Critical Edition
लोमश उवाच यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविदग्र्यबुद्धि;रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम् तस्याश्रमं पश्य नरेन्द्र पुण्यं; सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said: O ruler of men, behold the sacred hermitage of Shvatakatu, the son of Uddalka, whose fame as an expert in Mantras is so widely spread all over the world. It always abounds in fruit trees.
साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श; सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम् वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति संप्रवृत्तां; सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे
M. N. Dutt: Here did Shvatakatu see Sarasvati herself in her heavenly form. Shvatakatu said to Sarasvati when she appeared, “Make me endued with the gift of speech.”
तस्मिन्काले ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठा;वास्तां तदा मातुलभागिनेयौ अष्टावक्रश्चैव कहोडसूनु;रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुश्च राजन्
AI Translation: At that time, the best of those who know Brahman, the nephew and maternal uncle, Ashtavakra, the son of Kahoda, and the son of Ruddala, Shveta
विदेहराजस्य महीपतेस्तौ; विप्रावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे; बन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयम्
M. N. Dutt: These two Brahmanas of matchless energy went to the sacrificial ground of the king of Videha and defeated Bandi (in a controversy).
Supplementary Passages:
3.132.4 K1.2 B Dc Dn D1.3.4.6 ins. after 4: D2, after 4ab: Ś1 K3 D5 ins. lines 1-4 after 5 and lines 5-6 after 6: K4 ins. lines 5-6 after 4 and lines 1-4 after 5: *649 उपास्स्व कौन्तेय सहानुजस्त्वं तस्याश्रमं पुण्यतमं प्रविश्य अष्टावक्रं यस्य दौहित्रमाहुर् योऽसौ बन्दिं जनकस्याथ यज्ञे वादी विप्राग्र्यो बाल एवाभिगम्य वादे भङ्क्त्वा मज्जयामास नद्याम्
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथंप्रभावः स बभूव विप्र;स्तथायुक्तं यो निजग्राह बन्दिम् अष्टावक्रः केन चासौ बभूव; तत्सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम्
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said : O Lomasha, tell me all about the power of this Brahmana who had thus defeated Bandi. Why was he born as Ashtavakra (crooked in cight parts of his body)?
Supplementary Passages:
3.132.5 After 5ab, S ins.: *650 किं चाधिकृत्याथ तयोर्विवादो विदेहराजस्य समीप आसीत्
लोमश उवाच उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको; नाम्ना कहोडेति बभूव राजन् शुश्रूषुराचार्यवशानुवर्ती; दीर्घं कालं सोऽध्ययनं चकार
M. N. Dutt: Lomasha said : Udhalaka had a self-controlled disciple who was known by the name of Kohada. He was entirely devoted to the service of his preceptor and he continued his studies for a long time.
तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंश्च शिष्या;स्तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः तस्मै प्रादात्सद्य एव श्रुतं च; भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम्
M. N. Dutt: That Brahmana served his preceptor for a long time. Recognising it his preceptor gave him a mastery over the Shastras and also bestowed upon him his own daughter Sujata.
Supplementary Passages:
3.132.7 After 7ab, D1 ins.: *651 तस्यैव शिष्यस्य परां च शिष्यतां ज्ञात्वा विकारांस्तत्सुतायास्तदानीम्
तस्या गर्भः समभवदग्निकल्पः; सोऽधीयानं पितरमथाभ्युवाच सर्वां रात्रिमध्ययनं करोषि; नेदं पितः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: She became with child as cffulgent as fire and the child while engaged in study spoke thus to his father, “O father, you have been reading for the whole night, but your reading does not seem to me correct.
Supplementary Passages:
3.132.8 After 8, K1 B Dc2 Dn2.n3 D6 ins.: *652 वेदान्साङ्गान्सर्वशास्त्रैरुपेतान् अधीतवानस्मि तव प्रसादात् इहैव गर्भे तेन पितर्ब्रवीमि नेदं त्वत्तः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते
उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः; स तं कोपादुदरस्थं शशाप यस्मात्कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि; तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टकृत्वः
M. N. Dutt: Through your grace I have become even in my this fatal state learned in all the Shastras and in the Vedas and in the Vedangas. But O father, I tell you what proceeds from your lips is not correct."
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजाय;दष्टावक्रः प्रथितो वै महर्षिः तस्यासीद्वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः; स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव
M. N. Dutt: Having been thus insulted before his disciples, the great Rishi cursed in anger the child in the womb. “As you speak from the womb, so will you be crooked in eight parts of your body." Thus the child was born crooked and the great Rishi was ever afterwards known by the name of Ashtavakra. He had an uncle, named Shvatakatu who was of the same age as himself.
संपीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता; विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ उवाच भर्तारमिदं रहोगता; प्रसाद्य हीनं वसुना धनार्थिनी
M. N. Dutt: Having been much oppressed for the growth of the child in the womb, Sujata, who was desirous of obtaining wealth, conciliating her husband who had no wealth, spoke to him thus in private.
कथं करिष्याम्यधना महर्षे; मासश्चायं दशमो वर्तते मे न चास्ति ते वसु किंचित्प्रजाता; येनाहमेतामापदं निस्तरेयम्
M. N. Dutt: "O great king, what shall I do now, as the tenth month of my pregnancy has come! Neither you nor I possess any wealth with which we can be delivered from this distress."
उक्तस्त्वेवं भार्यया वै कहोडो; वित्तस्यार्थे जनकमथाभ्यगच्छत् स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य; निमज्जितो बन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः
M. N. Dutt: Having been thus addressed by his wife, Kohada went to Janaka for wealth. That Brahmana was defeated (in a controversy) by Bandi who was learned in the science of arguments. The result was that he was drowned.
उद्दालकस्तं तु तदा निशम्य; सूतेन वादेऽप्सु तथा निमज्जितम् उवाच तां तत्र ततः सुजाता;मष्टावक्रे गूहितव्योऽयमर्थः
M. N. Dutt: Having heard that his sin-in-law had been defeated by Bandi and that he had been drowned, Udhalaka thus spoke to Sujata, “You must keep it a secret from Ashtavakra.”
ररक्ष सा चाप्यति तं सुमन्त्रं; जातोऽप्येवं न स शुश्राव विप्रः उद्दालकं पितृवच्चापि मेने; अष्टावक्रो भ्रातृवच्छ्वेतकेतुम्
M. N. Dutt: She (accordingly) kept it a secret (from Ashtavakra). Thus that Brahmana heard nothing of it when he was born. He regarded Udhalaka as his father and Shvataketu as his brother.
ततो वर्षे द्वादशे श्वेतकेतु;रष्टावक्रं पितुरङ्के निषण्णम् अपाकर्षद्गृह्य पाणौ रुदन्तं; नायं तवाङ्कः पितुरित्युक्तवांश्च
M. N. Dutt: When Ashtavakra was in his twelfth year, Shvataketu one day saw him on his father's lap. He dragged Ashtavakra by catching hold of his hand and when he (Ashtavakra) began to cry, he said, “This is not your father's lap.”
यत्तेनोक्तं दुरुक्तं तत्तदानीं; हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखमासीत् गृहं गत्वा मातरं रोदमानः; पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति
M. N. Dutt: These cruel word went to his heart and he became greatly aggrieved. Going home and coming to his mother, he asked “Where is my father?"
ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा; शापाद्भीता सर्वमेवाचचक्षे तद्वै तत्त्वं सर्वमाज्ञाय मातु;रित्यब्रवीच्छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon Sujata greatly afflicted and afraid of his curse told him all that had happened. Having heard all, that Brahmana (Ashtavakra) spoke in the night thus to Shvataketu.
गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो; बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः श्रोष्यावोऽत्र ब्राह्मणानां विवाद;मन्नं चाग्र्यं तत्र भोक्ष्यावहे च विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ; शिवश्च सौम्यश्च हि ब्रह्मघोषः
AI Translation: Let us go to the sacrifice of King Janaka. It is said to be full of wonders. There we shall hear the dispute of the Brahmanas and eat the best food. And we shall become wise. The sound of the Brahmanas is auspicious and gentle.
तौ जग्मतुर्मातुलभागिनेयौ; यज्ञं समृद्धं जनकस्य राज्ञः अष्टावक्रः पथि राज्ञा समेत्य; उत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यमिदं जगाद
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon the uncle and the nephew went to the splendid sacrifice of the king Janaka. Having been driven away from the path, Ashtavakra on meeting the king thus spoke to him.