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254
ON HUMAN SACRIFICES IN THE
distressed through want of food. He had three sons, Sunahpuchchha, Sunahsepha, and Sunolángúla. Rohita said to him, "Rishi, I will give thee a hundred cows for one of these thy sons, that by him I may redeem myself." But the Rishi, taking hold of the eldest, said, "Not this one;" "No, nor this one," said the mother, securing the youngest; but they both agreed to sell the middle son Sunahsepha, and Rohita having paid the hundred cows, took the youth and departed from the woods. He proceeded to his father and said, "Rejoice, father, for with this youth shall I redeem myself." So Harischandra had recourse to the royal Varuna, and said, "With this youth will I sacrifice to you." And Varuna replied, "Be it so-a Brahman is better than a Kshatriya;" and thence directed the king to perform the sacrificial ceremony termed the Rájasúya; and he, on the day of initiation, appointed Sunaksepha to be the human victim.
At that sacrifice of Harischandra, Viśwámitra was the Hotri or reciter of the Rich; Jamadagni the Adhwaryu or repeater of the Yajush; Vasishtha the Brahma or superintending priest, and Ayásya the Udgátri or chaunter of the Sáma; but they had no one who was competent to perform the office of binding the victim, when consecrated, to the stake, whereupon Ajígartta said, "If you give me another hundred cows I will perform the duty;" and they gave him the cows, and he bound the victim. But for the victim thus consecrated and bound, sanctified by the divinities of sacrifice, and thrice circumambulated
