Ashtavakra : An inspiring personality

My dear readers, I keep reading ancient scriptures of Sanskrit to know about the life style, moral values and other elevated standards of the people of ancient age. Most of them are treasure of knowledge, inspiration and spirituality. They are filled with honeydews of lessons. They have hidden massages to boost the moral values. I thought that my readers also should take advantage of it.

 

In this regard, there is a piece of a story about Ashtavakra, a prominent sage of Treta Yuga. Ashtavakra means eight folds. Ashtavakra was contemporary of King Janak. As his name suggests, his body was malformed and was twisted in eight places. Despite his abnormal physique, he became a classic personality. His story of talent and knowledge is wide spread in Sanskrit Literature and famous in folks.

 

This story depicts how his body got malformed and he became a great personality of his age. Though he was malformed, yet he was a great intellectual and well learned scholar. His self-confidence was very high. His twisted body couldn’t make any hindrance in his success. Let’s, now, enjoy it –

 

[Kahoda was the favourite disciple of Uddalaka, a renowned scholar in the Vedas. Uddalak had a daughter called Sujata.] One day-

Uddalak: I am delighted with your dedication, Kahoda. As soon as you have mastered the sacred texts, you shall have my daughter, Sujata, as your spouse.

[Kahoda was intelligent and diligent. he rapidly mastered the texts. As his guru had promised he was married to Sujata. He went on living at the hermitage and teaching his disciples. Though they had to lead an austere life, they were happy.]

One day,

Sujata: My lord, when we have a lad, he must master the sacred texts like you.

Kahoda: I shall spare no pains to teach him.

 

[A few months later, Sujata became expectant]

 

Sujata: [she thinks] I must expose my baby to the holy influence of the hymns even while he is in the womb.

 

[So, Sujata sat by her husband as he recited verses from the scriptures. The child in her womb silently engrossed what its father recited. One day when Kahoda was sitting among his disciples and instructing them-]

 

From the womb: That’s not the way to chant that hymn, father.

Kahoda: Who was that? Where did that voice come from?

Sujata: It must have been the voice of our unborn kid.

Kahoda: Such impertence! And from one yet unborn!

[Furious Kahoda cursed him]

O vain soul! May you be born malformed, May your body be twisted in eight places!

One day-

Sujata: Our child will shortly be born. We need money to provide it with the comforts of life.

Kahoda: I will go to King Janak of Mithila. He is generous to the scholars. Besides, he is at the moment performing a grand yajna.

[When Kahoda reached Mithila, Janak hailed him.]

Janak: O revered sage, you have come at the accurate instant.

A scholar named Bandhi has approached to Mithila. No one can overcome him in debate.

Kahoda: Let me try, o sovereign.

Janak: think it over carefully. Though you will be well rewarded if you win and you will be drowned in the river if you don’t. And many intellectuals have lost their lives.

Kahoda: I accept the challenge.

 

[The debate began but did not continue for long.]

Audience:Bandhi has won again; poor Kahoda will be drowned like all the others.

[Bandhi was victorious]

Bandhi: [thinks] my mission here is proving to be very successful. I have been able to send off one more sage.

[But Janak was unhappy]

Janak: [thinks] Alas! I have lost one more sage who came to attend the yajna. How will the yajna be accomplished?

[When the news reached Sujata, she broke down.]

Sujata: Alas! My desire for wealth has cost me my husband and my child its father.

Uddalak: Don’t be sad, Sujata. Your baby shall not be deficient in a father’s love.

[A few days later Sujata had a baby.]

Sujata: Alas! His body is malformed in eight places.

Uddalak: Let him be named Ashtavakra. My spouse too has just been blessed with a son. We have named him Shwetaketu. 

[Ashtavakra grew up under the tender, loving care of Uddalak and he began to look upon him as his father. The years rolled on. Uddalak taught Ashtavakra and Shwetaketu. When the boys were twelve years old-]

Uddalak: You have mastered the Vedas. I am proud of you, my child.

[Unexpectedly —]

Shwetaketu: You are not his son!

Ashtavakra: Father!

Shwetaketu: He is not your father.

[Severely humiliated, Ashtavakra ran to his mother.]

Sujata: Oh! Why are you weeping? Tell me!

Ashtavakra: Mother, where is my father?

Sujata: Your father is dead.

[And Sujata told him all that had happened.]

Ashtavakra: I must overcome Bandhi and have him drowned in the river.

[That night Shwetaketu visited to him –]

Come on, Shwetaketu. Let us proceed to Mithila. It will be pleasant for us. King Janak has not been able to accomplish the yajna started twelve years ago.

[Shwetaketu was eager]

When do you want to depart?

Shwetaketu: At once.

[When the boys reached the gates of the royal palace at Mithila–]

Porter: Who are you? What do you want?

The boys: We have come to see the king. Please take us to him.

Porter: The king is performing a yajna. I have been ordered to allow only old learned Brahmans to meet him.

Ashtavakra: To have true knowledge one need not be grey-haired or bald. It is unfair to judge a man’s merit by his age. I may be young but I have practised the sacred texts and have mastered the Vedas.

I have come here to confront Bandhi. You can judge my merits after I have defeated him in a debate. Please get me to the king.

Porter: He looks intelligent. Let us take him to the sovereign.

Other Soldier: The king will be delighted to meet him.

[The boys were taken to Janak.]

Ashtavakra: O King, I have heard of a challenge from Bandhi and the fate of those who failed to meet it. I have come to defy Bandhi and to see him shattered.

[Janak was dumbfounded.]

Janak: [thinks] He is just a kid. It is my duty to warn him.

[To the boys] you speak of defeating Bandhi because you are ignorant of his talent in debate. No one has been able to beat him.

Ashtavakra: That’s because he was never faced with a scholar of my caliber. I will not go back till I see him crushed and drowned.

[When Janak noticed that Ashtavakra was obstinate

Janak: [thinks] This boy is confident. I will test his intellect by asking him a few questions.

[to the boys]

If you can reply my questions I will let you see Bandhi.

[He asks]

What is it that does not stir when born?

Ashtavakra: An egg.

Janak: which animal does not close its eyes while it is sleeping?

Ashtavakra: The fish.

[The king was impressed by the bold prompt answer and said to his man.]

Janak: Let the boy get togetherBandhi. Go and bring Bandhi here with honour. [Bandhi arrived and the debate commenced. But rapidly Ashtavakra had him in a tight corner and Bandhi had to accept his defeat.

Janak:Bandhi has met his match. Let Ashtavakra decide his destiny.

Ashtavakra:Bandhi had thrown the defeated competent into the river. Let him meet with the same fortune today.

One audience: Drown him!

Another audience: Grab him!

[Bandhi stepped forward]

Bandhi: O king! I am the son of Varunadev. The sages I defeated are not lifeless. My father was performing a yajna for which he needed sages from the earth. The challenge was a means of transferring them to him.

The yajna must be over by now and they should return. And by Ashtavakra’s grace I am able to go back. Let us walk to the river.

[At the river]

Ashtavakra will shortly see his long-lost father.

[One by one, the sages emerged from the river]

[As Kahoda came out]

Ashtavakra: Father!

Kahoda:Ashtavakra, my lad!

[Ashtavakra fell at the feet of his father.]

My blessings on you! Sons have often been recognized to excel fathers in achievements.

Janak: We regard Ashtavakra as the most brilliant academic among us.

Bandhi: Now with your permission, o king, I will go back to my father’s empire.

[Then as they watched, Bandhi jumped into the river…..]

[Kahoda, Ashtavakra and Shwetaketu returned to their hermitage. As soon as they arrived there, Kahoda took Sujata and Ashtavakra to the river flowing near by.]

Kahoda:Ashtavakra, take a swift plunge into the river and come out.

[Ashtavakra obeyed and a second later, as he emerged from the water—]

Ashtavakra: Mother! Father! Look! My body! It’s no longer malformed!

[They went to Uddalak]

Sujata: Look father! Ashtavakra’s body is no longer malformed!

[Uddalak rejoiced to see his grandson’s body normal and tall. The hermitage once again became the haven of peace as it used to be.]

Note: The material of this article has been taken from Sanskrit Texts and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtavakra .