STORY OF ASTAVAKRA FROM MAHABHARATHA

AS OUR NEXT POSTING WILL BE  --

'ASTAVAKRA SAMHITHA -- HIGHLIGHTS'

WE FELT IT IS BETTER TO KNOW THE STORY OF
ASTAVAKRA WHICHAPPEARS IN THE EPIC 
MAHABHARATHA.


HE WAS A JNANI IN MOTHER'S WOMB ITSELF & FOUND 
FAULT WITH HISFATHER KAHODA !!

Uddalaka Aruni set up his own Gurukul after completing his studies with his Guru Ayodh Daumya. Just like his teacher had blessed him, Uddalaka Aruni became a great teacher. Students from all over the country came to attend his classes.

Among his students, there was one student called Kahoda. Though Kahoda was not very well-versed in the Scriptures and the Vedas, he was extremely devoted to his teacher. Uddalaka also loved Kahoda very much.

Just as Kahoda was about to complete his studies, Uddalaka called his daughter Sujatha and talked to her, 'Sujatha! There was something I need to ask you...' Sujatha nodded her head as Uddalaka continued, 'You are of marriageable age now...' He said looking at Sujatha who blushed slightly when he said this. 'You know Kahoda...my student... Both of you learnt in the gurukul together! He is good student and I have no doubt that he would he would be a good husband to you...' Sujatha blushed even more and looked shyly at her father.

Uddalaka continued, 'If it is ok with you...shall I talk to him about your marriage...'

Sujatha smiled and slowly nodded her head, 'Yes Father!'

Uddalaka then called in his student Kahoda and talked to him about marrying his daughter. Uddalaka was happy when Kahoda immediately agreed. Kahoda and Sujatha were happily married.

After marriage Kahoda realized that he also wanted to be a Guru just like his father-in-law. He became a teacher in Uddalaka's Gurukul and taught the students there.

After some months Sujatha became pregnant. Sujatha rejoiced! Like her father and husband, she wanted her child to learn all the Vedas and the scriptures as quickly as possible. I will sit in classes and listen to my father and husband with rapt attention...That way my child will start learning the Vedas when it is in the womb...

Sujatha daily attended the classes of both her husband and her father.

Once as Sujatha was attending the classes taken by Kahoda, she felt her embryo squirm in distress. Sujatha was surprised. She felt the embryo squirm six times more...Sujatha was worried. She listened to Kahoda's teaching and as she heard...she realized that there was something wrong...That was when Sujatha realized that Kahoda was mispronouncing the words of the Vedas! She realized that as every time Kahoda had mispronounced, the embryo squirmed. Sujatha was surprised and was looking at Kahoda as he continued taking the class without realizing that he had mispronounced the words.

Unfortunately Sujatha felt her embryo squirm once more and knew that Kahoda had committed one more error!

Sujatha was wondering about this, when the whole class heard a voice. 'That is not the way to pronounce the words, father!' The whole class stared back at Sujatha wondering from where the words had come, when the words came again, 'Father you have mispronounced the words of the Scriptures eight times in today's class...'

The whole class looked at the womb and realized that the voice was coming from the unborn child inside Sujatha! They blankly stared at it for some time. They then turned and looked at Kahoda. A few students looked at Kahoda and smirked..Their great teacher had made a mistake while teaching...What sort of a teacher was he?

Kahoda looked at the smirk on his student's faces and angrily looked at Sujatha's womb, 'Insolent child! You dare correct me and that too even before you are born...You are arrogant..For this I curse you...You corrected me eight times did you not? I curse you that you would be deformed in eight places when you are born...'

Sujatha was terrified as she heard the curse...The whole class was now scared and immediately stopped smirking and went outside the room.

As the students left, Sujatha breathed deeply trying to calm herself..Kahoda had just spoken in anger...He did not mean it...There is no way the curse of a father can hurt his own child...Slowly Sujatha calmed herself. She tried telling herself that the curse would not harm the child in any way, because they were just words spoke in anger.

Sujatha continued attending the classes.

In due course, Sujatha gave birth to a boy. Unfortunately when she saw her child for the first time, she was struck with grief...Her husband's curse had came true with devastating efficiency. Her son was born with eight crooked limbs!

Uddalaka came and spoke to dejected Sujatha, 'Child! Please do not grieve! What you have here is not an ordinary child...He is a great man...An enlightened soul...Please do not look at his appearance and be discouraged! Look for what he is inside...'

Sujatha listlessly listened to her father's words. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Sujatha slowly nodded her head. I will never look at my son for his external appearance...Any child who can correct his father, when he is in the womb is an enlightened soul...I will accept him for what he is...

After that Sujatha never felt her son was ugly or deformed...She was happy with her child. The child was named Ashtavakra meaning the 'one with eight crooked bends'.

After Ashtavakra was born, Sujatha realized that if she wanted her son to have a better future, she should have some money...more than what her father and husband had now...

She talked with Kahoda that night, 'Kahoda! I wanted to talk to you about our son's future!' Kahoda was already feeling very guilty. He had made a mistake.. and when the mistake had been pointed out to him...he had cursed his own child...His child was deformed because of him...

Kahoda listened to what Sujatha had to say, 'Kahoda! I hear that King Janaka is organizing a yagna..If you go and attend the yagna, I think you will be paid well for it...We can use the money for bringing up Astavakra better....'

Kahoda immediately agreed. If he could bring some riches, then probably he stop feeling so guilty...

The next day Kahoda went to King Janaka's Court.

'King Janaka! I am Kahoda! I am a student of Uddalaka!' King Janaka immediately looked at Kahoda and smiled. Uddalaka's students were very special all over the kingdom.... King Janaka immediately offered him a throne to sit as Kahoda continued, 'I am also a Guru in Uddalaka's Gurukul and his son-in-law. I have come here to help you perform the yagna sir!...But...' Kahoda looked around and saw that there were no preparations going on for the ceremony, 'Why is there no ceremonies?...Is something...'

King Janaka said unhappily, 'Kahoda! I had the idea to conduct this yagna a few years back...I have never been able to even start it....'

Kahoda looked surprised and spoke, 'Why?'

Janaka said, ' There is a sage called Bandhi! I don't know from where he has come...He said that the yagna could be started only after he is defeated in a debate with the sages participating in the yagna....Bandhi is extremely skilled. Nobody has been able to defeat him in argument...'

King Janaka looked at Kahoda and continued, '...That is not all, Kahoda! According to Bandhi's condition, all the sages who have been defeated by him have to be drowned!' Kahoda paled when he heard this. King Janak continued angrily, '...This wretched Bandhi! So far he has killed so many sages and scholars...' King Janaka completed with a pained voice.

I cannot go back empty handed...Kahoda took a deep breath and talked to King Janaka,'I accept the challenge of Sage Bandhi!'

The debate between Kahoda and Bandhi, was organized the very next day. However much to King Janaka's dismay, Kahoda was no match for Bandhi. He lost the debate. Kahoda was drowned and killed!

Back at the ashrama, Sujatha was filled with grief to know that he husband had been killed by Bandhi! She felt guilty that she had been the one who had sent her husband to the court of King Janaka. Uddalaka then came to speak with her. 'Child! Please do not grieve for you husband! You have a child...you have a life...Get on with your life...'

Sujatha yelled, 'My husband is dead!...My child will never see its father again...' She broke down sobbing. Uddalaka said gently, 'Sh! It is ok...Ashtavakra can grown up as my son...Besides it is for the good. If Ashtavakra were to know that his father was killed than he would go seeking for Bandhi in revenge and who knows what would happen!...I think it is best if the death of his father was not told to him...'

Sujatha slowly tearfully nodded her head.

As Ashtavakra grew up, he believed that Uddalaka was his father. Now Uddalaka had a son, a very young son called Shvetaketu, who was about the same age as Ashtavakra. Ashtavakra grew up believing that Uddalaka was his father and Shvetaketu was his brother.

Ashtavakra was a brilliant student and sharp in intellect.

Shvetaketu who knew Ashtavakra's true story, was jealous of Ashtavakra. Shvetaketu could not believe that a boy who was so deformed and ugly in appearance could be so intelligent and be a darling of his father....

When Ashtavakra became twelve years old, Shvetaketu could take it no more..One day as Ashtavakra was sitting on Uddalaka's lap, Shvetaketu dragged Ashtavakra out of Uddalaka's lap and yelled at him, 'That is my father...Not your father...Don't come and claim my father as yours...I will not allow it...'

Ashtavakra was first astonished. But looking at the horrified expressions on the face of Uddalaka and Sujatha, he realized that something was wrong. He looked at Uddalaka and asked him, ' Who are you?' He said firmly, 'Looking at your expressions I think Shvetaketu's is right...You are not my father...then who are you...Where is my father?'

The words tumbled out one after the other, as Sujatha burst out crying. She said softly, 'Uddalaka is not your father, he is your grandfather..son' Between tears she told him the whole story of how Kahoda had lost the debate with Bandhi and had been drowned.

Ashtavakra listened to the whole story, without interrupting. He looked at the weeping face of his mother and his grandfather. He then looked at Shvetaketu who was looking guilty as if he was regretting his bout of jealousy.

Shvetaketu hesitantly came forward and talked to Ashtavakra, 'I...I am sorry...I behaved badly...I should not have...'

Ashtavakra held up his hands. 'You spoke the truth...I do not hold any grudge against you...' He said speaking gently to Shvetaketu, 'All this is Bandhi's fault...He is the one, who is responsible for all this..' Ashtavakra finished angrily, looking at all of them.

Sujatha and Uddalaka looked at each other with worried eyes. This was what they had wanted to avoid. Sujatha came forward hesitatingly, 'Son! Please listen to me...D..Don't go there...I have already lost my husband because I wanted to become rich...I do not wish to lose my son too....Please...' She looked at Ashtavakra with pleading eyes.

Ashtavakra looked at her and said firmly, 'You are not going to lose your son, mother!'

Sujatha looked at Ashtavakra's steely eyes and wanted to believe him, '...But...But...Son...your father went there 12 years back...Till date no one has ever beaten Bandhi...You are twelve years old...How can you hope to beat such a man...He is more experienced and...'

'Bandhi has not yet been beaten, because he has not yet met me!' Ashtavakra said quietly. Uddalaka realized that nothing was going to change Astavakra's mind. He looked at his daughter, 'Sujatha! I think you have to let Ashtavakra go...He has to fulfill his destiny..'

'He is my son..He is only twelve years old...I cannot just...' Sujatha wailed in frustration.

Uddalaka shook his head patiently, 'You are blinded by your love for him. You cannot see the great, enlightened soul, which lives within that young body...You have to let him go...let him realize his greatness...'

Sujatha looked at her father and her son. She thought through everything and slowly nodded her head. She looked at Ashtavakra, 'Go forth my son! Go and fulfill your destiny...'

Ashtavakra's face broke into a smile as he embraced his mother.

Shvetaketu came and spoke to Ashtavakra, 'Ashtavakra! I am sorry! I...do...not know...' Ashtavakra said quietly, 'It is okay! You have always been my friend..Nothing will change that...'

Shvetaketu smiled halfheartedly as he spoke, 'Then let me come with you! You do not need much help! But I want to come with you...'

Ashtavakra smiled again as he embraced his childhood friend.

With the blessings of his grandfather, Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu left for Mithila, the kingdom of King Janaka. 

As Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu were walking towards Mithila, they came across King Janaka and his retinue, who were traveling through the kingdom. The guards came forward and yelled pushing people aside, 'Make way! The king is coming...Make way for the king...'

Ashtavakra stayed where he was and looked at the guard with angry eyes. The guard was about to push him but stopped. There was something in that deformed, ugly boy, which the guard could not explain. The guard could not make himself to push him away. The guard just yelled at him, 'Did you not hear me? Make way! The king is coming!'

Ashtavakra said loudly, 'If your king is just, he should know that, he should let way for blind people, people with deformed bodies, ladies, people carrying heavy loads and people who are learned in the Vedhas....'

The guard was taken aback and blinked. King Janaka heard the words of the boy and asked everyone to stop. He got out and looked at the boy. King Janaka looked at the deformed boy, but more than the appearance, it was the boy's words, which struck him. He looked at his men, 'What the boy says is true! We have to make way for him...'

Saying this King Janaka and his entire retinue stopped as they gave way to Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu.

The next day, Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu reached the palace of King Janaka. As Ashtavakra was about to get in, the gatekeeper stopped him. The gatekeeper looked at the deformed Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu and said contemptuously, 'Boys! What are you doing here? This is King Janaka's Court, not a playground...Wise and old people from all over the world come here...Go away and do what kids your age normally do..'

Shvetaketu was about to say something angrily, when Ashtavakra silenced him, 'Are you trying to tell us that you will let us in only if we have grey hair and an old body?'

The gatekeeper was taken aback but then he spoke, 'What I am saying is that only when you are old, you will be able to realize the Vedhas, not when you are...' The guard pointed at Ashtavakra, hoping he would get the point.

Ashtavakra spoke again, 'I am learned in the Vedhas and I demand that I be let in!'

The guard was about to refuse, when at that time King Janaka had come outside to the palace courtyard. He looked at the deformed boy and his eyes grew round with astonishment...The same boy..King Janaka realized that the boy was no ordinary boy and that their meeting was not just coincidence. He looked at the guard and asked him to let the boy in.

The guard reluctantly let the boy come in.

King Janaka went back to his court and called in all the scholars and pundits as Ashtavakra came in with Shvetaketu.

As Ashtavakra entered into the court of King Janaka, people looked at Ashtavakra strangely. They had never seen such a deformed and ugly boy in their whole life. They gave him weird looks. Ignoring them, Ashtavakra went straight to the king. He bowed to the King. 'I have heard, that there is debate going on here...I wish to participate in the debate...'

When Ashtavakra said those lines, the whole court burst into laughter...Such an ugly boy, hoped to defeat the great sage like Bandhi...That was hilarious...The court kept laughing looking at the boy, who was not even remotely self conscious of being laughed at.

Once the people in the Court stopped laughing, Ashtavakra let out an amused laugh. He laughed so hard, that there were tears in his eyes! The court people looked at the laughing boy with surprise, wondering...Finally Ashtavakra stopped laughing and wiped his tears, 'Are these the great sages, who were going to fight a debate with me? King Janaka, I thought your court was filled with great pundits, I can see only cobblers here...Is this not your court? Or did I come to the wrong place?..' Ashtavakra spoke quietly.

King Janaka was quiet. He did not know how to respond to this. He did not understand what made the boy say such a thing. King Janaka finally said, 'What do you mean there are cobblers here? These are the greatest pundits in the land...Why are you calling them cobblers?'

Ashtavakra said quietly, 'A cobbler looks at the skin of the material and decides whether it can be made into shoes or not..Your people are not very different...They don't know what I can do...They looked at my body and decided that I could not fight the debate...Seriously if you have such people as your advisors...' Ashtavakra looked at King Janaka with contemptuous eyes and shook his head.

The people in the Court fell silent looking ashamed.

King Janaka felt something change within himself. He quietly looked at Ashtavakra and did not say anything. King Janaka first offered Ashtavakra a throne to sit on and then finally spoke, 'Sir! Since Bandhi has killed so many sages, before letting anyone face him, I always test the intelligence of any person willing to challenge Bandhi. Only after he has satisfied me, I let them meet Bandhi.'

Ashtavakra shrugged his shoulders and signaled the King to continue with his questions.

King Janaka asked many questions with cryptic meanings. The entire Court was astonished as they listened to the brilliant and simple answers coming from the young child! King Janaka himself was just stumped when he heard the answers. He bowed to Ashtavakra and the very next day, a debate was organized between Ashtavakra and Bandhi.

The next day, the debate started. The debate was regarding the counts of numbers from one to thirteen. The entire court had arrived today and watched in rapt attention. Time and again they had seen the smug face of Bandhi as he had won the debates. But somehow the people in the court felt that today would be different. They had heard the answers of the boy in court the day before...

The debate was full of enigmas and meanings, but this time, Bandhi had taken on someone, who was truly a master. Bandhi lost the debate.

King Janaka and the people of the Court almost cheered to see Bandhi defeated. They all looked in astonishment at the young Ashtavakra, who was looking at the defeated Bandhi, with no expression in his face.

King Janaka cleared his throat and spoke, 'According to Sage Bandhi's condition, if he lost the debate, he would grant anything to the person, who won the debate...'

Ashtavakra looked at Bandhi with angry eyes and spoke, 'I want the same thing that he wants. I want that he be drowned in the same lake as my father and the other sages...'

King Janaka did not say anything. There was nothing to be said. Sage Bandhi licked his lips and looked that all the people in the kingdom were glad to hear Ashtavakra's decision...

Sage Bandhi then bowed to Ashtavakra and then to King Janaka and spoke, 'King Janaka, I wish to tell you about me, before the young child's wish is carried out!'

King Janaka nodded his head as Bandhi spoke, 'You never knew where I come from, or why this debate was organized. I am going to tell you the truth...' Ashtavakra listened with rapt attention as Bandhi spoke, 'I am the son of Varuna, the sea God!' King Janaka and the people in the Court of Mithila looked surprised as Bandhi continued, 'My father wanted to organize a yagna in his kingdom under the water...For that he wanted people well versed in scriptures. That is the reason he sent me...' Bandhi took a deep breath and continued, 'I was to organize the debate and when the people lost, I was to drown them and send them to my father's kingdom, under the sea! There they would perform the yagna of my father.'

King Janaka did not interrupt the extraordinary story as Bandhi spoke. However Ashtavakra's heart was racing. He realized the meaning of what Bandhi was saying. If the sages were taken only for conducting a yagna...that meant...

Bandhi said, 'King Janaka! None of the scholars and sages are dead! The yagna has been completed yesterday...The sages and the scholars will be coming back from the waters as we speak now...'

King Janaka, Ashtavakra, Shvetaketu and the people of Mithila lay stunned as they heard Bandhi! They all looked at Bandhi with new eyes now...

They rushed to the river where the scholars were drowned and saw with disbelief that one by one all the scholars were coming back from the river...

After drowning, Kahoda had been taken to Varuna's kingdom, where the Lord of seas had explained what he had wanted. Kahoda had agreed to the yagna and he and the others had been busy with the yagna all these years. Finally when it had come to an end, Varuna had called him and told him about his son and how he had defeated Bandhi!

Kahoda flushed with pride and Varuna told him about his son's debate. That was when Lord Varuna, told Kahoda another thing, which brought a smile to his lips...

Kahoda emerged from the water and saw a huge throng of people surrounding him...But he had eyes only for one boy. A young boy with crooked limbs and a victorious smile on his face. Looking at Ashtavakra, Kahoda smiled. My son looks like he owns the world...

Kahoda came out as Ashtavakra realized that this was his father. Kahoda ran forward and hugged his son with love....

All the scholars and sages who had come out praised the young boy...Kahoda felt more and more proud of his son...

Sujatha was sitting in the Ashrama wondering how her son was and how everything had gone..She was unable to concentrate of any of her duties....She was found sitting lost looking at the gates of the Ashrama every now and then...

Sujatha was sitting outside and staring, when she blinked...Surely she was day dreaming...Sujatha could not believe her eyes as she stared again...She saw Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu coming back...and with them was a man - Kahoda...

Sujatha shouted and ran forward as the whole ashrama came out. Wondering what had gone wrong, they all came out and were unable to believe their eyes.

Ashtavakra had come back looking victorious and with him were Shvetaketu and Kahoda. Uddalaka came forward as all of them bowed to him and told him the whole story.

The whole ashrama listened as they heard the story of how Ashtavakra had defeated Bandhi. They looked at him with pride and awe in their eyes, when Kahoda told his story of Varuna's yagna.

Kahoda continued, 'Varuna also told me one more thing...' Uddalaka, Sujatha, Ashtavakra, Shvetaketu looked at Kahoda with curious glances as he said to Ashtavakra, 'Son! Come here!' Puzzled Ashtavakra went forward as Kahoda spoke, 'Son! I am sorry! Even when you were in your mother's womb, you had the guts to correct me when I was wrong..I...' Kahoda faltered for a minute and then started speaking again, 'I was emotionally immature...then...I should never have put you through...' Kahoda pointed at Ashtavakra, 'what you went through...' Ashtavakra shook his head and about to speak, when Kahoda continued, 'However that is not the reason I want to talk to you...Sujatha!' Kahoda said looking at his wife, 'Come, you are also needed...'

Saying this, Kahoda walked with a mystified and bewildered Sujatha and Ashtavakra as the entire ashrama followed him. They went to the river near the Ashrama, the Samanga, 'Son! Pray to Lord Varuna and immerse yourself in the water...'

Ashtavakra looked puzzled but did as he was told. He was walking towards the water when Kahoda called in Sujatha, 'Stand with me and pray to Lord Varuna!' Kahoda whispered as Sujatha held her hands together, 'Pray for your son, my dear!'

Sujatha and Kahoda prayed as Ashtavakra immersed himself inside the water....

When Sujatha opened her eyes, she could not believe what she saw...She realized as she rubbed her teary face that her wish had come true!

Her Ashtavakra, the boy who had entered in...the boy with the crooked limbs...the boy with the deformed body....was not the boy who came out! When Ashtavakra came out, the whole ashrama were staring at him with disbelief!

Ashtavakra was no longer the deformed boy...He was now a boy with perfect limbs...a body to match the spirit within the boy..whole and complete!

Ashtavakra went on to become the spiritual teacher of King Janaka and is the author of Ashtavakra Gita – one of the greatest books on Advaita Vedanta.

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