A ruler in Hindu
mythology who is known for his honesty and sincerity.
He has become a metaphor for someone who patiently bears
unfair hardship in contemporary Hindu society.
Harishchandra's sorrow stems from a long-running dispute
between Vasishtha, his family priest, and Vishvamitra, the sages.
When Vasishtha praises Harishchandra's goodness, Vishvamitra
becomes desperate to disprove him.
Vishvamitra, disguised as an elderly brahmin, conjures up a
fictional son using his magical skills and convinces Harishchandra to agree to
provide whatever is required for the boy's wedding.
Vishvamitra claims Harishchandra's kingdom when the time
comes to repay this vow.
Vishvamitra expects the king to refuse this demand, yet
Harishchandra fulfills it right away.
When offering a gift to a brahmin, Vishvamitra observes that
it is traditional to give a gift of money (dakshina) and requests a
considerable quantity.
To acquire the money, Harishchandra sells his wife
(Chandramati) and kid into slavery, then sells himself to an outcast who
employs him at a cremation yard, where he burns corpses.
Harishchandra's kid gets bitten by a snake and dies after
undergoing these hardships for some time.
He doesn't recognize Chandramati when she delivers the
corpse to be burnt.
He refuses to bury the kid until the cremation price is
paid, claiming that doing so would deprive his master of his due pay.
Chandramati is unable to pay the price due to a lack of
funds, and Harishchandra identifies her after hearing her lamentations, making
him even more wretched.
The pair ultimately determines that the only way out of
their pain is to commit suicide and builds a bonfire on which to burn
themselves.
The gods come before them as Harishchandra is ready to fire
the pyre, praising his righteousness and dedication to his promise, and
Harishchandra's exiled teacher is revealed as dharma
("righteousness") incarnate.
Harishchandra's son is brought back to life, along with his
kingdom, and everyone lives happily ever after.
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