Human Sacrifice-Vedic Vs Modern


2010-11-19 
Srimad Bhagavatam 09.07.08-26 - Human Sacrifice-Vedic Vs Modern (download mp3)
by Madan Gopal Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net



SB 9.7.8
so 'napatyo visannatma
naradasyopadesatah
varunam saranam yatah
putro me jayatam prabho


Translation:
Hariscandra had no son and was therefore extremely morose. Once, therefore, following the advice of Narada, he took shelter of Varuna and said to him "My lord I have no son. Would you kindly give me one?"

SB 9.7.9
yadi viro maharaja
tenaiva tvam yaje iti
tatheti varunenasya
putro jatas tu rohitah

Translation:
O King Pariksit, Hariscandra begged Varuna, "My lord, if a son is born to me, with that son I shall perform a sacrifice for your satisfaction." When Hariscandra said this, Varuna replied, "Let it be so." Because of Varuna's benediction, Hariscandra begot a son named Rohita.

SB 9.7.10
jatah suto hy anenanga
mam yajasveti so 'bravit
yada pasur nirdasah syad
atha medhyo bhaved iti

Translation:
Thereafter, when the child was born, Varuna approached Hariscandra and said, "Now you have a son. With this son you can offer me a sacrifice." In answer to this, Hariscandra said, "After ten days have passed since an animal's birth, the animal becomes fit to be sacrificed."

SB 9.7.11
nirdase ca sa agatya
yajasvety aha so 'bravit
dantah pasor yaj jayerann
atha medhyo bhaved iti

Translation:
After ten days, Varuna came again and said to Hariscandra, "Now you can perform the sacrifice." Hariscandra replied, "When an animal grows teeth, then it becomes pure enough to be sacrificed."

SB 9.7.12
danta jata yajasveti
sa pratyahatha so 'bravit
yada patanty asya danta
atha medhyo bhaved iti

Translation:
When the teeth grew, Varuna came and said to Hariscandra, "Now the animal has grown teeth, and you can perform the sacrifice." Hariscandra replied, "When all its teeth have fallen out, then it will be fit for sacrifice."

SB 9.7.13
pasor nipatita danta
yajasvety aha so 'bravit
yada pasoh punar danta
jayante 'tha pasuh sucih

Translation:
When the teeth had fallen out, Varuna returned and said to Hariscandra, "Now the animal's teeth have fallen out, and you can perform the sacrifice." But Hariscandra replied, "When the animal's teeth grow in again, then he will be pure enough to be sacrificed."

SB 9.7.14
punar jata yajasveti
sa pratyahatha so 'bravit
sannahiko yada rajan
rajanyo 'tha pasuh sucih

Translation:
When the teeth grew in again, Varuna came and said to Hariscandra, "Now you can perform the sacrifice." But Hariscandra then said, "O King, when the sacrificial animal becomes a ksatriya and is able to shield himself to fight with the enemy, then he will be purified."

SB 9.7.15
iti putranuragena
sneha-yantrita-cetasa
kalam vañcayata tam tam
ukto devas tam aiksata

Translation:
Hariscandra was certainly very much attached to his son. Because of this affection, he asked the demigod Varuna to wait. Thus Varuna waited and waited for the time to come.

SB 9.7.16
rohitas tad abhijñaya
pituh karma cikirsitam
prana-prepsur dhanus-panir
aranyam pratyapadyata

Translation:
Rohita could understand that his father intended to offer him as the animal for sacrifice. Therefore, just to save himself from death, he equipped himself with bow and arrows and went to the forest.

SB 9.7.17
pitaram varuna-grastam
srutva jata-mahodaram
rohito gramam eyaya
tam indrah pratyasedhata

Translation:
When Rohita heard that his father had been attacked by dropsy due to Varuna and that his abdomen had grown very large, he wanted to return to the capital, but King Indra forbade him to do so.

SB 9.7.18
bhumeh paryatanam punyam
tirtha-ksetra-nisevanaih
rohitayadisac chakrah
so 'py aranye 'vasat samam

Translation:
King Indra advised Rohita to travel to different pilgrimage sites and holy places, for such activities are pious indeed. Following this instruction, Rohita went to the forest for one year.

SB 9.7.19
evam dvitiye trtiye
caturthe pañcame tatha
abhyetyabhyetya sthaviro
vipro bhutvaha vrtra-ha

Translation:
In this way, at the end of the second, third, fourth and fifth years, when Rohita wanted to return to his capital, the King of heaven, Indra, approached him as an old brahmana and forbade him to return, repeating the same words as in the previous year.

SB 9.7.20
sastham samvatsaram tatra
caritva rohitah purim
upavrajann ajigartad
akrinan madhyamam sutam
sunahsepham pasum pitre
pradaya samavandata

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 yajña 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.

SB 9.7.21
tatah purusa-medhena
hariscandro maha-yasah
muktodaro 'yajad devan
varunadin mahat-kathah

Translation:
Thereafter, the famous King Hariscandra, one of the exalted persons in history, performed grand sacrifices by sacrificing a man and pleased all the demigods. In this way his dropsy created by Varuna was cured.

SB 9.7.22
visvamitro 'bhavat tasmin
hota cadhvaryur atmavan
jamadagnir abhud brahma
vasistho 'yasyah sama-gah

Translation:
In that great human sacrifice, Visvamitra was the chief priest to offer oblations, the perfectly self-realized Jamadagni had the responsibility for chanting the mantras from the Yajur Veda, Vasistha was the chief brahminical priest, and the sage Ayasya was the reciter of the hymns of the Sama Veda.

SB 9.7.23
tasmai tusto dadav indrah
satakaumbhamayam ratham
sunahsephasya mahatmyam
uparistat pracaksyate

Translation:
King Indra, being very pleased with Hariscandra, offered him a gift of a golden chariot. Sunahsepha's glories will be presented along with the description of the son of Visvamitra.

SB 9.7.24
satyam saram dhrtim drstva
sabharyasya ca bhupateh
visvamitro bhrsam prito
dadav avihatam gatim

Translation:
The great sage Visvamitra saw that Maharaja Hariscandra, along with his wife, was truthful, forbearing and concerned with the essence. Thus he gave them imperishable knowledge for fulfillment of the human mission.

SB 9.7.25-26
manah prthivyam tam adbhis
tejasapo 'nilena tat
khe vayum dharayams tac ca
bhutadau tam mahatmani
tasmin jnana-kalam dhyatva
tayajnanam vinirdahan
hitva tam svena bhavena
nirvana-sukha-samvida
anirdesyapratarkyena
tasthau vidhvasta-bandhanah

Translation:
Maharaja Hariscandra first purified his mind, which was full of material enjoyment, by amalgamating it with the earth. Then he amalgamated the earth with water, the water with fire, the fire with the air, and the air with the sky. Thereafter, he amalgamated the sky with the total material energy, and the total material energy with spiritual knowledge. This spiritual knowledge is realization of one's self as part of the Supreme Lord. When the self-realized spiritual soul is engaged in service to the Lord, he is eternally imperceptible and inconceivable. Thus established in spiritual knowledge, he is completely freed from material bondage.

Purport:
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Seventh Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Descendants of King Mandhata."