Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2701
Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c9.2701
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c9.2701
ŚUNAŚSEPHA (DEVARĀTA). The story of a Brāhmaṇa youth who was to be offered as human sacrifice and who was saved by Viśvāmitra, is famous in the Purāṇas. The name of the Brāhmaṇa youth was Śunaśsepha. But even in the Purāṇas there are two versions of this story. In one of them, Śunaśsepha is referred to as the son of Ṛcikamuni. In the other, it was Hariścandra who performed the yāga and Śunaśsepha who was brought for sacrifice, was the son of a Brāhmaṇa named Ajīgarta. After Viśvāmitra saved the boy, he got another name, "Devarāta". (For details of the two versions, see under Ambarīṣa and the 4th Para under Viśvāmitra).