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TEXT 20
sastham samvatsaram tatra
caritva rohitah purim
upavrajann ajigartad
akrinan madhyamam sutam
sunahsepham pasum pitre
pradaya samavandata
SYNONYMS
sastham—the sixth; samvatsaram—year; tatra—in the forest; caritva—wandering; rohitah—the son of Hariscandra; purim—in his capital; upavrajan—went there; ajigartat—from Ajigarta; akrinat—purchased; madhyamam—the second; sutam—son; sunahsepham—whose name was Sunahsepha; pasum—to use as the sacrificial animal; pitre—unto his father; pradaya—offering; samavandata—respectfully offered his obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, in the sixth year, after wandering in the forest, Rohita returned to the capital of his father. He purchased from Ajigarta his second son, named Sunahsepha. Then he offered Sunahsepha to his father, Hariscandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariscandra his respectful obeisances.
PURPORT
It appears that in those days a man could be purchased for any purpose. Hariscandra was in need of a person to sacrifice as the animal in a yajna and thus fulfill his promise to Varuna, 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.
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