rPAat-TrO yp ae rPIAPA HARISCHANDRA THE STORY OF THE MYTHOLOGICAL KING WHOSE NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH TRUTH 9 t (ie Ai llr —_ ra 7 By es &India is a land of countless legends and stories. A few of them have survived the onslaught of time and remained alive over the centuries. One such story is that of Harischandra, the king whose honesty was unmatched. The story as it has come down to us has many variations, from the original narration in the Markandeya Purana. The folk-singers, the poets and the dramatists, have all handled the story and have all added to it—an incident here, a character there—for greater effects. It is worth mentioning that Gandhiji whose experi- ments with truth are justly famous, was greatly inspired by a dramatic representation of this story, which he had seen in his boyhood. The story of a king, who, pitted against forces immensely more powerful than himself faces them with an unflinching faith in integrity, is not only dramatic but ennobling. That is the secret of its everlasting appeal. Amar Chitra Katha 1s a continuing series and two titles are published every month Over 150 titles are now on sale. Published by H.G. Mirchandani, for India Book House Education Trust, 29, Wodcnouse Road, Bombay-400 039 and printed by H.K. Nasta at BH Printers, Marol Naka, Mathuradas Vissanji Road, Andheri (East), Bombay-400 059, Editor: Anant Pai Artwork: Pratap Mulicksee a se : 17 WAS THE ERA OF TRETA! MARISCHANDEA WAS. ee) THE KING OF AYODHYAL A RIGHTEOUS KING,HE WAS LOVED AND RESPECTED BY ALL HIG SUBJECTS. Be) OVE DAY HARISCHANVOKA HAD GONME TO THE ©) OREST WHEN HE HEARD A ORY...THINKING IT WAB_A WOMAN IN DISTRESS, HARISCHANDRA RUSHED TOWARDS THe sduvp, - \ S00V HE CAME UPOV A CLEAKIVG IN THE W002. WHAT HAVE / DONEP THIS. 18. f SORRY ! (ORTUREED YOU, SIR! HEARD Some- ONE CRYING FOR HELP!| WAS ABOUT TO SUCCEED! YOU HAVE SPOILED EVERYTHING BY {| COMING HERE! MY CURSE WILL DESTROY YOUR KINGDOM ! IGHT ! ALL RI | SHALL REMEMBER (SHALL GIVE + YOUR PROMISE! IT TO yOu!A FEW DAYS LATER, HARISCHANDRA WAS. SEATED ON MS THR YOLEMLY A LOUD YORE BROKE THE Si § COME FOR BY) WHAT YOU PROMISED > ME!| AS THE HUSHED COURTIERS WATCHED) HARISCHANORA TOOK THE SAGE IVEIDE. YOUR MAJESTY, | HOW CAN YOU LEAVE LIKE IF | BREAK My PROMISE, ve ieAFTER WALKING A FEW MILES, MARISCHANORA HEARD SOMEONE CALL HM FROM, BEHNUD. HE TURNED ROUND. TO FIND THE SAGE USHWAWITRA COMIVG TOMARDS THEM. tg WITH EVERY GET GIVEN, ONE MAD 70 GIVE A DABSHINA ALY HOWORAKY- ON! HARISCHANORA HAD GIVEN AWAY EVERYTHING! ME HAD WOTHIVS LEFT FOR DAKSHINAL YOU MUST. FULFIL YOUR PROMISE! YOUR . DAKSHINA IS DUE!THE RINE AMO THE QUEEN AND oto CLO AND TO aT WAS. 4 LONG JOURNEY, THROGEH FOREST®, THROUGH DESERTS. QUE MONTY > 18 NEARLY QUERS Jay 1 HAVE WOT. ANY WORK, HOW. SHALL 1 PAY THE SAGE? AT LAST THEY. REACHED THE TEMPLE CITY OF VARANASL. 2 ectedk MEET THE HIGH. PRIESTY/. WHO ARE YOU? YOUR > WE A Cy CE SHOWS MARK zy ARE. | eT EG SLI SORE | TEMPLE? NO, THERE TCAN | 1S NO WORK! BUT LCAN | aire TAKE WHATEVER FOOD YOU NEED.Shs DAY AS THE TRIO WALKED THROUGH THE CROWDED STREET. HARISCHANOEA YD Aa ONE MONTH A FAUULIAR VOICE. IS OVER TODAY! IN.A FEW HOURS THE SUV dike SE 7! ee HALL es Tile DSH Ars / Naa eel et s+. THE DAY IS NOT YET OVER! PLEASE WAIT TILL NIGHT FALL.7 YES, DEAR! YOUR FATHER HAS GONE TO LOOK FOR WORK! HE WILL BRING SOME FOOD! THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO FULFIL MY PROMISE! TAKE_THIS FOOD! | BROUGHT IT FROM THE TEMPLE! DO WE HAVE TO. BEG FOR1 MUST SELL MYSELF! 1 MUST SELL MYSELFL NOBODY WILL_BUY | YOU! BUT SOMEONE BUY YOUR WIFE FOR HOUSE WORK!| HAVE GIVEN YOU. YES, | REMEMBER!HOLD WORK? MY WEE ARE? FOR WHAT Kl i OEA MAN_ARE YOU TO SELL YOUR WIFE? ae VONGTER 6O\ WHAT ia MusT DO!HOW CAN A MAN ée Pig Wee THE MO THEN TAKE THEGE HIS SON : FIVE HUNDRED GOLD ee COINS AND GIVE.UP ALL CLAIM ON HER!MOTHER! ¥ MOTHER!ARING HER Sone ORY, THe queens | (Y_PLEACE LET ME _ OO Ge CL LEO ME OAM 7 TAKE HIM WITH Met SHE COULD WOT 60 FARTHER! \ HE GAN Thy i> MOTHER! WHERE ARE YOU GOINGP BUY THE CHILD Al! (oC UE VME RO HOA, HERE’S_ANOTHER TWO-FIFTY! | SHALL BUY THE BOY AS WELL!HABISCHANVORA STOOD HELPLESSLY WATCHIVE HIS UE AND SAV BEING TAKEN AWAY BY THE MAN WHO HAD BOUGHT THEM. LUE WOTHIVEHARISCHANDEA LIVTIED. THE PUBSE FROM HIS. BELT AND GAVE (7 TO THE SAGE, ) WHAT IS THISPTHIS IS NOT ENOUGH! YOU HAVE TO PAY ME TWO-FIFTY MORE!) Ss WITHA PAIVEUL_HEART HARISCHANDEA SAT COUN ON THE STEPS BESIDE THE RIVER. THE DAY WAS WAVING, HE KNEW V0 WAY- | = O BHISIWG MORE MONEY FOR WSHMAMI TEA. | | MUST TRY ONCE MORE!RETURNING TO THE MARKET - PLACE, oe CHANDRA STOOD O THE PLATFORM AGAIN-THIS Tae A TAY FIGURE. YOU SOLD YOUR WHO WILL BUX AS He SLAVE? | AM STI RONG! ONLY THAT REN NOT. 1 SHALL BUY YOU, IF YOU WISH TO BE BOUGHT!MP 4 WILL. YOU WORK FOR MEP BUT HARISCHANORA HAD V0 CHOWE THE DAY WOULO BE WER SOON AND THEN CEE WOULD COME FOR YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY VE Aue re eee }AETER PAYING VISHINAMITRA MIS DAKSHIVA, HARISCHANOBA WALKED WITH HIS WEW MASTER TO THE PLACE OF WORK, a. Zs DOP aS WHATEVER H WORK A CHANDALA DOES! ¥ ’ DO LHAVE ¥ * YES. YOUR DUTY IS TO RES j WAIT ON _CREMATORS aN WILL BE YOURS!i Ean NE EE OE SEMA g68 AND WATCHING BROUGHT THE PAYMENT?THE DAY§ PASSED Eyes ki ae WENT a Ga Me OL WORK, Ss ABE BURIVT IN THE CREMATION GROWNQ SMOKE WOULD a (peoanores PUSAN Wee 1 AT OF MS LOST | 4E DREAMT OF THE LITTLE PRINCE ASLEEP OW HS. ROYAL GER 1T ALL SEEMED $0 FAR BALA WHY ARE You CRYING, MY SONPss WHEN THE QUEEN CAME TO HER GOTO THE Oo HET Te OTE WORK, SE AUND THA BED EMOTE. ROM TAS WAS WOT THERE. HE [8 COLD! WHAT ARE THESE MARKS? OH, MY SON! A SERPENT gH SEN FIM! ROW 70, BOOM COOKING ae wos eat THEN SHE BEMEMEEBED HOLLING 8 L, A LANE WY Mek, HAND, SAIVYA ' POOR ROE SWAl SLEEPING UNDER THEWETLY, WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD, | HE QUEEN STARTED, WAL KING” | TUROUGY, [He DESERTED STREET MY SON IS DEAD. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MONEY FOR HIS FUNERAL! 4 ry NEAR THE GATE OF THE CREMATION. GROUND, THE BEARDED CHANCALA BLOCKED HER WAY.TE RK at OF ROVALTY! WH £ WHAT. DID. YOU SAYP < SS ps hay sar * man WY SOVSTHE WOVAN WAS STARTLED UUTH THE GRY THE VOIGE SEEMED FAMILIAR, SHE PEERED CLOSE AT THE BEARDED, SHRVELLED FACE, WHY _ DID YOU CRY OUT! LET ME LOOK AT YOUR FACE ... MY HUSBAND YES! PM THAT WRETCHED MAN!’ ¢ BUT YOU i FAVE TO BRING TI CLOTH AND RICE! | HAVE NO CHOICE! (CANNOT. DEPRIVE ieBUT HOW CAN | PAY YOU? GIVE ME HALF OF YOUR UPPER GARMENT! BUT THEN | WILL NOT. [7 HARIGCHANDRA! a oes ae id IS OVER! aeTHEN (NORA, TME KING OF THE DEVAS, CAME FORWARD. DRA! We WERE. TETING YOUR DEVOTION eA TRUTH OU HAVE PASSE! THE SUPREME TEST BUT! my LORD, DID YOU HAVE TO TEST ME BY TAKING AWAY MY ONLY, HILD 2 IS LEY, HASEEING ORAS SMILE, THE PUZZLED. RING TURNED HIS Eye@ TO WHERE HS SOVE BOOY LAY. HE SAW A STRANGE SIGHT BOMTASWA WAS STAMANG. THERE SIUILING. RA! MY FRIEND, FOR- GIVE ME FOR TESTING YOU SO HARSHLY! SAGE VISHWAMITRAP a. eS—— NO HaRISCHANDRA! YY | you HAVE /0U FREE MAN! | | PROVED YOUR VIRTUE! YOU. | _ HAVE EARNED | YOUR PLACE LIN HEAVENS 4HAVE YOU HEARD? VICTORY TO OUR ne IS COMING HARISCHANDRA! WACK ¢ V/ LOOK! THE LONG LIVE HARISCHANDRA! NT DING HORSE!Choose your story from the ECHO treasure-house of folk and animal lore, mythology, historical tales and modern Indian stories of mystery, and adventure, puzzies, games and animal tales. Amply illustrated and well writte: ECHO will bring your child hours of reading pleasure. Over a 100 titles in print. Story-time books for children From | INDIA BOOK HOUSE INDIA BOOK HOUSE, SECUNDERABAD-3, FOR V.P.P. 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