शुनःशेप N. of a Vedic sage, son of Ajīgarta. [In the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa it is related that king Hariścandra, being childless, made a vow that on obtaining a son he would sacrifice him to the god Varuṇa. A son was born who was named Rohita, but the king put off the fulfilment of the vow under various pretexts. At last Rohita purchased for one hundred cows Śunaḥśepha, the middle son of Ajīgarta, as a substitute for himself to be offered to Varuṇa. But the boy praised Viṣṇu, Indra, and other deities, and escaped death. He was then adopted by Viśvāmitra in his own family and called by the name Devarāta]
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