Shloka 20
Purukutsa’s Rasātala Victory; Triśaṅku and Hariścandra; Rohita and Śunaḥśepha
षष्ठं संवत्सरं तत्र चरित्वा रोहित: पुरीम् । उपव्रजन्नजीगर्तादक्रीणान्मध्यमं सुतम् । शुन:शेफं पशुं पित्रे प्रदाय समवन्दत ॥ २० ॥
ṣaṣṭhaṁ saṁvatsaraṁ tatra caritvā rohitaḥ purīm upavrajann ajīgartād akrīṇān madhyamaṁ sutam śunaḥśephaṁ paśuṁ pitre pradāya samavandata
Thereafter, in the sixth year, having wandered in the forest, Rohita returned to his father’s capital. From Ajīgarta he purchased the second son, named Śunaḥśepha, and offered him to his father Hariścandra as the sacrificial victim, then bowed with reverence.
It appears that in those days a man could be purchased for any purpose. Hariścandra was in need of a person to sacrifice as the animal in a yajña and thus fulfill his promise to Varuṇa, and a man was purchased from another man for this purpose. Millions of years ago, animal sacrifice and slave trade both existed. Indeed, they have existed since time immemorial.
FAQs
In this verse, Śunaḥśepha—Ajīgarta’s middle son—is purchased by Rohita to be presented as the sacrificial animal, as Rohita is returning to his father in the context of a vowed sacrifice.
Rohita had been avoiding returning for years; here he comes back and, seeking to satisfy the sacrificial requirement connected with his father’s vow, he presents Śunaḥśepha as the intended victim and offers respects.
It highlights how fear and avoidance can lead to morally complex choices; the Bhagavatam’s broader narrative urges discernment, responsibility, and ultimately seeking divine guidance over harmful expedients.