Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala
एवं द्वादशमासास्तु नीताः शतसमोपमाः ।
स कदाचिन्नृपश्रेष्ठः श्रान्तो बन्धुवियोगवान् ॥
evaṃ dvādaśa-māsās tu nītāḥ śata-samopamāḥ / sa kadācin nṛpa-śreṣṭhaḥ śrānto bandhu-viyogavān
یوں بارہ مہینے گزر گئے، گویا سو برس ہوں۔ پھر ایک وقت وہ بہترین بادشاہ—تھکا ہوا اور اپنے عزیزوں سے جدا—نہایت رنجیدہ ہو گیا۔
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Suffering dilates time; a single year can feel like an age. The verse underscores how loss of social support (bandhu) intensifies karmic pain.
Carita: a moralized life-episode; not directly Manvantara/Vamśa data here.
‘Twelve months’ can also echo cyclical bondage—revolving through the year like saṃsāra—until a decisive insight or turning occurs.