Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 9.7.20

shashtham samvatsaram tatra

caritva rohitah purim

upavrajann ajigartad

akrinan madhyamam sutam

sunahsepham pasum pitre

pradaya samavandata

SYNONYMS

shashtham -- the sixth; samvatsaram -- year; tatra -- in the forest; caritva -- wandering; rohitah -- the son of Hariscandra; purim -- in his capital; upavrajan -- went there; ajigartat -- from Ajigarta; akrinat -- purchased; madhyamam -- the second; sutam -- son; sunahsepham -- whose name was Sunahsepha; pasum -- to use as the sacrificial animal; pitre -- unto his father; pradaya -- 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 Ajigarta his second son, named Sunahsepha. Then he offered Sunahsepha to his father, Hariscandra, to be used as the sacrificial animal and offered Hariscandra his respectful obeisances.

PURPORT

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

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness