SB 9.16.31

TEXT 31

TEXT

यो वै हरिश्चन्द्रमखे विक्रीतः पुरुषः पशुः ।
स्तुत्वा देवान्प्रजेशादीन् मुमुचे पाशबन्धनात् ॥ ३१ ॥

yo vai hariscandra-makhe

vikritaḥ purusaḥ pasuḥ

stutva devan prajesadin

mumuce pasa-bandhanat

yaḥ-he who (Sunaḥsepha); vai-indeed; hariscandra-makhe-in the sacrifice performed by King Hariscandra; vikritaḥ-was sold; purusaḥ-man; pasuḥ-sacrificial animal; stutva-offering prayers; devan-to the demigods; praja-isa-adin-headed by Lord Brahma; mumuce-was released; pasa-bandhanat-from being bound with ropes like an animal.

TRANSLATION

Sunaḥsepha's father sold Sunaḥsepha to be sacrificed as a man-animal in the yajna of King Hariscandra. When Sunaḥsepha was brought into the sacrificial arena, he prayed to the demigods for release and was released by their mercy.

PURPORT

Here is a description of Sunaḥsepha. When Hariscandra was to sacrifice his son Rohita, Rohita arranged to save his own life by purchasing Sunaḥsepha from Sunaḥsepha's father to be sacrificed in the yajna. Sunaḥsepha was sold to Maharaja Hariscandra because he was the middle son, between the oldest and the youngest. It appears that the sacrifice of a man as an animal in yajna has been practiced for a very long time.

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