Harishchandra is a legendary Indian king, who appears in several legends in texts such as Aitareya Brahmana, Mahabharata, the Markandeya Purana, and the Devi-Bhagavata Puranaand was the son of Sathyavrata (Trishanku). According to this legend, Harishchandra gave away his kingdom, sold his family and agreed to be a slave - all to fulfill a promise he had made to the sage Vishwamitra.