Shloka 4

Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory

Sanskrit

स कदाचिन्महाबाहुररण्येऽनुसरन् मृगम् ।

शुश्राव शब्दमसकृत् त्रायस्वेति च योषिताम् ॥

Transliteration

sa kadācin mahābāhur araṇye 'nusaran mṛgam /

śuśrāva śabdam asakṛt trāyasv eti ca yoṣitām

Translation

Un jour, cet homme aux bras puissants, tandis qu’il suivait un cerf dans la forêt, entendit à plusieurs reprises des femmes crier en pleurant : « Sauvez‑nous ! »

Speakers

• Narratorial verse (within the Purana’s story-flow; specific interlocutors not identifiable from this single verse alone)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Protection of the vulnerable
• Kshatriya/heroic duty
• Narrative transition (inciting incident)