Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 3.134
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3.134.1
यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविदग्र्यबुद्धि-
रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्।
तस्याश्रमं पश्यत पाण्डवेया ।
सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः ॥ ३.१३४.१ ॥
Śvetaketu, son of Uddālaka, who is spoken of on earth as the foremost in intellect among the knowers of mantras — behold his hermitage, O sons of Pāṇḍu, furnished with trees that bear fruit forever.
3.134.2
साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श ।
सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम्।
वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति संप्रवृत्तां ।
सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे ॥ ३.१३४.२ ॥
Here Śvetaketu saw Sarasvatī in person, in the form of a human body. Thinking "I shall come to know speech," he addressed Sarasvatī, who had come forward.
3.134.3
अस्मिन्युगे ब्रह्मकृतां वरिष्ठा-
वास्तां मुनी मातुलभागिनेयौ।
अष्टावक्रश्चैव कहोलसूनु-
रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम् ॥ ३.१३४.३ ॥
In this age there were two sages, foremost in Brahman-knowledge, maternal uncle and nephew: Aṣṭāvakra, son of Kahola, and Śvetaketu, son of Uddālaka, renowned on earth.
3.134.4
विदेहराजस् समीपतस्तौ ।
घीरावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ।
प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे ।
वन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयौ ॥ ३.१३४.४ ॥
Near the king of Videha those two steadfast men, maternal uncle and nephew, entered the sacrificial hall, and in the debate they overcame and seized the bard Vandin — both of them immeasurable.
3.134.5
वादे भङ्क्त्वा मज्जयामास नद्याम् ॥ ३.१३४.५ ॥
Having defeated him in debate, he caused him to sink in the river.
3.134.6
कथंप्रभावः स बभूव विप्र-
स्तथाभूतं यो निजग्राह वन्दिम्।
किंचाधिकृत्याथ तयोर्विवादो ।
विदेहराजस् समीप आसीत् ॥ ३.१३४.६ ॥
What power did that brahmin possess, who seized such a Vandin? And on what subject was the dispute between those two, which took place near the king of Videha?
3.134.7
अष्टावक्रः केन चासौ बभूव ।
तत्सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम् ॥ ३.१३४.७ ॥
By what cause did Aṣṭāvakra become such? O Lomaśa, tell me all of this, truly.
3.134.8
उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको ।
नाम्ना कहोळेति बभूव राजन्।
शुश्रूषुराचार्यवशानुवर्ती ।
दीर्घ कालं सोऽध्ययनं चकार ॥ ३.१३४.८ ॥
O king, Uddālaka had one devoted disciple named Kahoḍa. Eager to serve and obedient to his teacher's will, he studied for a long time.
3.134.9
तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंस्तु शिखा-
स्तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः।
तस्मै प्रादात्सद्य एव श्रुतं च ।
भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम् ॥ ३.१३४.९ ॥
The brahmins despised him, but when the teacher learned of the insult, he at once gave him all his learning, and gave him his own well-born daughter Sujātā as wife.
3.134.10
तस्यां गर्भः समभवदग्निकल्पः ।
सोऽधीयानं पितरमथाभ्युवाच।
सर्वां रात्रिमध्ययनं करोषि ।
नेदं पितः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते ॥ ३.१३४.१० ॥
In her an embryo, blazing like fire, came to be. Once, while his father was studying, the unborn child spoke to him: "Father, you study all night long; this does not seem to proceed properly."
3.134.11
उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः ।
स तं कोपादुदरस्थं शशाप।
यस्माद्वक्रं वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि ।
तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टधैव ॥ ३.१३४.११ ॥
Reproached before his disciples, the great sage in anger cursed the child residing in his womb: "Because you speak crookedly while still in the womb, you shall be crooked in eight places."
3.134.12
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजाय-
दष्टावक्रः प्रथितो मानवेषु।
अस्यासीद्वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः ।
स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव ॥ ३.१३४.१२ ॥
Thus he was born crooked, and became renowned among men as Aṣṭāvakra. His maternal uncle was Śvetaketu, who was his equal in age.
3.134.13
संपीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता ।
विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ।
उवाच भर्तारमिदं रहोगता ।
प्रसाद्य हीना वसुना धनार्थिनी ॥ ३.१३४.१३ ॥
Then Sujātā, distressed by the son growing in her womb, went aside privately and spoke these words to her husband; lacking wealth and desiring riches, she set about winning him over.
3.134.14
कथं करिष्याम्यधुना महर्षे ।
मासश्चायं दशमो वर्तते मे।
नैवास्ति मे वसु किंचित्प्रदाता ।
येंनाहमेतामापदं निस्तरेयम् ॥ ३.१३४.१४ ॥
O great sage, what shall I do now? This is my tenth month. I have no wealth at all to give, by which I might get through this calamity.
3.134.15
उक्तस्त्वेवं भार्यया वै कहोळो ।
वित्तस्यार्थे जनकमथाभ्यगच्छत्।
स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य ।
निमज्जितो वन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः ॥ ३.१३४.१५ ॥
When his wife had spoken thus, Kahoḍa went to his father for the sake of wealth. Then Vandin, skilled in disputation, seized him and had him sunk here in the water.
3.134.16
उद्दालकस्तं तु तदा निशम्य ।
सूतेन वादेऽप्सु निमज्जितं तथा।
उवाच तां तत्रततः सुजात-
मष्टवक्रे गूहितव्योऽयमर्थः ॥ ३.१३४.१६ ॥
Then Uddālaka, having heard from the bard that he had been sunk in the water in a disputation, spoke to Sujātā there: this matter concerning Aṣṭāvakra must be kept secret.
3.134.17
ररक्ष सा चापि तमस् मन्त्रं ।
जातोऽप्यसौ नैव शुश्राव विप्रः।
उद्दालकं पितरं सोऽभिमेने ।
तथाऽष्टावक्रो भ्रातरं श्वेतकेतुम् ॥ ३.१३४.१७ ॥
She too guarded that mantra. Though born, the brahmin did not hear it; he regarded Uddālaka as his father, and likewise Aṣṭāvakra regarded his brother Śvetaketu as his brother.
3.134.18
ततो वर्षे द्वादशे श्वेतकेतु-
रष्टावक्रं पितुरङ्के निषण्णम्।
अपाकर्षद्गृह्यपाणौ रुदन्तं ।
नायं तवाङ्कः पितुरित्युक्तवांश्च ॥ ३.१३४.१८ ॥
Then in the twelfth year Śvetaketu seized Aṣṭāvakra by the hand, as he sat in his father's lap, and dragged him away. To the weeping boy he said, "This is not your father's lap."
3.134.19
यत्तेनोकतं दुरुक्तं तत्तदानीं ।
हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखमासीत्।
गृहं गत्वा मातरं सोऽथ विग्रः ।
पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति ॥ ३.१३४.१९ ॥
The harsh words he had spoken lodged in the boy's heart, and he was deeply grieved. Going home, the brahmin asked his mother, "Where is my father?"
3.134.20
ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा ।
शापाद्भीता तत्त्वमस्याचचक्षे।
तद्वै तत्त्वंसर्वमाज्ञाय रात्रा-
वित्यब्रवीच्छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः ॥ ३.१३४.२० ॥
Then Sujātā, in a form of extreme distress and afraid of the curse, told him the truth. Having learned it all, the brahmin spoke thus to Śvetaketu at night.
3.134.21
गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो ।
बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः।
श्रोष्यावोऽत्र ब्राह्मणानां विवाद-
मन्नं चाग्र्यं तत्रभोक्ष्यावहे च ॥ ३.१३४.२१ ॥
Let us go to the sacrifice of King Janaka; his sacrifice is heard of as very wondrous. There we shall hear the debate of the brahmins, and there we shall eat the finest food.
3.134.22
विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ ।
शिवश्च सौम्यश्च हि ब्रह्मघोषः ॥ ३.१३४.२२ ॥
Discernment will come to us both; and there will be the auspicious, gentle sound of the Veda-recitation.
3.134.23
तौ जग्मतुर्मातुलभागिनेयौ ।
यज्ञं समृद्धं जमकस्य राज्ञः।
अष्टावक्रः पथि राज्ञा समेत्य ।
प्रोत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यमिदं जगाद ॥ ३.१३४.२३ ॥
The two, maternal uncle and nephew, went to the prosperous sacrifice of King Janaka. On the road, meeting the king, Aṣṭāvakra, being pushed aside, spoke these words.