatriya.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.7.21.15)

याचनं खलु विप्राणां क्षत्रियाणां न विद्यते । गुरुर्हि विप्रो वर्णानां पूजनीयोऽस्ति सर्वदा

yācanaṁ khalu viprāṇāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ na vidyate gururhi vipro varṇānāṁ pūjanīyo'sti sarvadā

Begging belongs to brahmins alone — begging by kshatriyas is nowhere sanctioned; the brahmin is the guru of every varna, ever worthy of worship.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.7.21.16)

तस्माद् गुरुर्न याच्यः स्यात्क्षत्रियाणां विशेषतः । यजनाध्ययनं दानं क्षत्रियस्य विधीयते

tasmād gururna yācyaḥ syātkṣatriyāṇāṁ viśeṣataḥ yajanādhyayanaṁ dānaṁ kṣatriyasya vidhīyate

Therefore a guru should never be begged from, least of all by a kshatriya; for a kshatriya, only sacrifice, study, and giving are ordained,

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.7.21.17)

शरणागतानामभयं प्रजानां प्रतिपालनम् । न चाप्येवं तु वक्तव्यं देहीति कृपणं वचः

śaraṇāgatānāmabhayaṁ prajānāṁ pratipālanam na cāpyevaṁ tu vaktavyaṁ dehīti kṛpaṇaṁ vacaḥ

granting safety to those who take refuge, and the protection of his subjects — this alone is his dharma; he must never speak so wretched a word as, 'give me, give me.'

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.7.21.18)

ददामीत्येव मे देवि हृदये निहितं वचः । अर्जितं कुत्रचिद् द्रव्यं ब्राह्मणाय ददाम्यहम्

dadāmītyeva me devi hṛdaye nihitaṁ vacaḥ arjitaṁ kutracid dravyaṁ brāhmaṇāya dadāmyaham

O queen, in my heart there dwells only this one word, 'I shall give' — whatever wealth I earn, from whatever source, that alone I shall give to this brahmin.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.7.21.19)

पत्न्युवाच । कालः समविषमकरः परिभवसम्मानमानदः कालः । कालः करोति पुरुषं दातारं याचितारं च

patnyuvāca kālaḥ samaviṣamakaraḥ paribhavasammānamānadaḥ kālaḥ kālaḥ karoti puruṣaṁ dātāraṁ yācitāraṁ ca

The wife said: Time itself makes things equal or unequal, Time itself grants dishonor and honor; Time itself turns a man now into a giver, now into a beggar.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.7.21.20)

विप्रेण विदुषा राजा क्रुद्धेनातिबलीयसा । राज्यान्निरस्तः सौख्याच्च पश्य कालस्य चेष्टितम्

vipreṇa viduṣā rājā kruddhenātibalīyasā rājyānnirastaḥ saukhyācca paśya kālasya ceṣṭitam

By that learned and exceedingly powerful brahmin, now enraged, the king has been stripped both of his kingdom and of all happiness — behold, this is Time's own doing.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.7.21.21)

राजोवाच । असिना तीक्ष्णधारेण वरं जिह्वा द्विधा कृता । न तु मानं परित्यज्य देहि देहीति भाषितम्

rājovāca asinā tīkṣṇadhāreṇa varaṁ jihvā dvidhā kṛtā na tu mānaṁ parityajya dehi dehīti bhāṣitam

The king said: Better by far to have my tongue cut in two by a sharp-edged sword, than to abandon my honor and speak the word, 'give me, give me.'

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.7.21.22)

क्षत्रियोऽहं महाभागे न याचे किञ्चिदप्यहम् । ददामि वाहं नित्यं हि भुजवीर्यार्जितं धनम्

kṣatriyo'haṁ mahābhāge na yāce kiñcidapyaham dadāmi vāhaṁ nityaṁ hi bhujavīryārjitaṁ dhanam

O fortunate one, I am a kshatriya — I beg for nothing at all; it is only wealth earned by the strength of my own arms that I ever give away.

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.7.21.23)

पत्न्युवाच । यदि ते हि महाराज याचितुं न क्षमं मनः । अहं तु न्यायतो दत्ता देवैरपि सवासवैः

patnyuvāca yadi te hi mahārāja yācituṁ na kṣamaṁ manaḥ ahaṁ tu nyāyato dattā devairapi savāsavaiḥ

The wife said: O great king, if begging is unacceptable to your heart, then take me instead — for even the gods, together with Indra, gave me to you rightfully.

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.7.21.24)

अहं शास्या च पत्या च रक्ष्या चैव महाद्युते । मन्मौल्यं सङ्गृहीत्वाथ गुर्वर्थं सम्प्रदीयताम्

ahaṁ śāsyā ca patyā ca rakṣyā caiva mahādyute manmaulyaṁ saṅgṛhītvātha gurvarthaṁ sampradīyatām

O you of great splendor, I am subject to your command, I belong wholly to my husband and am yours to protect; take my very price, then, and give it to the guru as his fee.

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.7.21.25)

एतद्वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य हरिश्चन्द्रो महीपतिः । कष्टं कष्टमिति प्रोच्य विललापातिदुःखितः

etadvākyamupaśrutya hariścandro mahīpatiḥ kaṣṭaṁ kaṣṭamiti procya vilalāpātiduḥkhitaḥ

Hearing this word, King Harishchandra, crying, 'Alas, what suffering, what suffering,' began to lament, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Verse 26 (devibhagavatam.7.21.26)

भार्या च भूयः प्राहेदं क्रियतां वचनं मम । विप्रशापाग्निदग्धत्वान्नीचत्वमुपयास्यसि

bhāryā ca bhūyaḥ prāhedaṁ kriyatāṁ vacanaṁ mama vipraśāpāgnidagdhatvānnīcatvamupayāsyasi

His wife spoke again: Heed this word of mine; otherwise, burned by the fire of the brahmin's curse, you will fall into utter degradation.

Verse 27 (devibhagavatam.7.21.27)

न द्युतहेतोर्न च मद्यहेतोर्न राज्यहेतोर्न च भोगहेतोः । ददस्व गुर्वर्थमतो मया त्वं सत्यव्रतत्वं सफलं कुरुष्व

na dyutahetorna ca madyahetorna rājyahetorna ca bhogahetoḥ dadasva gurvarthamato mayā tvaṁ satyavratatvaṁ saphalaṁ kuruṣva

Not for gambling's sake, not for wine's sake, not for the sake of a kingdom, not for the sake of any pleasure — but for the guru's sake alone, give me away; in this way make your vow of truth bear its fruit.