Shunahshepa, Śunaḥśepa, Shunah-shepa: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Shunahshepa means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Śunaḥśepa can be transliterated into English as Sunahsepa or Shunahshepa, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexSunaḥśepa (सुनःशेप).—A son of Viśvāmitra, conferred by Devas; was the well-known Devasūta.*
- * Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 7. 37.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: archive.org: Vedic index of Names and SubjectsŚunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप, ‘Dog’s tail’) is the name of a man with the patronymic Ājīgarti. According to a tale told in the Aitareya-brāhmaṇa and the Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra, he was purchased as a victim by Rohita, King Hariścandra’s son, who had been promised by his father to Varuṇa as a sacrifice. He was actually bound to the stake, but was released in time through his supplications, supposed to be preserved in certain hymns of the Rigveda. He was adopted by Viśvāmitra, to whose advice he owed the inspiration to ask the gods to release him, and became his son as Devarāta, much to the annoyance of some of Viśvāmitra’s sons, who in consequence were cursed by their father. The Rigveda, however, contains merely the statement of Śunahśepa’s deliverance from peril of death by the divine help, and the Yajurvedas simply say that he was seized by Varuṇa (perhaps with dropsy), but saved himself from Varuṇa’s bonds.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryŚunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप).—Name of a Vedic sage, son of Ajīgarta. [In the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa it is related that king Hariśchandra, 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 Śunahśepa, 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 Viṣvāmitra in his own family and called by the name Devarāta.]
Derivable forms: śunaḥśepaḥ (शुनःशेपः).
See also (synonyms): śunaḥśepha.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप).— (ved.), and śu- naḥśepha śunaḥśepha ([Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 61, 19), i. e. śvan + as-śepa, or -śepha, m. A proper name.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryŚunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप).—[masculine] [Name] of a man.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus CatalogorumŚunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—on smṛti. Quoted by Hemādri in Pariśeṣakhaṇḍa 1, 1588.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Śunaḥśepa (शुनःशेप):—[=śunaḥ-śepa] [from śunaḥ > śuna] m. ‘dog-tailed’, Name of a Vedic Ṛṣi (having the [patronymic] Ājīgarti, as son of Ajīgarta or Ajīgarta, and regarded as the author of the hymns, [i, 24-30, ix, 3]; [according to] to [Aitareya-brāhmaṇa vii, 13-18], king Hariścandra, whose priest was Viśvā-mitra, being childless, made a vow that on obtaining a son he would sacrifice him to the god Varuṇa; a son was then born to him named Rohita, but Hariścandra put off on various pretexts the fulfilment of his vow, and when he at length consented to perform it, his son refused to be sacrificed, and retiring to the forest passed six years there until he met a poor Brāhman Ṛṣi named Ajīgarta, who had three sons, the second of whom, Śunaḥ-śepa, was purchased by Rohita for a hundred cows to serve as a substitute for himself ; Varuṇa having accepted him as a ransom, he was about to be sacrificed, Viśvā-mitra being Hotṛ priest, when he saved himself by reciting verses in praise of various deities, and was received into the family of Viśvā-mitra as one of his sons under the name of Deva-rāta q.v.: the legend is different in the Rāmāyaṇa, which makes Ambarīṣa, king of Ayodhyā, perform a sacrifice, the victim of which is stolen by Indra; this king is described as wandering over the earth in search of either the real victim or a substitute until he meets with a Brāhman named Ṛcīka, from whom he purchases his middle son, Śunaḥ-śepa, who is about to be sacrificed, when Viśvā-mitra saves him by teaching him a prayer to Agni and two hymns to Indra and Viṣṇu; See, [Rāmāyaṇa i, 61, 62]), [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc. ([Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams 25-27])
2) [v.s. ...] n. the genital organ of a dog, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Shunah, Shepa.
Full-text: Shaunahshepa, Shunahshepha, Ajigarta, Devarata, Shunahpucha, Ajigarti, Purushamedha, Harishcandra, Shunahpuccha, Cunaccepan, Phalagrahin, Phalagrahi, Gatha, Rohita, Vishvamitra, Abhishecaniya, Varuna.
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Search found 13 books and stories containing Shunahshepa, Shunah-shepa, Śunaḥ-śepa, Sunah-sepa, Śunaḥśepa, Sunahsepa, Sunaḥśepa; (plurals include: Shunahshepas, shepas, śepas, sepas, Śunaḥśepas, Sunahsepas, Sunaḥśepas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
The Sacrifices of Rajasuya, Vajapeya and Ashvamedha (study) (by Aparna Dhar)
Contents of the Brāhmaṇas of the Ṛgveda < [Chapter 1 - A brief outline of the Brāhmaṇa Literature]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 10.105 < [Section XIII - The Brāhmaṇa in Times of Distress]
The Gautami Mahatmya (by G. P. Bhatt)
The Bhagavata Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 7 - The Story of King Hariścandra < [Book 9 - Ninth Skandha]
Chapter 16 - The Story of Paraśurāma (concluded) < [Book 9 - Ninth Skandha]
Chapter 5 - The Life of Prahlāda—Hiraṇyakaśipu attempts to kill Prahlāda < [Book 7 - Seventh Skandha]
Vasistha Dharmasutra (by Georg Bühler)