Śunaḥśepa Becomes Devarāta
Śunaḥśepa Devarāta · deva-rāta, “the one given by the devas”
Devarāta has other meanings too: see all meanings of Devarāta.
Śunaḥśepa was the eldest of the sons of Viśvāmitra, a Bhārgava by birth who gained Kauśika-hood. The Brahma Purāṇa tells in Chapter 10, in the line of Jahnu and the Kauśikas, that he was appointed as the paśu in the yajña of Haridaśva, and that the devas gave him back safely to Viśvāmitra; because he was given by the devas (devaiḥ dattaḥ), he was named Devarāta. Devarāta and the others are counted as seven sons of Viśvāmitra.
Viśvāmitra and his sons
Viśvāmitra, also called Viśvaratha, was equal to a brahmarshi and attained brāhmaṇa-hood. His sons were Devarāta and others, all famous. The gotras of the Kauśikas became famous: the Pāṇinas, Babhravas, Dhyānajapyas, Devarātas, Śālaṅkāyanas, Bāshkalas, Lohitas, Yamadūtas and Kārūshakas. In the line of the brahmarshi Paurava and of Kauśika, the joining of brāhmaṇa and kshatriya became famous.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 10
The paśu who was given back
Among Viśvāmitra‘s sons, Śunaḥśepa was the eldest: a Bhārgava who gained Kauśika-hood. He was appointed as the paśu, the one to be offered, in the yajña of Haridaśva. The devas gave him back safely to Viśvāmitra, and because he was given by the devas he was also named Devarāta. Devarāta and the others are seven sons of Viśvāmitra; and Ashṭaka, son of Dṛshadvatī, whose son is Lauhi, is also a son of Viśvāmitra.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 10
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 10