Page 138 - Moral Stories Vol 6

Shaivya worked as a servant in the Brahmin’s house. One day, when Rohitashwa was plucking flowers for the Brahmin, a snake bit him and he died. Shaivya took her son’s body to the cremation ground. There she met Harishchandra. He was filled with grief to see his only son dead. To perform the cremation, he asked Shaivya to pay the fee. She didn’t have any money. Harishchandra, who was duty bound, could not cremate the body without tax. Shaivya was a devoted wife and she did not want her husband to give up his duty. She said, ‘The only possession I have is this old sari that I am wearing. Please accept half of it as the tax.” Harishchandra agreed to take the sari. They also decided to give up their lives on their son’s cremation fire. As Shaivya tore her sari, Vishnu himself appeared with all the other gods. The chandala, who was actually Yama, showed his real form and brought Rohitashwa back to life.
Harishchandra and his family passed the test; they had demonstrated3 great virtue4 and righteousness5. All the gods blessed them. Indra asked Harischandra to go to heaven with him.
But he refused saying that he could not go to heaven when his subjects were suffering without him. He asked Indra to take all his subjects to heaven. Indra said that it was not possible because people go to heaven or hell depending on their deeds. Harishchandra said that he would donate all his virtues to his subjects so that they could go to heaven and he would bear the consequences of their sins. Seeing Harischandra’s love for his subjects, the gods were very pleased. They took all the people of Ayodhya to heaven. Meanwhile, Vishwamitra brought new people to Ayodhya and made Rohitashwa the king.
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Think and Answer :
1. What did you learn from this story?
2. Why did Harishchandra sell his wife and son to a Brahmin?
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