ASHTAAVAKRA

 

Participating for the first time in the Blogchatter's Half Marathon, I chose to write about the TEN CHILD PRODIGIES from Indian Scriptures.  

         Ashtaavakra was a son of the great sage Kahodara.  Kahodara married Sujaathaa, a daughter of his preceptor Uddaalaka, who has accepted to do so, for his disciple Kahodara’s devotion and good conducts. 

        Kahodara was so devoted to his study that he generally neglected his wife.  When once she was far advanced in pregnancy,  Kahodaras’s neglect of her, made the unborn rebuke. 

        Then he provoked and uttered thus "I have learnt the Mantra you are chanting but the way you chant it is wrong, because the vibrations of sound created by the utterance of each word is important.  

        On hearing this, the father Kahodara got angry at this impertinence and condemned him thus Since your mind seems to be crooked let you body also to be crooked; so Ashtaavakra, came forth with his (Ashta) eight (Vakra) so limbs crooked. So he was named Ashtaavakra. 

(यस्मात्कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टकृत्वः। - Chapter-132, VanaParva, MahaBharatam).

 Afflicted by the growth of the child in the womb, Sujata, desirous of riches, conciliating her husband who had no wealth told him in private: 'How shall I manage, O great sage, the tenth month of my pregnancy having come? Thou hast no substance whereby I may extricate myself from the exigencies, after I have been delivered." Thus addressed by his wife, Kahoda went unto king Janaka for riches. He was there defeated in a controversy by Vandin, well versed in the science of arguments, and (in consequence) was immersed into water. 

        After getting the birth, in course of time, the young Ashtaavakra defeated the sage Vandin in the same debate. Then, the defeated Vandin, taking king Janaka's permission, entered into the waters of the sea. And then Ashtavakra worshipped his father to come back.  Ashtavakra returned to his own hermitage. 

        

        There in the presence of his mother, his father addressed him, that, 'O my dear son, you speedily enter into this river, Samanga.' And accordingly, Ashtaavakra entered into the water. And as he plunged beneath the water, all his crooked limbs were immediately made straight. And from that day that river came to be called Samanga and she (River) became invested with the virtues of purifying (sins).

        With his intelligence, Ashtaavakra, brought back his father and he himself also got rid of his deformities.  All these he did in a very young age.  That's why he is considered as a child prodigy.

(This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023)