तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — अष्टावक्र की कथा

Ashtavakra said : O king, O commander of large army, cannot find Bandi, this chief of controversialists in that assembly of these kings of matchless power who have met together. I search for him as one searches for a swan on a vast expanse of water.

O Bandi, you consider that you are the foremost of all controversialists. When you will engage with me to argue, you will then not be able to flow like the current of a river. I am like a flaming fire. Be silent before me.

Do not awaken a sleeping tiger. Know that you will not escape biting when you will trample on the head of a poisonous snake, which is licking the corner of its mouth with its tongue and which has been hurt by your foot.

That weak man, who in the pride of his strength strikes a blow at a mountain, only hurts his hands and nails. He can not wound the mountains.

As all other mountains are inferior to the Mainakas, as calves are inferior to the ox, so are all the others kings of the earth inferior to the king of Mithila.

As Indra is the foremost of the celestials, as Ganga is the foremost of all rivers so are you the foremost of all kings. Cause Bandi to appear before me.

Lomasha said: O king, having said this and becoming greatly angry with Bandi, Ashtavakra began to roar in the assembly. He said, “Answer my questions, I shall answer yours.”

Bandi said: Fire is only one which blazes in various forms, One is the sun that illuminates the universe, One is the hero, Indra, the lord of the celestials who destroys all enemies, One is Yama, the sole lord of the Pitris.

Ashtavakra said : The two friends, Agni and Indra, move together; the celestials sages are Two Narada and Parvata, the Ashvins are Two, the wheels of a car are two. It is Two, husband and wife, that live together as ordained by the deity.

Bandi said: Three kinds of being are born as the results of their acts, Three are the Vedas that perform the Vajapeya sacrifice; at three different times the Adhvaryus commence sacrifice, three also are the divine lights.

Ashtavakra said: Four are the Ashrams of the Brahmanas; four orders perform sacrifices; four are the cardinal points; four is the number of letters and four also are the legs of a cow.

Bandi said: Five is the number of fires; five are the feet of Punkti (a meter); five are the sacrifices; it is said in the Vedas that five locks are on the heads of the Apsaras and five are the sacred rivers in the world.

Ashtavakra said: Six cows are paid as Dakshina on establishing the sacred fire; six are the seasons belonging to the wheel of time, six stars constitute the constellation Kirtika and the Vedas say six the number of Sadyaska sacrifice.

Bandi said : Seven is the number of domestic animals, seven also is the number of wild animals; seven meters are used in completing a sacrifice; seven are the Rishis, seven are the forms of paying homage and seven, are the strings of the Binda.

Ashtavakra said: Eight are the bags that hold hundred-fold, eight is the number of the Sarava, which preys upon lions, eight are the Vasus among the celestials and eight are the angles of a Yupa (stake) in a sacrifice.

Bandi said: Nine is the number of the Mantras used in kindling the fire in a sacrifice to the Pitris: nine are the fixed functions in the progresses of creation, nine letters compose the foot of Vrihati (a meter) and nine also are numbers (in calculation).

Ashtavakra said : Ten is the number of the cardinal points; ten times hundred make a thousand; ten is the number of months of a woman's conception, ten are the teachers of true knowledge and ten are the haters of knowledge and ten again who are capable of obtaining it.

Eleven are the enjoyable objects, eleven is the number of Yupas (sacrificial stake), eleven are the natural states of all living creatures, eleven are the Rudras among the celestials in heaven.

Twelve are the months in a year; twelve letters compose a foot of Yayati (a meter) twelve are the sacrifices and the learned say twelve is the number of the Adityas.

Bandi said : Thirteen lunar days are most auspicious and thirteen islands exist on earth.

Lomasha said : Having said this Bandi stopped. Thereupon Ashtavakra supplied the other half of the Sloka.

Ashtavakra said: Thirteen sacrifices are presided over by Keshi and thirteen are devoured by Atichandas of the Vedas.

Lomasha said: Having seen Ashtavakra speaking and Suta's son sitting silent and pensive and with head down-cast, all men raised up great uproar in the assembly. When the tumult thus rose in the king Janaka's great sacrifice, the Brahmanas i became very much pleased and with joined hands they came to Ashtavakra and paid him homage.

Defeating the Brahmanas in controversy Bandi threw them into the waters. Let Bandi meet with the same fate to day. Seize him and drown him in the water.

O Janaka, I am the son of king Varuna. Simultaneously with your sacrifice, there (underneath the sea) has been commenced (by Varuna) a sacrifice extending over twelve years. Therefore I have sent there those chief Brahmanas.

They had all gone to see Varuna's sacrifice. Behold they are (all) coming. I pay homage to the revered Ashtavakra by whose favour I shall today join him who has begotten me.

Ashtavakra said: Defeating the Brahmanas either by words or subtlety, he has thrown them into the waters of the sea. By dint of my intellect I have to day have rescued them.

As Agni (fire) who knows the character of both the good and the bad, leaves unscorched those that are honest, so do good men judge the assertions of even boys, though they lack in the power of speech.

O Janaka, you are hearing my words as if you have been stupified by eating the fruit of Sleshmataki tree. You have been robbed of your sense by flattery. Therefore though you are pierced by my words as an elephant by the goad, you do not heed them.

Janaka said: I listen to your words which are excellent and superhuman. Your appearance also appears to me as superhuman. As you "have to day defeated Bandi, I place even him at your disposal.

Ashtavakra said : O king, if Bandi remains alive, he would come to no use of mine. If his father is really Varuna, let him be drowned in the sea.

Bandi said: I am the son of the king Varuna. I have therefore no fear to be drowned. Even at this very moment Ashtavakra would see his longlost father Kahoda.

Lomasha said : Then rose before Janaka all the Brahmanas, after they been duly worshipped by the illustrious Varuna.

Kahoda said: O Janaka, it is for this reason men desire for sons by performing virtuous acts. That in which I failed has been done by my son.

O Janaka, weak men may have strong sons, fools may have intelligent sons and the illiterate may have learned sons.

Bandi said: O king, it is with your sharp axe that Yama severs the heads of his enemies. May prosperity attend you.

In this sacrifice of king Janaka, the chief hymns relating to the Uktha rites are sung and the Soma juice is properly drunk. The celestials themselves with cheerful hearts accept their sacred portions.

Lomasha said: O king, when all the Brahmanas rose (from the waters), their splendour was much enhanced; Bandi with the permission of king Janaka then entered the ocean.

Ashtavakra then worshipped his father and he himself was (also) worshipped by the Brahmanas. Having thus defeated Suta's son, he returned with his uncle to his excellent hermitage.

Thereupon in the presence of his mother, his father said, "Speedily enter into the water of this river Samanga." Being thus told, he entered. And immediately all his (crooked) limbs were made straight.

From that day that river became known by the name of Samanga and it became capable of cleansing sins. He who bathes in it is cleansed of all sins. Therefore enter with your brothers and wife into its water.

O son of Kunti, O descendant of Ajamira, being intent on good deeds, you will perform many other virtuous acts by living happily here with your brothers and the Brahmanas.