Written by : Darmayasa

Hello to all,

it was my wish since the 80-s to write and/or narrate the beautiful and interesting story of King Harischandra. I was always driven by the emotional waves of the story of King Harischandra, then I stopped and couldn't continue the narrations.

Today, this beautiful and very interesting story of King Harischandra is here. Enjoy the read, and keep yourself posted for more chapters throughout the days. May all be happy.

Satyavādī Mahārāja Hariścandra (01)

In the lineage of kings of the Sūryavaṅśa family, there was a king called Mahārāja Triśaṅku. He was known in purāṇa-itihāsa stories as the king who was sent to Heaven together with his material body.

Triśaṅku is not his birth name but a cursed name instead. He was born with the name Satyavrata, and his wife was called Satyaratha (tasya satyarathā nāma bhāryā kaikeya vaṁśajā). Sometime after they got married, they had a son who they called Hariścandra. Eventually, this bright son, Hariścandra became a king very famous for his absolute honesty (kumāraṁ janayāmāśa hariścandram akalmaṣam).

Mahārāja Satyavrata wanted to go to Heaven in an unusual and unprecedented way. He wanted to go to Heaven with his material body. He wanted to do something that has never been done by anyone before. Yes ... King Satyavrata wanted to create the history that he was the first and/or the only person who managed to go to heaven with his body.

In order to achieve his wish, he asked his royal family’s Teacher, Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha to do it, but he got rejected because according to Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha this act violates God's law. Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha was approached and asked for help by Mahārāja Satyavrata because he had enormous spiritual power and was able to do whatever he desired through that spiritual power. Mahārāja Satyavrata asked the royal family’s Teacher to send him to Heaven. However, Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha immediately refused his request.

Satyavrata did not lose hope after his wish got rejected. He then went to the son of Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha called Shakti. However, when Shakti was approached with the same request, he became very angry. Shakti Vaśiṣṭha even put a curse on King Satyavrata to become old and have an ugly face with the name Triśaṅku.

The Teacher cursed King Satyavrata to be Triśaṁku because he committed three sinful acts that were difficult to forgive (triṇi śaṁkuni), namely (1) Pituḥ cāparitoṣeṇa, Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha was furious when he abducted a bride, who was the daughter of a brāhmaṇa, during a wedding ceremony, (2) guroḥ dogdhrῑ vadhena ca, he killed his Teacher’s cow, and (3) aprokshitopayogāt ca, he made use of the impure meat from the cow that he killed. On the basis of those three mistakes, he could not be forgiven and hence he was cursed and was given the name Tri (3) Śaṁkuḥ (a great sin), Triśaṁkuḥ.

Mahārāja Satyavrata, who had changed his name to Triśaṅku, became disappointed and very sad. However, his desire to go to heaven with his material body kept him going, and that very desire finally led Triśaṅku's footsteps to come to Maharṣi Viśvāmitra, asking for his help. Maharṣi Viśvāmitra was indeed very pleased to help him. Maharṣi’s Viśvāmitra was very pleased because of the very first and foremost reason for wanting to be different from his archrival, Maharṣi Vaśiṣṭha. (01)