Mahabharata 3.132.6-15

Devanāgarī

लोमश उवाच
उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको; नाम्ना कहोडेति बभूव राजन् ॥
शुश्रूषुर् आचार्यवशानुवर्ती; दीर्घं कालं सो ऽध्ययनं चकार ॥
तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंश् च शिष्यास्; तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः ॥
तस्मै प्रादात् सद्य एव श्रुतं च; भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम् ॥
तस्या गर्भः समभवद् अग्निकल्पः; सो ऽधीयानं पितरम् अथाभ्युवाच ॥
सर्वां रात्रिम् अध्ययनं करोषि; नेदं पितः सम्यग् इवोपवर्तते ॥
उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः; स तं कोपाद् उदरस्थं शशाप ॥
यस्मात् कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि; तस्माद् वक्रो भवितास्य् अष्टकृत्वः ॥
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजायद्; अष्टावक्रः प्रथितो वै महर्षिः ॥
तस्यासीद् वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः; स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव ॥
संपीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता; विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ ॥
उवाच भर्तारम् इदं रहोगता; प्रसाद्य हीनं वसुना धनार्थिनी ॥
कथं करिष्याम्य् अधना महर्षे; मासश् चायं दशमो वर्तते मे ॥
न चास्ति ते वसु किं चित् प्रजाता; येनाहम् एताम् आपदं निस्तरेयम् ॥
उक्तस् त्व् एवं भार्यया वै कहोडो; वित्तस्यार्थे जनकम् अथाभ्यगच्छत् ॥
स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य; निमज्जितो बन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः ॥
उद्दालकस् तं तु तदा निशम्य; सूतेन वादे ऽप्सु तथा निमज्जितम् ॥
उवाच तां तत्र ततः सुजाताम्; अष्टावक्रे गूहितव्यो ऽयम् अर्थः ॥
ररक्ष सा चाप्य् अति तं सुमन्त्रं; जातो ऽप्य् एवं न स शुश्राव विप्रः ॥
उद्दालकं पितृवच् चापि मेने; अष्टावक्रो भ्रातृवच् छ्वेतकेतुम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

lomaśa uvāca
uddālakasya niyataḥ śiṣya eko; nāmnā kahoḍeti babhūva rājan ||
śuśrūṣur ācāryavaśānuvartī; dīrghaṃ kālaṃ so 'dhyayanaṃ cakāra ||
taṃ vai viprāḥ paryabhavaṃś ca śiṣyās; taṃ ca jñātvā viprakāraṃ guruḥ saḥ ||
tasmai prādāt sadya eva śrutaṃ ca; bhāryāṃ ca vai duhitaraṃ svāṃ sujātām ||
tasyā garbhaḥ samabhavad agnikalpaḥ; so 'dhīyānaṃ pitaram athābhyuvāca ||
sarvāṃ rātrim adhyayanaṃ karoṣi; nedaṃ pitaḥ samyag ivopavartate ||
upālabdhaḥ śiṣyamadhye maharṣiḥ; sa taṃ kopād udarasthaṃ śaśāpa ||
yasmāt kukṣau vartamāno bravīṣi; tasmād vakro bhavitāsy aṣṭakṛtvaḥ ||
sa vai tathā vakra evābhyajāyad; aṣṭāvakraḥ prathito vai maharṣiḥ ||
tasyāsīd vai mātulaḥ śvetaketuḥ; sa tena tulyo vayasā babhūva ||
saṃpīḍyamānā tu tadā sujātā; vivardhamānena sutena kukṣau ||
uvāca bhartāram idaṃ rahogatā; prasādya hīnaṃ vasunā dhanārthinī ||
kathaṃ kariṣyāmy adhanā maharṣe; māsaś cāyaṃ daśamo vartate me ||
na cāsti te vasu kiṃ cit prajātā; yenāham etām āpadaṃ nistareyam ||
uktas tv evaṃ bhāryayā vai kahoḍo; vittasyārthe janakam athābhyagacchat ||
sa vai tadā vādavidā nigṛhya; nimajjito bandinehāpsu vipraḥ ||
uddālakas taṃ tu tadā niśamya; sūtena vāde 'psu tathā nimajjitam ||
uvāca tāṃ tatra tataḥ sujātām; aṣṭāvakre gūhitavyo 'yam arthaḥ ||
rarakṣa sā cāpy ati taṃ sumantraṃ; jāto 'py evaṃ na sa śuśrāva vipraḥ ||
uddālakaṃ pitṛvac cāpi mene; aṣṭāvakro bhrātṛvac chvetaketum ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

लोमश उवाच उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको; नाम्ना कहोडेति बभूव राजन् ॥ शुश्रूषुर् आचार्यवशानुवर्ती; दीर्घं कालं सो ऽध्ययनं चकार ॥ तं वै विप्राः पर्यभवंश् च शिष्यास्; तं च ज्ञात्वा विप्रकारं गुरुः सः ॥ तस्मै प्रादात् सद्य एव श्रुतं च; भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम् ॥ तस्या गर्भः समभवद् अग्निकल्पः; सो ऽधीयानं पितरम् अथाभ्युवाच ॥ सर्वां रात्रिम् अध्ययनं करोषि; नेदं पितः सम्यग् इवोपवर्तते ॥ उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः; स तं कोपाद् उदरस्थं शशाप ॥ यस्मात् कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि; तस्माद् वक्रो भवितास्य् अष्टकृत्वः ॥ स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजायद्; अष्टावक्रः प्रथितो वै महर्षिः ॥ तस्यासीद् वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः; स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव ॥ संपीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता; विवर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ ॥ उवाच भर्तारम् इदं रहोगता; प्रसाद्य हीनं वसुना धनार्थिनी ॥ कथं करिष्याम्य् अधना महर्षे; मासश् चायं दशमो वर्तते मे ॥ न चास्ति ते वसु किं चित् प्रजाता; येनाहम् एताम् आपदं निस्तरेयम् ॥ उक्तस् त्व् एवं भार्यया वै कहोडो; वित्तस्यार्थे जनकम् अथाभ्यगच्छत् ॥ स वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य; निमज्जितो बन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः ॥ उद्दालकस् तं तु तदा निशम्य; सूतेन वादे ऽप्सु तथा निमज्जितम् ॥ उवाच तां तत्र ततः सुजाताम्; अष्टावक्रे गूहितव्यो ऽयम् अर्थः ॥ ररक्ष सा चाप्य् अति तं सुमन्त्रं; जातो ऽप्य् एवं न स शुश्राव विप्रः ॥ उद्दालकं पितृवच् चापि मेने; अष्टावक्रो भ्रातृवच् छ्वेतकेतुम् ॥lomaśa uvāca uddālakasya niyataḥ śiṣya eko; nāmnā kahoḍeti babhūva rājan || śuśrūṣur ācāryavaśānuvartī; dīrghaṃ kālaṃ so 'dhyayanaṃ cakāra || taṃ vai viprāḥ paryabhavaṃś ca śiṣyās; taṃ ca jñātvā viprakāraṃ guruḥ saḥ || tasmai prādāt sadya eva śrutaṃ ca; bhāryāṃ ca vai duhitaraṃ svāṃ sujātām || tasyā garbhaḥ samabhavad agnikalpaḥ; so 'dhīyānaṃ pitaram athābhyuvāca || sarvāṃ rātrim adhyayanaṃ karoṣi; nedaṃ pitaḥ samyag ivopavartate || upālabdhaḥ śiṣyamadhye maharṣiḥ; sa taṃ kopād udarasthaṃ śaśāpa || yasmāt kukṣau vartamāno bravīṣi; tasmād vakro bhavitāsy aṣṭakṛtvaḥ || sa vai tathā vakra evābhyajāyad; aṣṭāvakraḥ prathito vai maharṣiḥ || tasyāsīd vai mātulaḥ śvetaketuḥ; sa tena tulyo vayasā babhūva || saṃpīḍyamānā tu tadā sujātā; vivardhamānena sutena kukṣau || uvāca bhartāram idaṃ rahogatā; prasādya hīnaṃ vasunā dhanārthinī || kathaṃ kariṣyāmy adhanā maharṣe; māsaś cāyaṃ daśamo vartate me || na cāsti te vasu kiṃ cit prajātā; yenāham etām āpadaṃ nistareyam || uktas tv evaṃ bhāryayā vai kahoḍo; vittasyārthe janakam athābhyagacchat || sa vai tadā vādavidā nigṛhya; nimajjito bandinehāpsu vipraḥ || uddālakas taṃ tu tadā niśamya; sūtena vāde 'psu tathā nimajjitam || uvāca tāṃ tatra tataḥ sujātām; aṣṭāvakre gūhitavyo 'yam arthaḥ || rarakṣa sā cāpy ati taṃ sumantraṃ; jāto 'py evaṃ na sa śuśrāva vipraḥ || uddālakaṃ pitṛvac cāpi mene; aṣṭāvakro bhrātṛvac chvetaketum ||Lomasha relates that Uddalaka had one strict disciple named Kahoda, who served him, obedient to his teacher's will, and studied for a long time; the other disciples mocked him, and the guru, learning of this insult, at once gave him the knowledge he had heard and his own daughter Sujata as a wife; a child arose in her womb, resembling fire, and from the womb he said to his father, who was studying all through the night, that this was not being done correctly; the maharishi, rebuked in the midst of his disciples, in anger cursed the one still in the womb: because he spoke from the womb, let him be bent eightfold; and so he was born bent and became renowned as the maharishi Ashtavakra; his uncle Shvetaketu was equal to him in age; Sujata, oppressed by the growing son in her womb, pleased her husband and told him privately that she was poor, that her tenth month had come, and that they had no wealth with which to pass through this ordeal of childbirth; at his wife's word, Kahoda went to Janaka for the sake of wealth, but the master of debate Bandi defeated him and drowned him in water; Uddalaka, hearing that he had been drowned in the debate, told Sujata to hide this from Ashtavakra; she kept the secret closely, and the vipra, once born, never heard of it, and considered Uddalaka his father and Shvetaketu his brother.

Translation

Lomasha said: "Uddalaka had one strict disciple named Kahoda, O king. He served his teacher, followed his will, and studied for a long time. The other disciples, brahmins, mocked him; learning of this insult, the guru at once gave him the knowledge he had heard, and also his daughter Sujata as a wife. A child arose in her womb, resembling fire. And this child said to his father, while he was studying: 'You study all through the night, father, but it seems this is not being done correctly.' Rebuked in the midst of his disciples, the maharishi in anger cursed the one in the womb: 'Since you speak while dwelling in the womb, you shall be bent eightfold.' And so he was born bent; the maharishi became renowned as Ashtavakra. His uncle Shvetaketu was of the same age as he. Sujata, oppressed by the son growing in her womb, pleased her husband and, wishing for wealth, said to him privately, for she was poor: 'What shall I do, maharishi? My tenth month has already come. You have no wealth at all for when I give birth, that I might pass through this ordeal.' So spoken to by his wife, Kahoda went to Janaka for the sake of wealth. There the master of debate Bandi defeated him and drowned him in the water. Then Uddalaka, hearing that he had been drowned after a debate with the son of a suta, said to Sujata: 'This matter must be hidden from Ashtavakra.' And she kept the secret closely; the vipra, once born, never heard of it. Ashtavakra considered Uddalaka his father, and Shvetaketu his brother."

Commentary

Ashtavakra is born from a sharp word spoken too soon. His bent body becomes the visible trace of that error, yet it does not cancel the inner fire of knowledge.

Version

27eb08ef1d77 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:19 PM UTC

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