03.132
aṣṭāvakrīyam
Concerning Aṣṭāvakra.
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomasha said;
yaḥ kathyate mantravid-agryabuddhi; rauddālakiḥ śvetaketuḥ pṛthivyām। tasyāśramaṁ paśya narendra puṇyaṁ; sadāphalair-upapannaṁ mahījaiḥ ॥03-132-1॥
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)
sākṣādatra śvetaketurdadarśa; sarasvatīṃ mānuṣadeharūpām. vetsyāmi vāṇīmiti sampravṛttāṃ; sarasvatīṃ śvetaketurbabhāṣe ॥03-132-2॥
Here, Śvetaketu directly saw Sarasvatī in human form; as Sarasvatī began to depart, Śvetaketu addressed her, saying: "I shall know speech." (03-132-2)
tasmin-kāle brahmavidāṃ variṣṭhā; vāstāṃ tadā mātulabhāgineyau. aṣṭāvakraś-caiva kahoḍasūnu; rauddālakiḥ śvetaketuś-ca rājan ॥03-132-3॥
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)
videharājasya mahīpates tau; viprāv ubhau mātula-bhāgineyau। praviśya yajñāyatanaṃ vivāde; bandiṃ nijagrāhatur aprameyam॥03-132-4॥
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)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kathamprabhāvaḥ sa babhūva vipra; stathāyuktaṃ yo nijagrāha bandim. aṣṭāvakraḥ kena cāsau babhūva; tatsarvaṃ me lomaśa śaṃsa tattvam ॥03-132-5॥
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)
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
uddālakasya niyataḥ śiṣya eko; nāmnā kahoḍeti babhūva rājan. śuśrūṣurācāryavaśānuvartī; dīrghaṃ kālaṃ so'dhyayanaṃ cakāra ॥03-132-6॥
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)
taṃ vai viprāḥ paryabhavaṃś ca śiṣyā; staṃ ca jñātvā viprakāraṃ guruḥ saḥ. tasmai prādāt sadya eva śrutaṃ ca; bhāryāṃ ca vai duhitaraṃ svāṃ sujātām ॥03-132-7॥
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)
tasyā garbhaḥ samabhavad agnikalpaḥ; so-'dhīyānaṁ pitaram athābhyuvāca. sarvāṁ rātrim adhyayanaṁ karoṣi; nedaṁ pitaḥ samyag iva upavartate ॥03-132-8॥
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)
upālabdhaḥ śiṣyamadhye maharṣiḥ; sa taṃ kopād udarasthaṃ śaśāpa. yasmāt kukṣau vartamāno bravīṣi; tasmād vakro bhavitāsy aṣṭakṛtvaḥ ॥03-132-9॥
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)
sa vai tathā vakra evābhyajāya; daṣṭāvakraḥ prathito vai maharṣiḥ. tasyāsīdvai mātulaḥ śvetaketuḥ; sa tena tulyo vayasā babhūva ॥03-132-10॥
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)
sampīḍyamānā tu tadā sujātā; vivardhamānena sutena kukṣau. uvāca bhartāram idaṃ rahogatā; prasādya hīnaṃ vasunā dhanārthinī ॥03-132-11॥
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)
kathaṁ kariṣyāmy adhanā maharṣe; māsaś cāyaṁ daśamo vartate me. na cāsti te vasu kiñcit prajātā; yena aham etām āpadaṁ nistareyam ॥03-132-12॥
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)
uktas tvaivaṃ bhāryayā vai kahoḍo; vittasyārthe janakam athābhyagacchat. sa vai tadā vādavidā nigṛhya; nimajjito bandinehāpsu vipraḥ ॥03-132-13॥
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)
uddālakas taṃ tu tadā niśamya; sūtena vāde'psu tathā nimajjitam. uvāca tāṃ tatra tataḥ sujātā; maṣṭāvakre gūhitavyo'yam arthaḥ ॥03-132-14॥
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)
rarakṣa sā cāpy ati taṃ sumantraṃ; jāto'py evaṃ na sa śuśrāva vipraḥ. uddālakaṃ pitṛ-vac cāpi mene; aṣṭāvakro bhrātṛ-vac chvetaketam ॥03-132-15॥
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)
tato varṣe dvādaśe śvetaketu; raṣṭāvakraṃ pitur aṅke nisannam. apākarṣad gṛhya pāṇau rudantaṃ; nāyaṃ tavāṅkaḥ pitur ityuktavāṃś ca ॥03-132-16॥
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)
yattenoktaṃ duruktaṃ tattadānīṃ; hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya suduḥkhamāsīt. gṛhaṃ gatvā mātaraṃ rodamānaḥ; papracchedam kva nu tāto mameti ॥03-132-17॥
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)
tataḥ sujātā paramārta-rūpā; śāpād-bhītā sarvam evācacakṣe. tad vai tattvaṃ sarvam ājñāya mātu; rity abravīc chvetaketuṃ sa vipraḥ ॥03-132-18॥
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)
gacchāva yajñaṃ janakasya rājño; bahvāścaryaḥ śrūyate tasya yajñaḥ. śroṣyāvo'tra brāhmaṇānāṃ vivāda; mannaṃ cāgryaṃ tatra bhokṣyāvahe ca ॥ vicakṣaṇatvaṃ ca bhaviṣyate nau; śivaś ca saumyaś ca hi brahmaghoṣaḥ ॥03-132-19॥
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)
tau jagmatur mātula-bhāgineyau; yajñaṃ samṛddhaṃ janakasya rājñaḥ. aṣṭāvakraḥ pathi rājñā sametya; utsāryamāṇaḥ vākyam idaṃ jagāda ॥03-132-20॥
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)
