Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c23.26

c23.26

The story goes on thus.¹ On Satyavrata’s death his son Hariścandra was placed on the throne by Viśvāmitra, and Viśvāmitra offered the rājasūya sacrifice for him. But Vasiṣṭha’s hatred and opposition led to Viśvāmitra’s being obliged to depart, and he went to Puṣkara and gave himself up to austerities there.² Vasiṣṭha thus regained the priesthood. Hariścandra then begot a son Rohita, whom he had vowed to sacrifice to Varuṇa, but put off fulfilment for some twenty-two years, and then Rohita saved himself by buying the rishi Ajīgarta’s son Śunaḥśepa as a victim in his own stead. Śunaḥśepa was a Bhārgava and appears to have been Viśvāmitra’s grand-nephew, and, when the sacrifice was due, Viśvāmitra took part in it (his brahmanhood being now acknowledged), it was turned into a formal rite, and Śunaḥśepa was set free. Śunaḥśepa, having lost his position in his own family by the sale, was adopted by Viśvāmitra as his son with the name Devarāta.³