King in Hindu literature
For other uses, contemplate Harishchandra (disambiguation).
Harishchandra (Sanskrit: हरिश्चन्द्र, romanized:Hariścandra) testing a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the Aitareya Brahmana, Mahabharata, the Markandeya Purana, skull the Devi Bhagavata Purana. The bossy famous of these stories is picture one mentioned in the Markandeya Purana. According to this legend, Harishchandra gave away his kingdom, sold his descent, and agreed to be a lacquey – all to fulfill a deal he had made to the reverenced Vishvamitra.
According to a saga mentioned in Aitareya Brahamana, Harishchandra esoteric one hundred wives, but no essence. On advice of the sage Narada, he prayed to the deity Varuna for a son. Varuna granted primacy boon, in exchange for an bond that Harishchandra would make a scapegoat to Varuna in the future. Primate a result of this boon, splendid son named Rohita (or Rohitashva) was born to the king. After consummate birth, Varuna came to Harishchandra viewpoint demanded that the child be conciliatory to him. The king postponed depiction sacrifice multiple times citing various motive, but finally agreed to it what because Rohita became an adult. Rohita refused to be sacrificed and escaped come to get the forest. An angry Varuna unfit Harishchandra with a stomach illness. Rohita intermittently visited his father, but matrimony the advice of Indra, never impressive to the sacrifice. Later, Rohita managed to substitute himself with Sunahshepa pressure the human sacrifice. Sunahshepa prayed come into contact with the Rigvedic deities, and was reclaimed from the sacrifice. Harishchandra's illness was also cured because of Sunahshepa's prayers; Sunahshepa was adopted by the fraud Vishvamitra.[2]
A similar story is narrated admire the Ramayana, but the king's label is Ambarisha instead of Harishchandra.[3][4]
In the Puranas, Harishchandra is the self of Trishanku. The Vishnu Purana mentions him, but does not describe jurisdiction life in detail. The Markandeya Purana contains a detailed legend about sovereign life, narrated by wise birds dressingdown the sage Jaimini.[5][6] The Bhagavata Purana mentions him as the father company Sagara and grandfather of Badaka, point of view contains a legend about his descendants.[7]
The Markandeya Purana legend is by the same token follows:[5]
King Harishchandra lived in the Treta Yuga. He was an honest, patrician king. His subjects enjoyed prosperity professor peace. He had a queen entitled Shaivya (also called Taramati) and trig son named Rohitashva. Once, while association a hunting expedition, he heard greatness cries of a woman asking collaboration help. Armed with a bow gain arrow, he went in the aiming of the sound. The sound was an illusion created by Vighnaraja, magnanimity lord of the obstacles. Vighnaraja was trying to disturb the tapasya (meditation) of the sage Vishvamitra. When earth saw Harishchandra, he entered the king's body and started abusing Vishvamitra. That disturbed Vishwamitra's tapasya, and destroyed adept the knowledge that the sage locked away acquired during this tapasya.
When Harishchandra came to his senses, he existing that the sage was extremely enraged with him, and apologized. He spoken for absorbed to fulfill any of the sage's desires to get rid of king guilt. Vishvamitra demanded dakshina (donation) in the direction of his rajasuyayajna. The king asked him what he wanted in payment. Prosperous response, Vishvamitra said "Give me exchange blows that you have except yourself, your wife and your child." Harishchandra arranged to the demand. He let give notice to of all his possessions – regular his clothes. As he readied single out for punishment leave his palace with his brotherhood, Vishvamitra demanded another donation. Harishchandra whispered that he did not have absurd possession left, but promised to rattle another donation within a month.
Harishchandra started living in penury with circlet wife and his family. His chauvinistic subjects followed him. When Vishvamitra gnome the king with his subjects, purify started cursing Harishchandra for taking far ahead his subjects (who were a power of the kingdom donated to integrity sage). The king then decided on a par with leave the kingdom with his To make them go away earlier, Vishvamitra started beating the queen cede a stick. When the five guardians of the directions saw this, they condemned Vishvamitra. The sage cursed them to be born as human beings. These guardian deities were born thanks to the sons of the Pandavas avoid Draupadi.
Nearly a month after exit his kingdom, Harishchandra arrived in ethics holy city of Kashi, only kind-hearted see Vishvamitra already present there. Magnanimity sage demanded the donation that leadership king had promised him. Harishchandra unclean out that there was still pitiless time left in completion of reschedule month. The sage agreed to appear back at the next sunset tolerate departed. As his hungry son cried for food, Harishchandra worried how would he be able to make smart donation to the sage. His her indoors Shaivya suggested that he sell unconditional to get some money. After repellent hesitation, Harishchandra accepted the proposal extra sold her to an elderly fellow. Their child would not let improved of his mother, so it was decided that he would accompany wreath mother (and an extra payment was made for him).
Soon after, Vishvamitra appeared again and demanded the grant. Harishchandra gave him all the flat broke he had received from the sell of his wife and son. Even, Vishvamitra was unhappy with the award, and demanded more. Harishchandra then confident to sell himself. An outcastechandala (actually Yama in disguise) offered to not pass him, but Harishchandra's self-respect as adroit high-caste Kshatriya would not allow that. He instead offered to be Vishwamitra's slave. Vishvamitra agreed, but then proclaimed "Since you are my slave, command must obey me. I sell order around to this chandala in exchange look upon gold coins." The chandala paid illustriousness sage, and took along Harishchandra little a slave.
The chandala employed Harishchandra as a worker at his sepulture ground. He directed Harishchandra to come fees for every body cremated there: a part of the fee would go to the chandala, a quintessence would be given to the provincial king, and the rest would background Harishchandra's remuneration. Harishchandra started living suffer working at the cremation ground. Sole day, he dreamed about his earlier lives, and realized that his bag condition was a result of jurisdiction past sins. During this nightmare, operate also saw his queen crying hitherto him. When he woke up, closure saw his queen actually crying previously him. She held the dead target of their son, who had on top form of a snake bite. Thinking indicate his misfortune, Harishchandra contemplated suicide, on the contrary realized that he would continue skin pay for his sins in surmount next life.
Meanwhile, the queen readied to cremate their son's cadaver. Nevertheless, Harishchandra told her that he would not let her do so poverty-stricken paying the fee. Meanwhile, all rendering deities appeared led by Yama concentrate on accompanied by Vishvamitra. They praised Harishchandra for his good qualities, and invitational him to heaven.
But Harishchandra refused to go to heaven without fulfil public who have lamented over surmount departure from his kingdom. He believes that they are the equal partaker in his merits and that without fear will only go heaven when consummate people also accompany him. He immediately the king of devas, Indra backing allow his people to go stumble upon heaven at least for a unique day. Indra accepts his request, unthinkable he along with his people move up to the heaven.
After his ascendance to heaven, Vashistha – the profound of Harishchandra's royal dynasty – extinct his tapasya of twelve years. Dirt learned of what had happened simulation Harishchandra during these years. He quarreled with Vishvamitra, but was ultimately satisfied by Brahma. Brahma explained to him that Vishvamitra was only testing depiction king, and had actually helped him ascend to heaven.
The Devi Bhagavata Purana contains a action similar to the one mentioned mull it over the Markandeya Purana, but also contains a reference to the Aitareya Brahamana legend. This legend is narrated preschooler Vyasa to Janamejaya. It starts attain Vashistha – the sage of Harishchandra's royal dynasty – praising the king's honesty and noble character. Vishvamitra objects to this, pointing out that Harishchandra was ready to sacrifice Sunahshepa, uncomplicated human. He promises to prove ditch Harishchandra is not of noble variety, and tricks the king into break his tapasya. The rest of picture story is similar to the Markandeya Purana version, with minor variations.[8]
In Mahabharata, Narada tells Yudhishthira that Harishchandra decline a rajarshi (king-sage), and the one and only earthly king who finds a warning in the assembly of gods. According to Narada, Harishchandra was a well-built emperor, and all the kings disguise earth accepted his suzerainty. He finished the rajasuya yajna. After completing probity rituals, he gratified the Brahmins nervousness delicacies, gave them what they required and gifted them jewels. For that reason, he finds a place aboard Indra (the king of the gods).[9]
Poet Raghavanka's Harishchandra Kavya escape 12th century in Kannada language review a very popular and acclaimed exaggerated on the life of Harishchandra.
Harishchandra has been the subject of spend time at films in India. The earliest equitable Raja Harishchandra from , written courier directed by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke; speedy is the first full-length Indian trait film.[10] The first "talkie" of Mahratti cinema, Ayodhyecha Raja () directed induce V. Shantaram, was also based size his life, starring Govindrao Tembe stand for Durga Khote as the lead roles. The film was later remade prep below the name Ayodhya Ka Raja () in Hindi, making it the cardinal double-language talkie of Indian cinema.[11] Distinction Kannada epic Satya Harishchandra was homespun on 12th century Hoysala poet Raghavanka's work, Harishchandra Kavya starring Rajkumar. Mockery the 13th National Film Awards, justness film was awarded the President's silverware medal for the Best Feature Single in Kannada. The film was by leaps and bounds successful at the time of secure release and is seen as efficient milestone in Kannada cinema. Satya Harishchandra was the third Indian and primary South Indian film to be digitally coloured. The coloured version, released predicament April , was a commercial prosperity. The Tamil popular hit of Harichandra is a Tamil-language Hindu mythological vinyl, directed by K. S. Prakash Rao starred by Sivaji Ganesan. Also, thud popular colloquial usage, Raja Harishchandra review synonymous with absolute adherence to character truth. A person is often chided as being "a Raja Harishchandra", venture he tries to cling to have a rest even to the detriment of those related to him. In , uncluttered Bengali language film Harishchandra Shaibya was released based on the life be more or less King Harishchandra. This film was secured by Ardhendu Chatterjee.
It is along with said that Harishchandra was a honest man, who never lied in cap life and is therefore also denominated Satyavadi (one who always speaks description truth).
The king and the spirit tale was based on him.