# Bāla Kāṇḍa 60 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Śunaḥśepa is bought for sacrifice *Indra steals Ambarīṣa’s sacrificial victim, the King purchases Śunaḥśepa after the boy’s parents reserve their eldest and youngest sons* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 1.60. ## Sequence - Viśvāmitra tells the departing ṛṣis that the southern region has become a place of obstruction → he moves west to Puṣkara and resumes austerity on roots and fruit (60.1–4) - meanwhile, during King Ambarīṣa's sacrifice in Ayodhyā, Indra steals the sacrificial victim (60.5–6) - the priest blames the King's failure to protect it and demands immediate expiation through a human or substitute victim while the rite continues (60.7–8) - Ambarīṣa searches widely, offering thousands of cows, until he finds Ṛcīka at Bhṛgutunda with his wife and sons (60.9–12) - he offers a hundred thousand cows for one son (60.13–14) - Ṛcīka refuses to sell the eldest, and the mother insists on keeping the youngest, Śunaka (60.15–18) - the middle son, Śunaḥśepa, concludes that he has effectively been selected and tells the King to take him (60.19–20) - Ambarīṣa pays, places the boy in his chariot, and leaves swiftly (60.21–22). ## Verses **1.60.1** viśvāmitro mahātmātha prasthitān prekṣya tān ṛṣīn abravīn naraśārdūla sarvāṃs tān vanavāsinaḥ Then the great-souled Viśvāmitra, O tiger among men, seeing those seers about to depart, said to all those forest-dwellers: **1.60.2** mahāvighnaḥ pravṛtto 'yaṃ dakṣiṇām āsthito diśam diśam anyāṃ prapatsyāmas tatra tapsyāmahe tapaḥ 'A great obstacle has arisen here, seated in the southern quarter; we shall betake ourselves to another quarter, and there practise austerity.' **1.60.3** paścimāyāṃ viśālāyāṃ puṣkareṣu mahātmanaḥ sukhaṃ tapaś cariṣyāmaḥ paraṃ tad dhi tapovanam 'In the west, in the vast region of Puṣkara, we great-souled ones shall practise austerity in comfort; for that is a supreme penance-grove.' **1.60.4** evam uktvā mahātejāḥ puṣkareṣu mahāmuniḥ tapa ugraṃ durādharṣaṃ tepe mūlaphalāśanaḥ Having spoken thus, the great sage of great splendour, in the Puṣkaras, practised fierce, unassailable austerity, eating only roots and fruit. **1.60.5** etasminn eva kāle tu ayodhyādhipatir nṛpaḥ ambarīṣa iti khyāto yaṣṭuṃ samupacakrame At this very time, the king, lord of Ayodhyā, renowned as Ambarīṣa, set about performing a sacrifice. **1.60.6** tasya vai yajamānasya paśum indro jahāra ha pranaṣṭe tu paśau vipro rājānam idam abravīt But as he was sacrificing, Indra carried off the sacrificial victim; and when the victim was lost, the brahmin said this to the king: **1.60.7** paśur adya hṛto rājan pranaṣṭas tava durnayāt arakṣitāraṃ rājānaṃ ghnanti doṣā nareśvara 'The victim has today been carried off, O king, lost through your negligence; sins slay a king who fails to protect his charge, O lord of men.' **1.60.8** prāyaścittaṃ mahad dhy etan naraṃ vā puruṣarṣabha ānayasva paśuṃ śīghraṃ yāvat karma pravartate 'A great expiation is required for this, O bull among men: bring quickly either a man or a (substitute) victim, while the rite is still in progress.' **1.60.9** upādhyāya vacaḥ śrutvā sa rājā puruṣarṣabha anviyeṣa mahābuddhiḥ paśuṃ gobhiḥ sahasraśaḥ Having heard the teacher's word, that king of great wisdom, O bull among men, sought a victim, offering cows by the thousands. **1.60.10** deśāñ janapadāṃs tāṃs tān nagarāṇi vanāni ca āśramāṇi ca puṇyāni mārgamāṇo mahīpatiḥ searching through region after region, provinces, cities, forests, and holy hermitages, the lord of the earth— **1.60.11** sa putrasahitaṃ tāta sabhāryaṃ raghunandana bhṛgutunde samāsīnam ṛcīkaṃ saṃdadarśa ha he, my dear, O delight of the Raghus, beheld Ṛcīka seated at Bhṛgutunda, together with his sons and his wife. **1.60.12** tam uvāca mahātejāḥ praṇamyābhiprasādya ca brahmarṣiṃ tapasā dīptaṃ rājarṣir amitaprabhaḥ pṛṣṭvā sarvatra kuśalam ṛcīkaṃ tam idaṃ vacaḥ The royal seer of measureless splendour, having bowed and propitiated him, and having asked after his welfare in every respect, spoke this word to that brahmin-seer Ṛcīka, blazing with austerity: **1.60.13** gavāṃ śatasahasreṇa vikriṇīṣe sutaṃ yadi paśor arthe mahābhāga kṛtakṛtyo 'smi bhārgava 'If you will sell a son for a hundred thousand cows, for the sake of a sacrificial victim, O illustrious one, then I shall have accomplished my purpose, O descendant of Bhṛgu.' **1.60.14** sarve parisṛtā deśā yajñiyaṃ na labhe paśum dātum arhasi mūlyena sutam ekam ito mama 'All the regions have been traversed; I do not obtain a victim fit for sacrifice; you ought to give me, for a price, one son from here.' **1.60.15** evam ukto mahātejā ṛcīkas tv abravīd vacaḥ nāhaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ naraśreṣṭhaṃ vikrīṇīyāṃ kathaṃ cana Thus addressed, Ṛcīka of great splendour spoke these words: 'I would not on any account sell the eldest, O best of men.' **1.60.16** ṛcīkasya vacaḥ śrutvā teṣāṃ mātā mahātmanām uvāca naraśārdūlam ambarīṣaṃ tapasvinī Hearing Ṛcīka's words, the ascetic mother of those great-souled sons said to Ambarīṣa, the tiger among men: **1.60.17** mamāpi dayitaṃ viddhi kaniṣṭhaṃ śunakaṃ nṛpa 'Know, O king, that the youngest, Śunaka, is dear to me too.' **1.60.18** prāyeṇa hi naraśreṣṭha jyeṣṭhāḥ pitṛṣu vallabhāḥ mātḥṇāṃ ca kanīyāṃsas tasmād rakṣe kanīyasaṃ 'For generally, O best of men, eldest sons are dear to fathers, and the youngest to mothers; therefore I would keep the youngest.' **1.60.19** uktavākye munau tasmin munipatnyāṃ tathaiva ca śunaḥśepaḥ svayaṃ rāma madhyamo vākyam abravīt When that sage had spoken, and likewise the sage's wife, Śunaḥśepa, the middle son, himself spoke, O Rāma: **1.60.20** pitā jyeṣṭham avikreyaṃ mātā cāha kanīyasaṃ vikrītaṃ madhyamaṃ manye rājan putraṃ nayasva mām 'The father has declared the eldest not-to-be-sold, and the mother the youngest; I consider the middle son as good as sold. O king, take me away.' **1.60.21** gavāṃ śatasahasreṇa śunaḥśepaṃ nareśvaraḥ gṛhītvā paramaprīto jagāma raghunandana For a hundred thousand cows the lord of men, having taken Śunaḥśepa, went off highly delighted, O delight of the Raghus. **1.60.22** ambarīṣas tu rājarṣī ratham āropya satvaraḥ śunaḥśepaṃ mahātejā jagāmāśu mahāyaśāḥ But Ambarīṣa, the royal seer of great splendour and great fame, having quickly placed Śunaḥśepa on his chariot, went swiftly on.