Mahabharata 3.132.16-20

Devanāgarī

ततो वर्षे द्वादशे श्वेतकेतुर्; अष्टावक्रं पितुर् अङ्के निसन्नम् ॥
अपाकर्षद् गृह्य पाणौ रुदन्तं; नायं तवाङ्कः पितुर् इत्य् उक्तवांश् च ॥
यत् तेनोक्तं दुरुक्तं तत् तदानीं; हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखम् आसीत् ॥
गृहं गत्वा मातरं रोदमानः; पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति ॥
ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा; शापाद् भीता सर्वम् एवाचचक्षे ॥
तद् वै तत्त्वं सर्वम् आज्ञाय मातुर्; इत्य् अब्रवीच् छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः ॥
गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो; बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः ॥
श्रोष्यावो ऽत्र ब्राह्मणानां विवादम्; अन्नं चाग्र्यं तत्र भोक्ष्यावहे च ॥
विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ; शिवश् च सौम्यश् च हि ब्रह्मघोषः ॥
तौ जग्मतुर् मातुलभागिनेयौ; यज्ञं समृद्धं जनकस्य राज्ञः ॥
अष्टावक्रः पथि राज्ञा समेत्य; उत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यम् इदं जगाद ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

tato varṣe dvādaśe śvetaketur; aṣṭāvakraṃ pitur aṅke nisannam ||
apākarṣad gṛhya pāṇau rudantaṃ; nāyaṃ tavāṅkaḥ pitur ity uktavāṃś ca ||
yat tenoktaṃ duruktaṃ tat tadānīṃ; hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya suduḥkham āsīt ||
gṛhaṃ gatvā mātaraṃ rodamānaḥ; papracchedaṃ kva nu tāto mameti ||
tataḥ sujātā paramārtarūpā; śāpād bhītā sarvam evācacakṣe ||
tad vai tattvaṃ sarvam ājñāya mātur; ity abravīc chvetaketuṃ sa vipraḥ ||
gacchāva yajñaṃ janakasya rājño; bahvāścaryaḥ śrūyate tasya yajñaḥ ||
śroṣyāvo 'tra brāhmaṇānāṃ vivādam; annaṃ cāgryaṃ tatra bhokṣyāvahe ca ||
vicakṣaṇatvaṃ ca bhaviṣyate nau; śivaś ca saumyaś ca hi brahmaghoṣaḥ ||
tau jagmatur mātulabhāgineyau; yajñaṃ samṛddhaṃ janakasya rājñaḥ ||
aṣṭāvakraḥ pathi rājñā sametya; utsāryamāṇo vākyam idaṃ jagāda ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

ततो वर्षे द्वादशे श्वेतकेतुर्; अष्टावक्रं पितुर् अङ्के निसन्नम् ॥ अपाकर्षद् गृह्य पाणौ रुदन्तं; नायं तवाङ्कः पितुर् इत्य् उक्तवांश् च ॥ यत् तेनोक्तं दुरुक्तं तत् तदानीं; हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखम् आसीत् ॥ गृहं गत्वा मातरं रोदमानः; पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति ॥ ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा; शापाद् भीता सर्वम् एवाचचक्षे ॥ तद् वै तत्त्वं सर्वम् आज्ञाय मातुर्; इत्य् अब्रवीच् छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः ॥ गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो; बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः ॥ श्रोष्यावो ऽत्र ब्राह्मणानां विवादम्; अन्नं चाग्र्यं तत्र भोक्ष्यावहे च ॥ विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ; शिवश् च सौम्यश् च हि ब्रह्मघोषः ॥ तौ जग्मतुर् मातुलभागिनेयौ; यज्ञं समृद्धं जनकस्य राज्ञः ॥ अष्टावक्रः पथि राज्ञा समेत्य; उत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यम् इदं जगाद ॥tato varṣe dvādaśe śvetaketur; aṣṭāvakraṃ pitur aṅke nisannam || apākarṣad gṛhya pāṇau rudantaṃ; nāyaṃ tavāṅkaḥ pitur ity uktavāṃś ca || yat tenoktaṃ duruktaṃ tat tadānīṃ; hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya suduḥkham āsīt || gṛhaṃ gatvā mātaraṃ rodamānaḥ; papracchedaṃ kva nu tāto mameti || tataḥ sujātā paramārtarūpā; śāpād bhītā sarvam evācacakṣe || tad vai tattvaṃ sarvam ājñāya mātur; ity abravīc chvetaketuṃ sa vipraḥ || gacchāva yajñaṃ janakasya rājño; bahvāścaryaḥ śrūyate tasya yajñaḥ || śroṣyāvo 'tra brāhmaṇānāṃ vivādam; annaṃ cāgryaṃ tatra bhokṣyāvahe ca || vicakṣaṇatvaṃ ca bhaviṣyate nau; śivaś ca saumyaś ca hi brahmaghoṣaḥ || tau jagmatur mātulabhāgineyau; yajñaṃ samṛddhaṃ janakasya rājñaḥ || aṣṭāvakraḥ pathi rājñā sametya; utsāryamāṇo vākyam idaṃ jagāda ||In the twelfth year, Shvetaketu saw Ashtavakra sitting on his father's lap, took him by the hand, pulled him away weeping, and said that this was not his father's lap; that harsh word remained lodged deeply and painfully in his heart at that moment; going home weeping, he asked his mother where his father was; then Sujata, in the utmost distress and fearing the curse, told him everything; having learned the whole truth from his mother, the vipra said to Shvetaketu that they should go to the sacrifice of King Janaka, of which many wonders are heard, that there they would hear the debate of the brahmins, eat the finest food, and gain discernment, for the sound of Brahman is auspicious and gentle; the uncle and nephew went to the rich sacrifice of King Janaka, and Ashtavakra, meeting the king on the road and being pushed aside, spoke this word.

Translation

Then, in the twelfth year, Shvetaketu saw Ashtavakra sitting on his father's lap; he took him by the hand, pulled him away weeping, and said: "That is not your father's lap." This harshly spoken word then lodged in his heart as a deep pain. Returning home, weeping, he asked his mother: "Where, then, is my father?" Then Sujata, in the utmost distress and fearing the curse, told him everything. Having learned the whole truth from his mother, the vipra said to Shvetaketu: "Let us go to the sacrifice of King Janaka; it is said that his sacrifice is full of wonders. There we shall hear the debate of the brahmins, taste the finest food, and gain discernment; for the sound of Brahman is auspicious and gentle." So the uncle and nephew went to the rich sacrifice of King Janaka. On the way, Ashtavakra encountered the king; and when he was being pushed aside, he spoke this word."

Commentary

The painful humiliation does not lead Ashtavakra to resentment but to a search for the truth about his father. His journey to Janaka begins as a filial duty and as trust in the power of knowledge.

Version

81bc077e8309 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:19 PM UTC

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