Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4749

c9.4749

death. Śunaḥśepha did as he was told. Varuṇa became pleased with him and appearing before the King said, "Leave Śunaḥśepha and perform the sacrifice. You will get recovery." Saying so Varuṇa disappeared. Immediately the King was cured of his disease. At the order of the King Śunaḥśepha was set free. The sound 'Jaya Jaya' (victory) reverberated in the sacrificial hall. Śunaḥśepha got up and asked. "Oh great men. Who is my father now? Some said that it was Ajīgarta. Some others argued that it was Hariścandra. Some said that it was Varuṇa." At this time Vasiṣṭha stood up and said. "Oh, great men, please stop arguing. I shall give reply in accordance with the convention of Vedas. When he bargained on the price of his son and received the cost Ajīgarta lost his paternity. Thenceforward Hariścandra who bought the boy became his father. From the moment he had issued orders to bind the boy and place him on the slaughter-stone, he also had lost his paternity. The claim of Varuṇa to his paternity, because the boy had been saved from death by him, does not hold good. Any god will be pleased, when praised and glorified with great laudatory mantras and will confer upon the supplicant wealth, life, cow, land, salvation etc. There is nothing unusual in this. But it was Viśvāmitra who taught him the Varuṇa-spell in his pitiable and dangerous situation. So Viśvāmitra alone has claim to the boy's paternity."