Table of Contents
Harishchandra
Ayodhya was ruled by a succession of kings: Harita was a great king. When he was old, he passed the lineage to his son Haribeej. Haribeej was an able king who ensured that his people were prosperous. Haribeej’s son took over the throne of Ayodhya when Haribeej passed away. Today, let’s talk about Haribeej’s son, the great king Harishchandra. He protected and nurtured his subjects as if they were his own children. The daughter of King Somadatta was the beautiful princess, Shaivya. Harishchandra was the one this beautiful one chose as her husband, in a grand ceremony. Finding such a beautiful wife, Harishchandra was filled with joy in his heart. After some time, the couple were blessed with a son, whom they named Rohitasva, whom the couple also called Rohita. He was the apple of the king’s eye, and Harishchandra used to think of the time, when Rohita would become the king of Ayodhya. Let Harishchandra lead a happy life with his wife and son, while we try to see what was going on in Indra’s court, in heaven.
Indra sat on his throne, watching the performance of five young apsaras. Each apsara, feeling a desire to outshine the others, subtly altered her movements to show supremacy. They kept altering the practiced movements and eventually they all fell out of beat. Indra felt angry. What had started off as a flawless performance was now a mess. Indra got up from his throne and shouted, “You think only about your own beauty and pride. You have destroyed the harmony here with your vanity. You shall be punished. You will remain trapped in the ashrama of Sage Vishwamitra until the king, Harishchandra, frees you. Till then, you will be hidden from the world, bound to that sacred place. No one will be able to see you.” As soon as Indra said this, the apsaras found themselves in rishi Vishvamitra’s ashrama. They tried to escape but realized they were trapped there. They could move around, unseen, but could not leave. They began exploring the place. As they moved around, they pulled on plants and creepers, tearing them and throwing them on the ground. They could not see anyone. Rishi Vishvamitra was away. Not knowing what to do, they began playing there, chasing each other. They could pluck leaves and flowers and throw them on each other. Finally, they too realized, they had created a big mess there.
It had been broad daylight when the apsaras had arrived in the ashrama. Slowly the sun was setting. As the sun was about to set, rishi Vishvamitra entered the ashrama, along with his disciples. He was horrified by the sight of his garden, which had been destroyed by the apsaras. These were plants that he cared for. They were destroyed. He wasn’t sure who had done this, nor was he interested in finding out. He placed a curse:
If the one who destroyed my garden, tries doing this again, they will get bound to the creepers of Kala (time) and will become part of the garden.
When the rishi had placed the curse, the apsaras were away, in a remote part of the ashrama and were unaware of this. They began running around. As soon as they touched the plants, they found themselves bound to trees. They struggled to escape, but could not. First, they were trapped in an ashrama, and now on some trees. They began screaming for help. Hearing this, the rishi came out and saw the faint shapes of the apsaras bound to the trees. He was pleased that the culprits had been caught. He shouted at the apsaras, saying they had been taught the perfect lesson. They needed to remain bound to the trees, till he changed his mind. The next morning, the rishi left for his meditation, along with his disciples.
King Harishchandra of Ayodhya was out hunting. He had roamed around in various parts of the forest, hunting for deer. This had been a bad day for him. He had not been able to spot any. Moving around the forest, searching for one, made him extremely tired. Exhausted and lost after an unsuccessful hunt, he rested beneath a tree. Suddenly he heard some noises. He tried to listen closely and was surprised. This seemed to be voices of women calling out for help. Forgetting his exhaustion, the king got up and walked towards the direction, from which the voices were coming. He soon found himself inside an ashrama and the voices led him into a garden. Trying to grope his way forward, the king caught hold of some creepers. These were the same creepers that had bound the apsaras to the trees. As soon as this happened, the apsaras suddenly became visible. Knowing that Indra’s curse was broken, the apsaras left. Harishchandra was puzzled. What had happened? As he could no longer hear the voices, Harishchandra started retracing his steps. Soon he came to a spot where he could see his soldiers. He went there, and along with them left for his palace.
When Vishvamitra returned to his ashrama, he decided to go and see the apsaras. As soon as he went there, he saw the apsaras had escaped. Creepers lay on the ground. Someone had freed the prisoners, without his permission. He asked his disciples if they knew anything. They had no idea. Vishvamitra sat down to meditate and realized it was Harishchandra who had freed the apsaras. The sage rose to his feet. He was furious. How could the king interfere in matters that were not related to him? The rishi decided to pay the king a visit. The king had no right to interfere in his matters and he would teach Harishchandra a lesson. Hearing that Vishvamitra had come, the king went to personally receive him. He offered a seat, washed his feet and said he and the city of Ayodhya were blessed to be graced by the presence of this great rishi. The sight of the king did little to assuage Vishvamitra’s anger. Angry, the rishi asked, “How could you release the apsaras without my permission? I had bound them in my ashrama, and you went and released them.” Harishchandra said, “Respected rishi, I did not do this purposely. I heard voices calling out to me. As the king, I wanted to help whoever was in distress. I went inside your ashrama and touched some creepers and trees, when they transformed into the apsaras, who took their leave and left. I would never do anything that goes against dharma. I follow dharma to the core. I protect my people. I donate where I have to. I take blessings of elders and the learned ones. I do not see myself at fault.” Vishvamitra said, “You are so proud of yourself? You say you believe in donating where you need to. I am a rishi, I ask for something. Will you give me that?”
The king said, “I am blessed and honoured that the great son of Gadhi, the great rishi Vishvamitra, has himself come to my doorstep asking for a donation. I will give you whatever you ask for, I will not go back on my word. Ask for it, and that shall be given.” Vishvamitra said, “O king, before you say anything, I want you to promise me that you will give me, what I ask for. Also, that you will not go back on your word.” Harishchandra said, “I promise. It is my honour and I will not go back on my word. I will give you what you ask for.” Not knowing what the rishi was going to ask for, Harishchandra gave his word. He did not know where this would lead him to.
Vishvamitra raised his hands and looked towards the sky and said, “O Devas. Be witness to this event. Harishchandra has given his word. He will give me what I ask for.” Then, bringing his hands down, the rishi addressed the king and said, “You have promised to give me what I ask for. Now, give me the earth. Surrender your land, your mountains, valleys, rivers, oceans. All of it. I want your complete kingdom.”
Harishchandra went out and got some soil. Taking that in his fist, the king said, “I have here three fistfuls of soil. This is the earth I own. From today, this is as promised, I donate this to you.” Vishvamitra accepted the kingdom. “You have given me the earth,” he said, “and as is customary, you must now give me Dakshina with your gift. Provide me with gold.” Harishchandra said, “I will give you what you want. I will give you seventy million gold coins as Dakshina.” He then called his treasurer and said, “Go to the treasury and get me the gold coins.” As soon as the treasurer was about to leave, the rishi said, “Wait Harishchandra. Did you not just give me your land? That includes your palace, your treasury, and all your people. How can you command the treasurer to give me, what belongs to me? This treasurer is no longer your employee, he works for me, and you cannot order him around.” Harishchandra now realized the trap he had stepped into, ruining himself and everyone in his kingdom. Vishvamitra said, “O king, you thought you were great in following dharma. It was your ego that was talking. This kingdom has no place for an egoist. Leave this kingdom. Go somewhere far. “Seeing this, the people of the land started appealing to the rishi and said, “Be kind to the king. Give him at least some land where he can go, and clothes that he can wear. “The rishi said, “I refuse to give the king anything. He has no right to any land, any soil. Even the soil sticking at the tip of needle of this kingdom, does not belong to him.” The people then asked, “So please tell us, where will the king go?” Vishvamitra said, “On the border of this kingdom, is the city of Varanasi. That kingdom does not belong to Ayodhya. He can go and live there with his wife Shaivya and son Rohitasva.” Seeing that the king was about to leave with his wife and young son, the rishi said, “Harishchandra, the clothes you wear are not yours. Discard them. Wear bark. Before you leave, give me my Dakshina.” Harishchandra dressed n bark and got ready to leave. He addressed Vishvamitra and said, “I beg of you, please give me seven days and I will give you the gold.” Vishvamitra stopped the king and said, “You think you can escape this way. I will not let you go before you give me the gold you promised me. I never stated that amount. You said you will give that to me. So, give me my gold and go.” Saying that, the rishi went with the king, Shaivya and the boy and took them to the outskirts of Ayodhya. There he said, “Now, give me the gold.”
Harishchandra was dumbstruck. What could he do now? He consulted with his wife and asked her, “Beloved, this calamity has fallen on us. How do we get out of this; Please share some ideas. I cannot think of anything.” Shaivya said to her husband, “My lord, I can see only one solution. Sell me in the marketplace. Use that gold to repay the rishi.”
Harishchandra not seeing any alternative, went to the marketplace. There he said, “Here is a slave, available for sale. Buy her.” A brahmin, who was in need of a slave, came by. He said, “Name your price. If that suits me, I will buy the woman.” Harishchandra said, “I will not cheat you. I feel you need to pay me at least forty million gold coins.” The deal was finalized at forty million gold coins. As Shaivya was about to leave, young Rohitasva held on to his mother’s dress and began crying. Shaivya tried to push her son away. The boy fell on the ground and began crying. Seeing this, the queen tried to come back and pick up her son. The brahmin, losing his patience, asked the boy to leave them alone. He then picked up a stick and was about to beat him, when Shaivya stopped the brahmin and said, “Please listen to me. Please buy this boy. You do not have to pay anything. Let him stay with me.” The brahmin said, “How will that work out? This will be an additional mouth to feed. Where will I get the rice for this extra mouth?” Shaivya said, “You do not have to worry about that. Whatever you give me, will be sufficient both of us. We will not ask for extra food.” The brahmin paid the gold to Harishchandra and left with Shaivya and her son. Taking the gold, Harishchandra gave that to Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra saw the gold and said, “Do you take me for a fool, Harishchandra, that you think you will cheat me. The amount that was agreed on was seventy million, and this is thirty million short. I need that. I will not accept even a coin less than that. “
Harishchandra felt very helpless. He wasn’t sure what to do. Grieving, he went and stood in the market, which was near the city of Varanasi. He picked up some straw from the ground and tied that around his head. He then started shouting, “Who will buy me as a servant?” There was a man there, called Kalu. He worked in the cremation ground and wanted a servant. He came by and said, “I need someone to herd my pigs. If you can do that, I will buy you.” Harishchandra gave his word. Kalu said, “You do not seem like a servant. Name your price. How much do you ask for yourself?” Harishchandra said, “I am in need of exactly thirty million gold coins. I do not need a coin more and I will not accept even a coin less.” Hearing this, the cremation worker took out a purse. From that he counted out thirty million gold coins and gave that to Harishchandra. Vishvamitra was standing nearby. He took the gold and counted it. Satisfied, he left Varanasi to go back to Ayodhya.
Kalu then asked Harishchandra, “By what name should I call you?” Harishchandra then told Kalu all that had happened and said, “My parents named me Harishchandra. This name has no meaning any more for me. Call me what you want – Hari or Hara, whatever name suits you.” Kalu took the king with him, who got a new name, Haridas. Reaching Kalu’s home, Haridas said, “I have a request for you. I have lived in the royal household and have never eaten leftovers. Please, never serve me food that has been left half-eaten by someone. I will not accept that.”
Kalu said, “Listen. On the banks of river Ganga in a cremation ground. Work there. Collect a fee of fifty coins per corpse. Along with that, take my pigs and tend to them.”
When Kalu left, Haridas said to the pigs, “Please listen to me. I am right-handed and with using my right hand I have donated to rishis and performed many other tasks. I am in a fix. How do I use my right hand to clean you and your excreta? Till the time you are with me, please release the excreta in a hidden spot, where I can not see it. Keep yourselves clean. Please keep this request of mine.” The pigs agreed to follow the orders.
Time passed. Harishchandra’s hair and beard grew long. Not able to manage his hair, he tied it onto a top knot. If anyone who knew looked at Harishchandra, they would not be able to recognize him. He was lean and dark. All the signs that he had of his royal lineage, were all gone. He looked after the pigs, would collect the fee at the cremation ground and would lie around, in the cremation ground. While this was going, let us see what was happening to Shaivya.
The brahmin gave Shaivya very little rice to eat. Out of that, three fourths were taken by the boy, and what remained, Shaivya ate. One day the brahmin said, “I am seeing your son eats a lot from your share. This is what I think. I want the boy to go to the forest and collect flowers, grass and twigs for my worship. If he can do that, I will increase the quantity of your rice.” Shaivya agreed and said, “As you command. Whatever you say, will be done. From tomorrow, my son will go to the forest.”
The next day, before day break, Rohitasva left for the forest. The young boy took a bright golden basket with him to collect flowers, leaves, Durba grass and twigs for the brahmin’s worship. Unknowingly, he entered the ashrama of rishi Vishwamitra. In his youthful enthusiasm, he trampled over plants, plucking flowers hastily and rushing back. A nig mess was left behind. Broken branches, twigs and leaves on the ground. This went on for a few days. One day Vishvamitra noticed this and wondered who was responsible for this. Vishvamitra meditated and realized it was the work of Harishchandra’s son. “So,” he thought, “the queen is a servant, the king works in the cremation ground, and their son steals my flowers. If he comes again, he will die of a snake bite.” That night Shaivya had a nightmare. When her son was about to go out, she tried to stop the boy and said, “Do not go today, my son. I have had a terrible dream. I think if you go today, you will die of snake bite.” The boy said, “Mother, I do not have any alternative. If I do not go, the brahmin will not give anything to eat. I should be taking care of you and instead of that, I eat most of the food you get. Let me go, dear mother.” And saying this, the boy left with his basket. He entered the garden of Vishvamitra and began collecting flowers. He pulled the jasmine creepers and collected as many jasmine flowers as he could. Seeing a coral jasmine tree, he pulled its branches and collected its flowers. He found a Champa tree and broke its branches to get the flowers. He then collected some geranium flowers, orchid tree flowers, hibiscus, crape jasmine, Ashoka and some Calotropis flowers. He saw a rose bush and tore off and took all the flowers. Having collected the flowers, his next task was to collect bilva leaves. He saw a tree nearby and went there and pulled on a bilva branch to pluck some flowers. Hiding on that branch was a snake. Disturbed, the snake bit the boy, digging its fangs onto the boy’s chest. The boy fell on the ground, frothing from his mouth. Back at the priest’s house, noon approached, and the boy had not returned. Shaivya grew anxious. The priest was getting impatient. When would the flowers come, when would he start his worship. Shaivya took permission to search for her son and set out. Looking around, she reached the garden of Vishvamitra. Calling to her son, she suddenly spotted the boy lying near the bilva tree. She rushed towards him and picked him up. She began shaking him, trying to awaken the boy. She then noticed the bite marks on the chest of her son. Her worst fears confirmed, Shaivya let out a cry and collapsed on the ground. She then cried out, “Where have you gone, Harishchandra, the great king? Come see your dead son. After worshipping Narayana, I got this son. Truly, Narayana has given us fruits of the righteous deeds. This is what one gets, when they follow dharma. I will take my son and sit in the pyre, and give up my life. But unfortunately, I am a slave of a brahmin. I have to tell him.”
Picking up her dead son, Shaivya walked to the brahmin’s house. The brahmin was impatient. First the boy had gone to fetch flowers but had not returned. Now his mother had gone to look for him and she too was missing. He was wondering what to do when Shaivya appeared at his doorstep. Seeing the brahmin, she said, “My son is unresponsive. Please help him. He's my everything."
The priest examined the boy. After a long pause, he said, "Your son was bitten by a poisonous snake. There is no way to reverse the effects. No one can bring him back. Do not grieve. What has happened is inevitable. To die is to be born again, and to be born is to die. Go to the cremation grounds of Varanasi. There, cremate the boy. “The brahmin went inside and Shaivya, picking up her son’s body, walked towards the cremation grounds. Reaching the grounds, she placed the lifeless corpse of her son. When she was wondering what to do, a figure came there, with a mallet in his hand.
“What do you want?” said Haridas. “My only son is dead. I need to cremate him, “said the lady, still crying. Haridas said, “I will cremate your son. I need fifty coins as the fee.” “I do not have that,” said Shaiva. “Unfortunately, there isn’t anything I can do, in that case. This is my job. Fate has made a servant of Hari (a cremation ground worker). (Harri or Haadi or হাড়ি is the Bengali word, for a pitcher, and in case denotes Kalu, the cremation ground worker. The name Haridas means the servant of Hari (Harri) The word probably comes from the people of the community who carried earthenware pitchers to clean cremation grounds or did sanitation related tasks that needed washing.). I am compelled to charge you the fee. If you cannot pay, you will have to take the corpse elsewhere.”
Shaivya said, “Alas. I have nothing. I am not a free person. Destiny made me a slave to a brahmin.” Then she stopped and said, “See this dress, this was a dress which I wore before I became a slave. This is an expensive dress. I did not forsake this. This is all I have. I will tear this dress into half and give that to you. Accept that as the fee. “The king came close to examine the dress and see if that would suffice. As he came close, he heard Shaivya cry, “O Harishchandra, where are you. O great king, come and see what has happened. Your dear son lies dead. He lies on the ground.” Harishchandra heard his name being called out. The moment he heard the name he froze. Working in the cremation ground had erased his memories. The name sounded familiar. As he thought, memories started to come back. He sat down on the ground. He looked at the cloth, at Shaivya and the dead boy. He slowly said, “Do not cry. Look at me. I am Harishchandra. See if you can recognize me.”
Hearing this Shaivya cried out and said, “This is my fate. A worker in the cremation ground claims to be my husband. What else is left for me, o Narayan? There was a time when I was the chief queen of the king of Ayodhya. I lived a protected life and today, fate plays this cruel joke on me.”
Harishchandra said, “This is destiny. I had lost my memories. I did not know who I was, what I was doing. I remember everything now. You are Shaivya, daughter of Somadatta. You married me, chose me as your husband. Our son was Rohitasva and because of rishi Vishvamitra, we lost everything.” She looked up and started examining the face of the man who was speaking to her. There was something in that face. She saw a mark. She looked closely at the eyes and then she recognized him. This was indeed her husband. Realizing that, she fell on the ground senseless. Seeing Shaivya fall, Harishchandra bent down and touched the dead boy. He then burst out, “My beloved Rohita, where have you gone? O Narayana, is this what you gave me as a gift for adhering to dharma? “The queen regaining her senses saw the king crying. Harishchandra then said, “I cannot take it any longer. I will give up my life. I will light a pyre for my son. I will climb that pyre along with him. “Shaivya said she too would join him. Harishchandra gathered the wood and built a pyre. He then placed his son in the middle. He then helped Shaivya climb up, and then he too climbed up with a flaming torch in hand, and sat on the pyre. He was about to set fire to the wood when Dharmaraj (Yama) appeared before Harishchandra and held his hand. He said, “Do not commit this act. I will restore your son to life. “Saying that, he began stroking the dead boy. The lifeless corpse slowly began breathing. The bite mark of the snake vanished, and the boy opened his eyes. He then sat up and looked around. They got down from the pyre.
As soon as this happened, Kalu appeared there and freed Harishchandra from servitude. The brahmin who had bought Shaiva too came and said he was freeing Shaivya and her son, from the bondage. Harishchandra said, “I cannot take anything from a brahmin.” He looked around. Shaivya had a pair of bracelets around her wrist. Harishchandra took those and gave them to the brahmin, and accepted Shaivya’s freedom.
Vishvamitra was very unhappy. He was not used to ruling a kingdom. By doing so, he had lost all the powers that he had gained through his penance, while ruling the kingdom. Wealth, kingdom, everything was illusionary. He did not want this anymore. He arrived at the cremation ground where Harishchandra was. He came to Harishchandra and said, “Take your kingdom back. I wanted to show my superiority and have failed. I have spoiled my life. I do not want this. Take your kingdom back.”
“How did you rule the kingdom? How are things there? “Asked Harishchandra. To that Vishvamitra said, “Do not ask me questions. Go back and take over your kingdom.”
After this, there was nothing else to say. Harishchandra, along with Shaivya and their son set forth for Ayodhya. They arrived there and were given a warm welcome by the people. Having regained his kingdom back, Harishchandra performed a Rajasuya Yagna, a sacrifice to reclaim his throne. He ruled successfully for some time. When Rohitasva was old enough, he was crowned the king of Ayodhya. Having made his son the king, Harishchandra then left the kingdom and also decided to leave the world for good. He travelled towards heaven. Seeing Harishchandra leave, the animals that he had taken care of, also started following the king. Along with this, the subjects of Ayodhya too started following the king. As they started arriving, Narayana felt disturbed. The heavens were getting overcrowded. He asked Narada to find out what was happening. Playing his veena, Narada went to Harishchandra and stopped him and said, “What merits do you have to get a place in heaven? Why do you deserve a place there?” Pride took over Harishchandra and he said, “I built wells, ponds, and tanks in various places. I built embankments and planted rows upon rows of trees. I ensured the well-being of my kingdom. Vishvamitra took my kingdom. I even sold myself to pay off that gold. Who else has done this?” The more he boasted, the more he started falling downwards. Seeing this Harishchandra was distressed. He could not realize what had gone wrong? Why was he descending back to earth?
The devas in heaven were faced with a problem. Since Harishchandra’s entire city, along with him had started descending from heaven, they were neither on earth where they could farm and raise crops, nor in heaven where they could eat nectar. The devas now needed to decide how these souls would survive without food, suspended mid-air. They came up with a new tax on greed. If a person on Earth hoarded grain—storing it up without consuming it or without sharing it; that grain would lose its merit. This wasted grain would be transferred to sustain Harishchandra's people. During harvest, grains that fall on ground while harvesting or gets carelessly thrown around while transferring, would be transferred to Harishchandra’s people. If someone bought new, expensive clothes but kept them locked away in a chest, never wearing them or giving them to the needy, those clothes would be taken and transferred to Harishchandra’s city. Once these rules for food and clothing were decided, Harishchandra was halted exactly where he was and a new city took form, mid-air. He did not achieve heaven nor did he go back to earth, but remained suspended in-between.
Analysis
Harishchandra's tale has becomes popular in India through movies. The tale talks about how the king upheld truth over power. It posits that Dharma (righteousness) is not a fair-weather friend but a relentless master.
- The Test of Ego: Harishchandra’s downfall begins with a subtle pride in his own righteousness. The story suggests that even "doing good" can become a source of ego.
- Renunciation: The tale highlights that everything—kingdom, family, and even one’s own body—is temporary. The only thing that remains is the word given.
- The In-between State: The ending, where Harishchandra remains suspended in a "mid-air city," serves as a philosophical warning: even a virtuous person can fall through the "pride of virtue."
1. Character Analysis & Daily Life Representation
|
Character |
Representation |
Parallel in Daily Life |
|
Harishchandra |
The Idealist / The Soul |
A person struggling to maintain ethics in a corrupt or high-pressure environment. |
|
Shaivya |
Sacrifice & Resilience |
The silent strength in families who endures hardship without losing dignity. |
|
Vishvamitra |
The Catalyst / The Ego |
A strict boss, a difficult life circumstance, or the "trials" that test our patience. |
|
Rohitasva |
Innocence & Vulnerability |
The "future" or "legacy" that is often the first casualty in a parent's struggle. |
|
Kalu (The Master) |
Reality / Social Taboo |
The "dirty work" or humble realities we must face when our ego is stripped away. |
2. Why is Yama called Dharmaraj?
Many texts refer to a God/ Deva called Dharmaraj. All of them say Yama is Dharmaraj. Why? Yama is called Dharmaraj because death is the ultimate equalizer. Death does not discriminate based on wealth or status; it follows a strict, impartial law.
3. Why Pigs
In the text, Harishchandra is asked to herd pigs.
- Nature: Pigs are traditionally associated with "impurity" in many social contexts, as they consume waste and live in filth.
- Suitability: For a King of the Solar Dynasty, who is used to the highest level of ritual purity, tending to pigs is the ultimate humiliation. It strips away the last vestiges of his "Royal Identity."
4. Name Meanings & The Bengali Perspective
In the Bengali context, names often carry a dual layer of literal and social meaning.
- Haridas: * Literal: Servant (Das) of God (Hari).
- Contextual: In the Bengali tradition, it also subtly refers to the Haadi community (sanitation workers). By calling himself Haridas, the King accepts his new social identity as a servant to the cremation worker.
- Rohitasva / Rohidas: * Sanskrit (Rohitasva): "Red Horse."
- Bengali (Rohidas): Bengali is a daughter language of Sanskrit, but it evolved through Prakrit. In this linguistic evolution, complex Sanskrit "conjuncts" (combined consonants) were often simplified for ease of speech. The suffix "-asva" (meaning horse) is phonetically heavy. In the transition to Middle Indo-Aryan and then early Bengali, many such endings were softened. Replacing the complex "sva" with the simpler "das" made the name flow more naturally in the rhythmic, melodic meter of Bengali poetic verse (the Payar meter).
- Kalu: A common Bengali name, often associated with a dark complexion or someone working in "darker" professions like oil pressing or, in this case, the cremation ground. This name also appears in the Devi Bhagawat Purana.
5. Scriptural Correlations & Variations
The story of Harishchandra appears in several texts. Interestingly, Harishchandra is not a prominent character in Valmiki's Ramayana and the name is merely mentioned, when talking about geneology.
A. Aitareya Brahmana (Rigveda)
- Content: Focuses on the birth of Rohita. Harishchandra promises to sacrifice his son to Varuna but keeps delaying it.
- Difference: This version is more about ritual sacrifice and the god Varuna, rather than the test by Vishvamitra.
B. Markandeya Purana
- Content: This is the most detailed source for the version where Vishvamitra tests the King.
- Difference: This version is more didactic. It talks about the "cries of the sciences" (Vidya) which Harishchandra hears, leading to his interference with Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra was trying to master some sciences / knowledge that were unknown to mankind. The sciences did not want to be bound to the rishi, and were calling out for help. Yama/ Dharma reveals himself as the cremation worker, who had bought Harishchandra. Dharma takes the form of a cremation worker/ chandala called Pravira and comes to Harishchandra to buy him.
C. Devi Bhagavata Purana
- Content: Similar to the Markandeya Purana but emphasizes the role of the Divine Mother.
D. Mahabharata
- Content: Mentioned by Narada to Yudhishthira.
- What it says: Harishchandra is the only King who stayed in Indra's assembly because of his Rajasuya Yagna and his unwavering truthfulness.
6. The Tale of Trishanku
Trishanku (originally King Satyavrata) was an ancestor of Harishchandra. His story is the primary source of the "mid-air" motif in Hindu scriptures.
- The Desire: Trishanku wanted to ascend to heaven in his physical, mortal body.
- The Conflict: His preceptor, Sage Vashistha, refused, stating it was against the laws of nature. Trishanku then approached Vishvamitra, who, out of rivalry with Vashistha, agreed to perform a sacrifice to send the king to heaven.
- The Rejection: Through the power of the sacrifice, Trishanku rose to heaven. However, Indra and the Devas pushed him back down, saying there was no place for a mortal body in the celestial world.
- The "In-Between": As Trishanku fell headfirst, Vishvamitra shouted, "Tishtha!" (Stay!). By his immense yogic power, he halted the king in mid-air.
- Trishanku's Heaven: To protect his pride, Vishvamitra began creating a duplicate universe (a new heaven, new stars, and new gods) in the southern sky. Fearing an imbalance, the gods struck a deal: Trishanku would remain suspended forever in his own "heaven," neither on earth nor in the actual Swarga.
- In the Krittibasi Ramayana, the poet blends scriptural details to emphasize a point. The suspension of Harishchandra’s city reflects his ancestor’s fate, but with a different cause.
- While Trishanku was suspended because of a violation of nature (taking a body to heaven), Harishchandra is suspended in the Bengali version because of a violation of humility (Pride/Ahankara).
- Harishchandra is actually on his way to heaven. He is almost there. But when Narada asks what merits he has, the King begins to list his charities and sacrifices. In Indian thought, the merit (Punya) of a good deed is "leaked" or destroyed the moment one boasts about it. As Harishchandra speaks, his "weight" of ego increases, and his "buoyancy" of merit decreases. Instead of letting him fall all the way back to the "dirt" of the world, the Bengali version of Ramayana creates a space of Grace mixed with Justice. He is halted mid-air (The City in the Void).
Mid-Air Symbolism
The "in-between" state represents a specific spiritual category:
|
Aspect |
Trishanku |
Harishchandra (Krittibasi) |
|
Location |
Between Earth and Heaven. |
Between Earth and Heaven. |
|
Reason |
Physical limitation (Mortal body). |
Mental limitation (Ego/Boasting). |
|
Sustenance |
Maintained by Vishvamitra's power. |
Maintained by the "Tax on Greed" (Wasted grains/unused clothes). |
|
Scriptural Source |
Valmiki Ramayana / Puranas. |
Specifically emphasized in the Bengali folk-retellings. |
The "Tax on Greed" - A Unique Bengali Addition
The explanation of how the suspended city survives is a masterstroke of Bengali social philosophy. By linking the food of the suspended city to the "wasted grain" and "locked-away clothes" of people on Earth, the Krittibasi version teaches two lessons simultaneously:
- It warns the wealthy that if they do not share their resources, the "merit" of those resources is already gone—it has been "transferred" to the void.
- It suggests that Harishchandra, even in his suspended state, continues to "protect" his subjects by absorbing the karmic waste of their greed.
7. Lessons to Learn
- Integrity over Comfort: A promise made in prosperity must be kept in adversity.
- The Peril of Pride: Even the most "truthful" man can fall if he becomes proud of his truthfulness.
- The Equality of Work: By herding pigs and working the cremation ground, the King learns that no work is beneath a man if it is his Dharma.
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