SB 9.7.20 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

षष्ठं संवत्सरं तत्र चरित्वा रोहित: पुरीम् । उपव्रजन्नजीगर्तादक्रीणान्मध्यमं सुतम् । शुन:शेफं पशुं पित्रे प्रदाय समवन्दत ॥ २० ॥

Verse text

ṣaṣṭhaṁ saṁvatsaraṁ tatra caritvā rohitaḥ purīm upavrajann ajīgartād akrīṇān madhyamaṁ sutam śunaḥśephaṁ paśuṁ pitre pradāya samavandata

Synonyms

ṣaṣṭham — the sixth ; saṁvatsaram — year ; tatra — in the forest ; caritvā — wandering ; rohitaḥ — the son of Hariścandra ; purīm — in his capital ; upavrajan — went there ; ajīgartāt — from Ajīgarta ; akrīṇāt — purchased ; madhyamam — the second ; sutam — son ; śunaḥśepham — whose name was Śunaḥśepha ; paśum — to use as the sacrificial animal ; pitre — unto his father ; pradāya — 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 Ajīgarta his second son, named Śunaḥśepha. Then he offered Śunaḥśepha to his father, Hariścandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariścandra his respectful obeisances.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Thereafter, in the sixth year, after wandering in the forest, Rohita returned to the capital of his father. He purchased from Ajīgarta his second son, named Śunaḥśepha. Then he offered Śunaḥśepha to his father, Hariścandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariścandra his respects.

Purport

It appears that in those days a man could be purchased for any purpose. Hariścandra was in need of a person to sacrifice as the animal in a yajṣa and thus fulfill his promise to Varuṇa, 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.