Śunahśepha
Role: son of Richíka · First appears: Book I, Canto 61 · Sunahsepha
In Book I, Canto 61, Śunahśepha, the middle son of Richíka, offered himself to Ambarísha as the sacrificial victim. Ambarísha bought him and took him to complete the rite.
In Canto 62, Śunahśepha met his uncle Viśvámitra at Pushkar’s lake. Viśvámitra taught him hymns and blessed him with the means to be “preserved, and free.” When Śunahśepha sang, Vishṇu granted him long life.
Relationship record
Book I, Canto 61 · Sunahsepha
- parent: Richíka (Richíka is identified as Śunahśepha's sire by the surrounding passage.) “Young Śunahśepha, of the three The midmost, cried unurged and free: ‘My sire withholds his eldest son, My mother keeps her youngest one: Then take me with thee, King: I ween The son is sold who comes between.’”
- with Ambarísha (Ambarísha buys Śunahśepha as a sacrificial victim.) “Bought with a hundred thousand kine, Give me, O Sage, a son of thine To be a victim in the rite, And thanks the favour shall requite.”
Book I, Canto 62 · Ambarísha’s Sacrifice
- elder kin: Viśvámitra “The captive Śunahśepha rose, And hasting to the water’s side His uncle Viśvámitra spied,”
- patron: Viśvámitra “Thus on his sons his curse he laid. Then calmed again that youth dismayed, And blessed him with his saving aid: “When in the sacred fetters bound, And with a purple garland crowned, At Vishṇu’s post thou standest tied, With lauds be Agni glorified.”
- patron: Vishṇu “Thousand-eyed Vishṇu, pleased to hear The mystic laud, inclined his ear, And won by worship, swift to save, Long life to Śunahśepha gave.”
- with Ambarísha (Ambarísha’s sacrifice uses Śunahśepha as the victim.) “The boy’s address the monarch cheered, And soon the sacred ground he neared. The convocation’s high decree Declared the youth from blemish free; Clothed in red raiment he was tied A victim at the pillar’s side.”
- mentor: Viśvámitra “And these two hymns of holy praise Forget not, Hermit’s son, to raise In the king’s rite, and thou shalt be Lord of thy wish, preserved, and free.”
- guardian: Viśvámitra “With tender soul and gentle brow Be guardian of the orphan thou,”
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Extracted from the original text of The Rámáyan of Válmíki. Made with Rho MD.