03.132
अष्टावक्रीयम्
Concerning Aṣṭāvakra.
लोमश उवाच॥
Lomasha said;
यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविदग्र्यबुद्धि; रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्। तस्याश्रमं पश्य नरेन्द्र पुण्यं; सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः ॥०३-१३२-१॥
O king, see the holy hermitage of Rauddālaki Śvetaketu, who is called the foremost knower of mantras and of supreme intellect on earth; it is endowed with ever-fruit-bearing trees born of the earth. (03-132-1)
साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श; सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम्। वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति सम्प्रवृत्तां; सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे ॥०३-१३२-२॥
Here, Śvetaketu directly saw Sarasvatī in human form; as Sarasvatī began to depart, Śvetaketu addressed her, saying: "I shall know speech." (03-132-2)
तस्मिन्काले ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठा; वास्तां तदा मातुलभागिनेयौ। अष्टावक्रश्चैव कहोडसूनु; रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुश्च राजन् ॥०३-१३२-३॥
At that time, O king, the foremost of the knowers of Brahman—Aṣṭāvakra, the son of Kahoda, Rauddalaki, Śvetaketu, and the maternal uncle and nephew—were present. (03-132-3)
विदेहराजस्य महीपतेस्तौ; विप्रावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ। प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे; बन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयम् ॥०३-१३२-४॥
Those two Brahmins, uncle and nephew, both belonging to the king of Videha, entered the sacrificial hall, and during a dispute, both seized Bandi, the incomparable bard. (03-132-4)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
कथम्प्रभावः स बभूव विप्र; स्तथायुक्तं यो निजग्राह बन्दिम्। अष्टावक्रः केन चासौ बभूव; तत्सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम् ॥०३-१३२-५॥
How did that brāhmaṇa become so powerful as to capture the bard thus? By whom and how did Aṣṭāvakra become such? O Lomaśa, tell me all that truth. (03-132-5)
लोमश उवाच॥
Lomaśa said.
उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको; नाम्ना कहोडेति बभूव राजन्। शुश्रूषुराचार्यवशानुवर्ती; दीर्घं कालं सोऽध्ययनं चकार ॥०३-१३२-६॥
O king, there was a devoted disciple of Uddālaka, by name 'Kahoḍa'. He was attentive, obedient to his teacher's authority, and for a long time he engaged in study. (03-132-6)
तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंश्च शिष्या; स्तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः। तस्मै प्रादात्सद्य एव श्रुतं च; भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम् ॥०३-१३२-७॥
The brāhmaṇas and the students indeed insulted him; recognizing this insult, the teacher gave him at once Vedic knowledge as well as a wife—his own well-born daughter. (03-132-7)
तस्या गर्भः समभवदग्निकल्पः; सोऽधीयानं पितरमथाभ्युवाच। सर्वां रात्रिमध्ययनं करोषि; नेदं पितः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते ॥०३-१३२-८॥
Her embryo, like fire, was born; he, while studying, then addressed his father: "You study the entire night; this, father, does not seem to proceed properly." (03-132-8)
उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः; स तं कोपादुदरस्थं शशाप। यस्मात्कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि; तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टकृत्वः ॥०३-१३२-९॥
Reproached before his disciples, the great sage, seized by anger, cursed the unborn child, saying, 'Because you speak while still in the womb, therefore, you will become crooked eight times.' (03-132-9)
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजाय; दष्टावक्रः प्रथितो वै महर्षिः। तस्यासीद्वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः; स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव ॥०३-१३२-१०॥
He was thus born as Vakra; Daṣṭāvakra, who became renowned as a great sage. He had a maternal uncle named Śvetaketu, who was of the same age as him. (03-132-10)
सम्पीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता; विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ। उवाच भर्तारमिदं रहोगता; प्रसाद्य हीनं वसुना धनार्थिनी ॥०३-१३२-११॥
At that time, Sujata, feeling burdened in her womb by the growing son, sought a private moment and, being in want of wealth and desiring riches, respectfully spoke these words to her husband. (03-132-11)
कथं करिष्याम्यधना महर्षे; मासश्चायं दशमो वर्तते मे। न चास्ति ते वसु किञ्चित्प्रजाता; येनाहमेतामापदं निस्तरेयम् ॥०३-१३२-१२॥
O great sage, how shall I act, being without wealth, when this is already my tenth month? And you have neither wealth nor any children by which I could overcome this difficulty. (03-132-12)
उक्तस्त्वेवं भार्यया वै कहोडो; वित्तस्यार्थे जनकमथाभ्यगच्छत्। स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य; निमज्जितो बन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः ॥०३-१३२-१३॥
Thus addressed by his wife, Kahoḍa for the sake of wealth went to Janaka. Then he, subdued by the expert in disputation, was by Bandi here plunged into the waters, the Brāhmaṇa. (03-132-13)
उद्दालकस्तं तु तदा निशम्य; सूतेन वादेऽप्सु तथा निमज्जितम्। उवाच तां तत्र ततः सुजाता; मष्टावक्रे गूहितव्योऽयमर्थः ॥०३-१३२-१४॥
Then Uddālaka, having heard that he had been thus immersed in the dispute in the waters by the charioteer, spoke to Sujātā there: "This matter ought to be concealed from Maṣṭāvakra." (03-132-14)
ररक्ष सा चाप्यति तं सुमन्त्रं; जातोऽप्येवं न स शुश्राव विप्रः। उद्दालकं पितृवच्चापि मेने; अष्टावक्रो भ्रातृवच्छ्वेतकेतुम् ॥०३-१३२-१५॥
She too protected Sumantra very much; though born in this way, the brāhmaṇa did not obey. He considered Uddālaka as a father, and Aṣṭāvakra regarded Śvetaketu as a brother. (03-132-15)
ततो वर्षे द्वादशे श्वेतकेतु; रष्टावक्रं पितुरङ्के निसन्नम्। अपाकर्षद्गृह्य पाणौ रुदन्तं; नायं तवाङ्कः पितुरित्युक्तवांश्च ॥०३-१३२-१६॥
Then, in the twelfth year, Śvetaketu took Raṣṭāvakra, who was sitting on his father's lap and weeping, by the hand and pulled him away, saying: "This is not your father's lap." (03-132-16)
यत्तेनोक्तं दुरुक्तं तत्तदानीं; हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखमासीत्। गृहं गत्वा मातरं रोदमानः; पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति ॥०३-१३२-१७॥
The harsh word spoken by him at that time remained in his heart, causing him great pain. Going home, he, weeping, asked his mother: "Where indeed is my father?" (03-132-17)
ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा; शापाद्भीता सर्वमेवाचचक्षे। तद्वै तत्त्वं सर्वमाज्ञाय मातु; रित्यब्रवीच्छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः ॥०३-१३२-१८॥
Then Sujata, who was of the nature of absolute truth, being afraid due to the curse, revealed everything. Having understood the whole truth of the mother, the sage thus spoke to Śvetaketu. (03-132-18)
गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो; बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः। श्रोष्यावोऽत्र ब्राह्मणानां विवाद; मन्नं चाग्र्यं तत्र भोक्ष्यावहे च ॥ विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ; शिवश्च सौम्यश्च हि ब्रह्मघोषः ॥०३-१३२-१९॥
Let us go to the sacrifice of King Janaka—much that is wonderful is said of his sacrifice. Let us listen there to the debates of the Brāhmaṇas, and partake also in the finest food. Discernment will come to us, and truly, the brāhmaṇical chanting is both auspicious and gentle. (03-132-19)
तौ जग्मतुर्मातुलभागिनेयौ; यज्ञं समृद्धं जनकस्य राज्ञः। अष्टावक्रः पथि राज्ञा समेत्य; उत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यमिदं जगाद ॥०३-१३२-२०॥
Those two, uncle and nephew, went to the prosperous sacrifice of King Janaka. Aṣṭāvakra, meeting the king on the way, spoke this statement while being turned away. (03-132-20)
