Bengali Ramayana - Harishchandra 2

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In Varanasi the king was helpless. How could he

get that much gold. "Sell me", said his wife. <br>For

4 crore Gold coins, Harishchandra sold his wife and

son to a Brahmana. He took the colins to the rishi.

Rishi refused them, saying - "No installments. Get me

the full amount." Harishchandra then stood in the

market, trying to sell himself off.A nafar (chandal - a

man who earns his living burning corpses and looking

after pigs) named Kalu, bought him for 3 crore gold

coins. Harishchandra gave the coins to the

Rishi.Assuming the name Haridas, Harishchandra went with Kalu.

He tended pigs and burnt corpses. He took half of

what the relatives of the dead gave, giving the rest

to his master.<br>In the Brahmana's house, Shaiva

with her son was staying. Of what the Brahmana gave

her to eat, she would divide it into 4 parts. 3 parts

she would her son, one part she would have for

herself.One day, the Brahmana sent Rohidas to pluck flowers

in a garden. That garden belonged to Vishwamitra. He

was not too pleased to see the boy plucking flowers.

He put a curse saying, if the boy comes again he

would be bitten by a snake.Shaiva saw her son being

bitten by a snake in her dreams. She told him not to go

the next day, but the boy would not listen. He went

and got bitten by a snake while plucking

flowers.<br>Shaivya found her son lying dead in the garden. Crying,

she lifted her son and ran towards the cremation

ground. Haridas approached her.<br>He demanded 50 bronze

coins. Shivya did not have anything. She said "I was

born princess, but I am reduced to this state.I wish

my husband Harishchandra was here to see my plight".

Haridas then said "Do not cry. Look at me closely. I am

that Harishchandra. I do not know why the Gods are

punishing us. Let us all burn ourselves in the pyre and

finish us off." As the king and his wife were about to

step into the pyre, Dhramaraj suddenly appeared there.

He said "I'll revive your son". Rohidasa got up. The

brahmana and Kalu came there. They started demaning their

dues. The Queen had two golden bracelets in her hands.

The king gave one bracelet to each of them, told them

to sell the bracelet and keep the money from that.

<br>Vishwamitra appeared there. "Harischandra, take back your

kingdom. I do not want it anymore". Harishchandra returned

to Ayodhya with his wife and son. When he was old,

he made his son Rohidasa the king and retired to the

forest with his wife.