Śunaḥpuccha
Śunaḥpuccha · śunaḥ-puccha, “the dog’s tail”
Śunaḥpuccha was a son of the ṛshi Ajīgarta and a brother of Śunaḥśepa. When Ajīgarta, in great want, sold one of his sons to Prince Rohita, he would not part with Śunaḥpuccha, and Śunaḥśepa, the middle son, was sold instead.
In the lunar line
In his account of the lunar line, the teller says to the munis, straight after the birth of Paraśurāma: “The middle one is Śunaśśepa, the youngest is Śunaḥpuccha.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 10
The son Ajīgarta would not sell
Brahmā tells Nārada the account of the tīrthas of Viśvāmitra, Hariścandra, Śunaḥśepa and Rohita on the Gautamī. King Hariścandra had promised his son Rohita to Varuṇa, and Rohita went away to the forest. Varuṇa afflicted Hariścandra with a sickness, and in the sixth year Rohita heard of his father’s suffering and set out to free him.
On the banks of the Gaṅgā, Rohita saw the excellent ṛshi Ajīgarta wandering with his wife and three sons, with no means of living. Ajīgarta told him that he had no gold, silver, cows, grain or garments, and that no one would buy any of them in exchange for food. Rohita asked for one of his young sons. Ajīgarta answered: “O Rohita, I will not sell my eldest son, Śunaḥpuccha. The mother will not sell the youngest. So I shall sell Śunaḥśepa, the one between them.” For a thousand cows, grain, gold coins and clothes, Śunaḥśepa was given to Rohita, to be offered at Varuṇa’s yajña.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 34
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 10; Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 34