अष्टावक्र उवाच
अन्धस्य पन्था बधिरस्य पन्थाः; स्त्रियः पन्था वैवधिकस्य पन्थाः ॥
राज्ञः पन्था ब्राह्मणेनासमेत्य; समेत्य तु ब्राह्मणस्यैव पन्थाः ॥
राजोवाच
पन्था अयं ते ऽद्य मया निसृष्टो; येनेच्छसे तेन कामं व्रजस्व ॥
न पावको विद्यते वै लघीयान्; इन्द्रो ऽपि नित्यं नमते ब्राह्मणानाम् ॥
aṣṭāvakra uvāca
andhasya panthā badhirasya panthāḥ; striyaḥ panthā vaivadhikasya panthāḥ ||
rājñaḥ panthā brāhmaṇenāsametya; sametya tu brāhmaṇasyaiva panthāḥ ||
rājovāca
panthā ayaṃ te 'dya mayā nisṛṣṭo; yenecchase tena kāmaṃ vrajasva ||
na pāvako vidyate vai laghīyān; indro 'pi nityaṃ namate brāhmaṇānām ||
Ashtavakra said: 'There is the path of the blind, the path of the deaf, the path of a woman, the path of a porter; there is the path of a king -- until he meets a brahmana. But once he has met one, the path belongs to the brahmana alone.' The king said: 'Today I have opened this path to you. Go wherever you wish, as you desire. There is no fire lighter than a brahmana; even Indra always bows before brahmanas.'
654b069571c4 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:19 PM UTC
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Ashtavakra establishes the order at once: spiritual knowledge stands above a king's right of way. Janaka deserves respect precisely because he acknowledges this hierarchy without dispute.