Have you ever heard about Satyavadi King Harishchandra ? He was famous for his truth speaking. Trishanku has been a very famous king in Suryavansh. His son was Maharaj Harishchandra. Maharaj was such a famous truthful and pious soul that even the king of the deities, Indra, became jealous of his fame.
God tested Harishchandra
Indra instigated Maharishi Vishwamitra to test Harishchandra. At the behest of Indra, Maharishi Vishwamitra made King Harishchandra see such a dream with the power of yoga that the king was donating all the kingdoms to the sage in his dream. The next day Maharishi Vishwamitra came to Ayodhya and started asking for his kingdom. The king also accepted the donation made in the dream and gave the whole kingdom to Vishwamitra.
Tests started for Harishchandra
Maharaj Harishchandra was the emperor of the whole earth. He had donated his entire kingdom. Now, not considering it appropriate to live in the donated land, he came to Kashi with his wife and son; Because it is described in the Puranas that Kashi is situated on the trident of Lord Shankar. Therefore, even though she is on the earth, she is considered separate from the Earth. When King Harishchandra started leaving Ayodhya, then Vishwamitraji said – ‘ Chanting, penance, charity, etc. do not succeed without giving Dakshina. You have given such a big kingdom, so one thousand gold stamps and two more in its Dakshina.
Where did King Harish Chandra have the money now?
With state donation, all the wealth of the state was automatically donated. He came to Kashi after taking a month to pay Dakshina to the sage. In Kashi, he sold his wife, Queen Shaivya, to a Brahmin. Prince Rohitashva was a small child. On request, the Brahmin allowed him to live with his mother. King Harishchandra himself sold himself to a Chandala and in this way gave one thousand pieces as Dakshina to sage Vishwamitra.
King becomes servant
Queen Shaivya now started working as a maidservant in a Brahmin’s house. Being the servant of Chandal, King Harishchandra started guarding the crematorium. The Chandals had entrusted him with the task of allowing the dead bodies to be cremated there, after taking tax from them. One day Prince Rohitashva was picking flowers for the worship of a Brahmin when he was bitten by a snake. The snake’s poison spread instantly and Rohitashva fell dead on the ground.
King denied to give off his duty even on his son’s death
There was no one to pacify his mother Queen Shaivya, nor was there anyone to take her son’s body to the cremation ground. Carrying the dead body of her weeping son in her hands, she reached the crematorium alone in the night. She was going to burn the son’s body when Harishchandra came there and started asking for the funeral tax. The poor queen did not even have a shroud to cover her son’s body. She recognized the king by voice and started pleading – ‘ Maharaj! This is your son who is dead. I have nothing to pay. ‘
King succeeded in God’s Test
King Harishchandra felt very sad, But he remained firm on his religion. He said – ‘ Queen! I am Chandalaka’s servant here. My master has told me that no one should be able to cremate the dead here without paying the tax. I cannot give up my religion. You give me something and then burn the son’s body. ‘ The queen started crying bitterly and said – ‘I have only one saree, which I am wearing, you can take half of it. ‘ As soon as the queen went to tear her sari, in the same way, Lord Narayan, Indra, Dharmaraj, etc. gods and Maharishi Vishwamitra appeared there.
Maharishi Vishwamitra told that Kumar Rohit is not dead. All this was shown by the sage through Yogmaya. The person who bought King Harishchandra was Dharamraj in the form of Chandal. Truth is the form of Narayan. Under the influence of truth, King Harishchandra went to the abode of God with Queen Shaivya. Maharishi Vishwamitra made Prince Rohitashva the king of Ayodhya. This couplet is famous for the truthful king Harishchandra. Chand tare, suraj tare, tare jagat vyavahar | Pe drin shri harishchandra ko, tare n satya vyavahar – This lines become famous for Harishchandra.