लोमश उवाच
यः कथ्यते मन्त्रविद् अग्र्यबुद्धिर्; औद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम् ॥
तस्याश्रमं पश्य नरेन्द्र पुण्यं; सदाफलैर् उपपन्नं महीजैः ॥
साक्षाद् अत्र श्वेतकेतुर् ददर्श; सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम् ॥
वेत्स्यामि वाणीम् इति संप्रवृत्तां; सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर् बभाषे ॥
तस्मिन् काले ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठाव्; आस्तां तदा मातुलभागिनेयौ ॥
अष्टावक्रश् चैव कहोडसूनुर्; औद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुश् च राजन् ॥
विदेहराजस्य महीपतेस् तौ; विप्राव् उभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ ॥
प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे; बन्दिं निजग्राहतुर् अप्रमेयम् ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
कथंप्रभावः स बभूव विप्रस्; तथायुक्तं यो निजग्राह बन्दिम् ॥
अष्टावक्रः केन चासौ बभूव; तत् सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम् ॥
lomaśa uvāca
yaḥ kathyate mantravid agryabuddhir; auddālakiḥ śvetaketuḥ pṛthivyām ||
tasyāśramaṃ paśya narendra puṇyaṃ; sadāphalair upapannaṃ mahījaiḥ ||
sākṣād atra śvetaketur dadarśa; sarasvatīṃ mānuṣadeharūpām ||
vetsyāmi vāṇīm iti saṃpravṛttāṃ; sarasvatīṃ śvetaketur babhāṣe ||
tasmin kāle brahmavidāṃ variṣṭhāv; āstāṃ tadā mātulabhāgineyau ||
aṣṭāvakraś caiva kahoḍasūnur; auddālakiḥ śvetaketuś ca rājan ||
videharājasya mahīpates tau; viprāv ubhau mātulabhāgineyau ||
praviśya yajñāyatanaṃ vivāde; bandiṃ nijagrāhatur aprameyam ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
kathaṃprabhāvaḥ sa babhūva vipras; tathāyuktaṃ yo nijagrāha bandim ||
aṣṭāvakraḥ kena cāsau babhūva; tat sarvaṃ me lomaśa śaṃsa tattvam ||
Lomasha said: "Behold, lord of men, the holy hermitage of Uddalaka's son Shvetaketu, who on earth is famed as a knower of the mantras and possessor of the highest intellect; it is surrounded by trees that always bear fruit. Here Shvetaketu directly beheld Sarasvati in the form of a human body. When she appeared, he said to her: 'I wish to know speech.' At that time, O king, the foremost among the knowers of Brahman were two -- an uncle and his nephew: Ashtavakra, son of Kahoda, and Uddalaka's son Shvetaketu. Both brahmins, uncle and nephew, entering the sacrificial ground of the king of Videha, defeated the immeasurable Bandi in debate." Yudhishthira said: "What power did that vipra possess, that he overcame so skilled a Bandi? And why did he become Ashtavakra? Tell me all this truthfully, Lomasha."
ac94bc6bc244 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:19 PM UTC
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Before telling the story of the debate, Lomasha places Ashtavakra alongside Sarasvati and speech itself. In this story, victory will come not from bodily strength but from precision of knowledge and the blessing of true speech.