Aṣṭāvakra

The Birth

Once, a brāhmaṇa named Ekapāda was engaged in uninterrupted penance. His wife Sujātā was a noble wife who served her husband with great devotion. Ekapāda would continuously teach the Vedas and Vedāṅgas to numerous disciples, correcting their mistakes while chanting, spending 18 hours a day on this task. In time, Sujātā became pregnant, bringing joy to their lives. When the fetus in her womb was in the third month, as Ekapāda was correcting the disciples repeatedly, the child in the womb laughed and questioned:

“What is this foolishness, father? Why repeat the Vedas to the disciples for so many hours daily? If you were a true guru, should they not understand with a single teaching and recite correctly?”

This irreverence from the unborn child angered Ekapāda, who, despite being a śāstra scholar and tapasvin, was enraged at being questioned by his unborn child. In his anger, he cursed:

“You who question me even before birth, may you be born with eight deformities (aṣṭa vakras) in your body!”

Thus, the child was born with eight deformities and was named Aṣṭāvakra. However, he was born with the complete knowledge of all the Vedas. Before Aṣṭāvakra’s birth, Sujātā requested Ekapāda to seek financial assistance for childbirth and future upbringing by visiting King Janaka of Mithilā. Ekapāda went to Janaka seeking wealth, and Janaka questioned him:

“You have come seeking wealth, but what is your qualification, and what knowledge do you possess?”

Ekapāda proudly declared his mastery over the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, claiming complete knowledge of the truth. Janaka then challenged him:

“If you debate with my court scholar Vaṇḍin, the son of Varuṇa and a great scholar himself, and prove your claim, you shall receive the wealth you seek.”

A condition was set that if Ekapāda failed, he would have to sit submerged in a pond (jala majjita) as a punishment for his arrogance. Ekapāda was defeated in debate by Vaṇḍin and, per the condition, had to remain submerged in water and did not return home, leaving Sujātā to move to her parental home.

Aṣṭāvakra’s realization and freeing his father

Sujātā’s father was Uddālaka. At the time of Aṣṭāvakra’s birth, Uddālaka’s wife also gave birth to Śvetaketu, making Śvetaketu the maternal uncle of Aṣṭāvakra and Sujātā’s brother. Both boys studied under Uddālaka, who taught them the Vedas and Vedāṅgas. Since Aṣṭāvakra never saw his father, he considered Uddālaka as his father and Śvetaketu as his brother. One day, during a conversation, Śvetaketu told Aṣṭāvakra:

“Go to your father. Why are you staying here?”

Overwhelmed with humiliation and unaware of the truth, Aṣṭāvakra asked his mother:

“Mother, who is my father, and where is he?”

Sujātā explained:

“My son, your father went to the royal court seeking wealth before your birth and was defeated in debate by Vaṇḍin. As a result, he is under punishment there.”

Determined, Aṣṭāvakra said he would free his father and, along with Śvetaketu, proceeded to the royal court of King Janaka, maintaining their bond. When they reached, the guards stopped them, stating that children were not allowed, and only elders, brāhmaṇas, and scholars could enter the court. Aṣṭāvakra retorted:

“What sort of court is this that equates age with scholarship? Age has nothing to do with knowledge.”

The guard, recognizing the extraordinary nature of Aṣṭāvakra, sought Janaka’s permission, who allowed them entry.

King Janaka greeted them and inquired:

“Are you scholars and brahmacārins?”

They replied:

“Yes, we have come to debate with your court scholar, Vaṇḍin.”

Janaka reminded them of the consequence of defeat, to which Aṣṭāvakra calmly replied that they were aware. In the court, filled with scholars, sages, and yogis, the eight-year-old Aṣṭāvakra began the debate with Vaṇḍin. The debate revolved around the cosmic significance of numbers, where Vaṇḍin would state the universal truths related to each number, and Aṣṭāvakra would respond with the next. They debated up to the number twelve, with Aṣṭāvakra providing the cosmic truths for the twelfth number. At the thirteenth number, Vaṇḍin could not respond and admitted defeat, saying:

“Jitosmi (I am defeated)!”

King Janaka asked Aṣṭāvakra what he wished for, to which he replied:

“I wish to free my father, who is under punishment.”

Vaṇḍin then explained that the punishment was symbolic and that those defeated were actually serving as ṛtviks (priests) for a yajña conducted by his father Varuṇa, ensuring its successful completion. Vaṇḍin arranged for the release of Ekapāda, who returned and was honored. Aṣṭāvakra forgave Vaṇḍin, despite being a child, and thus became renowned in the world.

Aṣṭāvakra’s Tapasya and Marriage

Aṣṭāvakra continued his penance, mastering the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, and learning profound truths of creation under his father’s guidance. Approaching the age of marriage, he wondered who would marry someone with eight deformities. Sitting by a lake, he entered deep meditation. Indra, recognizing Aṣṭāvakra’s spiritual power, sent apsarās like Rambhā to test him, but he remained unshaken and blessed them, prophesying their future births as consorts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Dvāpara Yuga, along with a condition that they would face widowhood and humiliation at the hands of thieves after Kṛṣṇa’s departure due to their mockery of him. Later, Aṣṭāvakra approached his father:

“Father, please grant me lifelong brahmacarya dīkṣā.”

Ekapāda, realizing his mistake, blessed him, saying he would remove the deformities, allowing him to marry. After bathing in a river as instructed by his father, Aṣṭāvakra emerged with a beautiful form.

Journey to Kubera and Kailāsa

Later, Aṣṭāvakra sought the hand of Suprabhā, daughter of Vadānnya, who set a test for him to travel to Kubera’s city, cross the Himālayas, visit Kailāsa for the darśana of Pārvatī Parameśvara, and see a divine maiden in Kadamba vana. Aṣṭāvakra undertook the journey fearlessly, visited Kubera’s city, maintained his detachment, visited Kailāsa, and encountered the divine maiden, who tested him and finally blessed him with profound boons, declaring:

“Your teachings will awaken profound knowledge in all who hear them. You will be honored as equal to Brahmā and become a world teacher.”

Returning, Aṣṭāvakra married Suprabhā, and the marriage was attended and blessed by devas, including Kubera.

The Aṣṭāvakra Saṁhitā

Aṣṭāvakra spent the rest of his life teaching countless seekers. His profound teachings are preserved in the Aṣṭāvakra Saṁhitā, containing twenty chapters on topics including ātma upadeśa, ātma anubhava, jñāna yoga, laya yoga, mokṣa, and nirveda. King Janaka, having heard these teachings, praised Aṣṭāvakra:

“Never have I received such profound teaching that has illuminated the truth as your words have.”

The Final Liberation

In his old age, Aṣṭāvakra sent his wife Suprabhā ahead to the higher worlds and, during the Dvāpara Yuga, went to Dvārakā to meet Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa, Aṣṭāvakra placed his head on Kṛṣṇa’s feet and left his body in deep meditation. Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally performed his final rites with honor. When questioned by his consorts and ministers, Kṛṣṇa explained that Aṣṭāvakra was a parama bhakta, jitendriya, and great tapasvin who had come specifically to merge into Kṛṣṇa’s feet at the end of his earthly journey.

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Thus, Aṣṭāvakra, who had been present in both Tretā and Dvāpara Yugas, attained liberation in the presence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Aṣṭāvakra Saṁhitā, deemed worthy of daily recitation, remains as his enduring gift to the world. Aṣṭāvakra’s devotion, scholarship, and profound teachings continue to inspire seekers toward mokṣa, and he remains eternally remembered among the revered mahāṛṣis.