Mahabharata — Volume II (Dutt edition) — Chapter 132

MBh 2 132.1

लोमश उवाच रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्। तस्याश्रमं पश्य नरेन्द्र पुण्यं सदाफलैरुपपन्नं महीजैः॥

lomaśa uvāca rauddālakiḥ śvetaketuḥ pṛthivyām| tasyāśramaṃ paśya narendra puṇyaṃ sadāphalairupapannaṃ mahījaiḥ||

Lomasha said: O ruler of men, behold the sacred hermitage of Shvatakatu, the son of Uddalka, whose fame as an expert in Mantras is so widely spread all over the world. It always abounds in fruit trees.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.2

साक्षादत्र श्वेतकेतुर्ददर्श सरस्वतीं मानुषदेहरूपाम्। वेत्स्यामि वाणीमिति सम्प्रवृत्तां सरस्वतीं श्वेतकेतुर्बभाषे।॥

sākṣādatra śvetaketurdadarśa sarasvatīṃ mānuṣadeharūpām| vetsyāmi vāṇīmiti sampravṛttāṃ sarasvatīṃ śvetaketurbabhāṣe|||

Here did Shvatakatu see Sarasvati herself in her heavenly form. Shvatakatu said to Sarasvati when she appeared, “Make me endued with the gift of speech.”

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.3

वास्तां मुनी मातुलभागिनेयौ। रौद्दालकिः श्वेतकेतुः पृथिव्याम्॥

vāstāṃ munī mātulabhāgineyau| rauddālakiḥ śvetaketuḥ pṛthivyām||

In that Yuga, Shvatakatu, the son of Uddalaka and Ashtavakra, the son of Kahoda, who were uncle and nephews, were the foremost men learned in the Vedas.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.4

विदेहराजस्य महीपतेस्तौ विप्रावुभौ मातुलभागिनेयौ। प्रविश्य यज्ञायतनं विवादे बन्दिं निजग्राहतुरप्रमेयौ॥

videharājasya mahīpatestau viprāvubhau mātulabhāgineyau| praviśya yajñāyatanaṃ vivāde bandiṃ nijagrāhaturaprameyau||

These two Brahmanas of matchless energy went to the sacrificial ground of the king of Videha and defeated Bandi (in a controversy).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.5

उपास्व कौन्तेय सहानुजस्त्वं तस्याश्रमं पुण्यतमं प्रविश्य। योऽसौ बन्दिं जनकस्याथ यज्ञे॥ वादी विप्रायो बाल एवाभिगम्य वादे भक्त्वा मज्जयामास नद्याम्॥

upāsva kaunteya sahānujastvaṃ tasyāśramaṃ puṇyatamaṃ praviśya| yo'sau bandiṃ janakasyātha yajñe|| vādī viprāyo bāla evābhigamya vāde bhaktvā majjayāmāsa nadyām||

O son of Kunti, worship with your younger brothers the sacred hermitage of him who had for his grandson Ashtavakra, who when he was but a child had caused Bandi to be drowned in a river after having defeated him in a controversy).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.6

युधिष्ठिर उवाच स्तथाभूतं यो निजग्राह बन्दिम्। अष्टावक्र: केन चासौ बभूव तत् सर्वं मे लोमश शंस तत्त्वम्॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca stathābhūtaṃ yo nijagrāha bandim| aṣṭāvakra: kena cāsau babhūva tat sarvaṃ me lomaśa śaṃsa tattvam||

Yudhishthira said : O Lomasha, tell me all about the power of this Brahmana who had thus defeated Bandi. Why was he born as Ashtavakra (crooked in cight parts of his body)?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.7

लोमश उवाच उद्दालकस्य नियतः शिष्य एको नाम्ना कहोड इति विश्रुतोऽभूत्। शुश्रूषुराचार्यवशानुवर्ती दीर्घ कालं सोऽध्ययनं चकार॥

lomaśa uvāca uddālakasya niyataḥ śiṣya eko nāmnā kahoḍa iti viśruto'bhūt| śuśrūṣurācāryavaśānuvartī dīrgha kālaṃ so'dhyayanaṃ cakāra||

Lomasha said : Udhalaka had a self-controlled disciple who was known by the name of Kohada. He was entirely devoted to the service of his preceptor and he continued his studies for a long time.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.8

स्तां च ज्ञात्वा परिचर्यां गुरुः सः। तस्मै प्रादात् सद्य एव श्रुतं च भार्यां च वै दुहितरं स्वां सुजाताम्॥

stāṃ ca jñātvā paricaryāṃ guruḥ saḥ| tasmai prādāt sadya eva śrutaṃ ca bhāryāṃ ca vai duhitaraṃ svāṃ sujātām||

That Brahmana served his preceptor for a long time. Recognising it his preceptor gave him a mastery over the Shastras and also bestowed upon him his own daughter Sujata.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.9

तस्या गर्भः समभवदग्निकल्प: सोऽधीयानं पितरं चाप्युवाच। सर्वां रात्रिमध्ययनं करोषि नेदं पितः सम्यगिवोपवर्तते॥

tasyā garbhaḥ samabhavadagnikalpa: so'dhīyānaṃ pitaraṃ cāpyuvāca| sarvāṃ rātrimadhyayanaṃ karoṣi nedaṃ pitaḥ samyagivopavartate||

She became with child as cffulgent as fire and the child while engaged in study spoke thus to his father, “O father, you have been reading for the whole night, but your reading does not seem to me correct.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.10

उपालब्धः शिष्यमध्ये महर्षिः स तं कोपादुदरस्थं शशाप। यस्मात् कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि तस्माद् वक्रो भवितास्यष्टकृत्वः॥

upālabdhaḥ śiṣyamadhye maharṣiḥ sa taṃ kopādudarasthaṃ śaśāpa| yasmāt kukṣau vartamāno bravīṣi tasmād vakro bhavitāsyaṣṭakṛtvaḥ||

Through your grace I have become even in my this fatal state learned in all the Shastras and in the Vedas and in the Vedangas. But O father, I tell you what proceeds from your lips is not correct."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.11

दष्टावक्रः प्रथितो वै महर्षिः। अस्यासीद् वै मातुलः श्वेतकेतुः स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव॥

daṣṭāvakraḥ prathito vai maharṣiḥ| asyāsīd vai mātulaḥ śvetaketuḥ sa tena tulyo vayasā babhūva||

Having been thus insulted before his disciples, the great Rishi cursed in anger the child in the womb. “As you speak from the womb, so will you be crooked in eight parts of your body." Thus the child was born crooked and the great Rishi was ever afterwards known by the name of Ashtavakra. He had an uncle, named Shvatakatu who was of the same age as himself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.12

सम्पीड्यमाना तु तदा सुजाता सा वर्धमानेन सुतेन कुक्षौ। उवाच भर्तारमिदं रहोगता प्रसाद्य हीनं वसुनाधनार्थिनी॥

sampīḍyamānā tu tadā sujātā sā vardhamānena sutena kukṣau| uvāca bhartāramidaṃ rahogatā prasādya hīnaṃ vasunādhanārthinī||

Having been much oppressed for the growth of the child in the womb, Sujata, who was desirous of obtaining wealth, conciliating her husband who had no wealth, spoke to him thus in private.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.13

कथं करिष्याम्यधुना महर्षे मासश्चायं दशमो वर्तते मे। नैवास्ति ते वसु किंचित् प्रजाता येनाहमेतामापदं निस्तरेयम्॥

kathaṃ kariṣyāmyadhunā maharṣe māsaścāyaṃ daśamo vartate me| naivāsti te vasu kiṃcit prajātā yenāhametāmāpadaṃ nistareyam||

"O great king, what shall I do now, as the tenth month of my pregnancy has come! Neither you nor I possess any wealth with which we can be delivered from this distress."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.14

उक्तस्त्वेवं भार्यया वै कहोडो वित्तस्यार्थे जनकमथाभ्यगच्छत्। वै तदा वादविदा निगृह्य निमज्जितो बन्दिनेहाप्सु विप्रः॥

uktastvevaṃ bhāryayā vai kahoḍo vittasyārthe janakamathābhyagacchat| vai tadā vādavidā nigṛhya nimajjito bandinehāpsu vipraḥ||

Having been thus addressed by his wife, Kohada went to Janaka for wealth. That Brahmana was defeated (in a controversy) by Bandi who was learned in the science of arguments. The result was that he was drowned.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.15

उद्दालकस्तं तु तदा निशम्य सूतेन वादेऽप्सु निमज्जितं तथा। उवाच तां तत्र ततः सुजातामष्टावक्रे गृहितव्योऽयमर्थः॥

uddālakastaṃ tu tadā niśamya sūtena vāde'psu nimajjitaṃ tathā| uvāca tāṃ tatra tataḥ sujātāmaṣṭāvakre gṛhitavyo'yamarthaḥ||

Having heard that his sin-in-law had been defeated by Bandi and that he had been drowned, Udhalaka thus spoke to Sujata, “You must keep it a secret from Ashtavakra.”

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.16

ररक्ष सा चापि तमस्य मन्त्रं जातोऽप्यसौ नैव शुश्राव विप्रः। उद्दालकं पितृवच्चापि मेने तथाष्टावक्रो भ्रातृवच्छ्वेतकेतुम्॥

rarakṣa sā cāpi tamasya mantraṃ jāto'pyasau naiva śuśrāva vipraḥ| uddālakaṃ pitṛvaccāpi mene tathāṣṭāvakro bhrātṛvacchvetaketum||

She (accordingly) kept it a secret (from Ashtavakra). Thus that Brahmana heard nothing of it when he was born. He regarded Udhalaka as his father and Shvataketu as his brother.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.17

रष्टावक्रं पितुरङ्के निषण्णम्। अपाकर्षद् गृह्य पाणौ रुदन्तं नायं तवारू: पितुरित्युक्तवांश्च॥

raṣṭāvakraṃ pituraṅke niṣaṇṇam| apākarṣad gṛhya pāṇau rudantaṃ nāyaṃ tavārū: piturityuktavāṃśca||

When Ashtavakra was in his twelfth year, Shvataketu one day saw him on his father's lap. He dragged Ashtavakra by catching hold of his hand and when he (Ashtavakra) began to cry, he said, “This is not your father's lap.”

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.18

यत् तेनोक्तं दुरुक्तं तत् तदानीं हृदि स्थितं तस्य सुदुःखिमासीत्। गृहं गत्वा मातरं सोऽभिगम्य पप्रच्छेदं क्व नु तातो ममेति॥

yat tenoktaṃ duruktaṃ tat tadānīṃ hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya suduḥkhimāsīt| gṛhaṃ gatvā mātaraṃ so'bhigamya papracchedaṃ kva nu tāto mameti||

These cruel word went to his heart and he became greatly aggrieved. Going home and coming to his mother, he asked “Where is my father?"

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.19

ततः सुजाता परमार्तरूपा शापाद् भीता सर्वमेवाचचक्षे। वित्यब्रवीच्छ्वेतकेतुं स विप्रः॥

tataḥ sujātā paramārtarūpā śāpād bhītā sarvamevācacakṣe| vityabravīcchvetaketuṃ sa vipraḥ||

Thereupon Sujata greatly afflicted and afraid of his curse told him all that had happened. Having heard all, that Brahmana (Ashtavakra) spoke in the night thus to Shvataketu.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.20

गच्छाव यज्ञं जनकस्य राज्ञो बह्वाश्चर्यः श्रूयते तस्य यज्ञः। मर्थं चायं तत्र भोक्ष्यावहे च॥

gacchāva yajñaṃ janakasya rājño bahvāścaryaḥ śrūyate tasya yajñaḥ| marthaṃ cāyaṃ tatra bhokṣyāvahe ca||

“Let us go to the sacrifice of the king Janaka. We hear of many wonderful things in that sacrifice. We shall hear controversies there among the Brahmanas and (we shall also) eat excellent food.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.21

विचक्षणत्वं च भविष्यते नौ शिवश्च सौम्यश्च हि ब्रह्मघोषः॥

vicakṣaṇatvaṃ ca bhaviṣyate nau śivaśca saumyaśca hi brahmaghoṣaḥ||

We shall also gain experience. The recitation of the Vedas is charming to hear and it is fraught with blessings."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 132.22

तौ जग्मतुर्मातुलभागिनेयौ यज्ञं समृद्ध जनकस्य राज्ञः। अष्टावक्रं पथि राज्ञा समेत्य प्रोत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यमिदं जगाद॥

tau jagmaturmātulabhāgineyau yajñaṃ samṛddha janakasya rājñaḥ| aṣṭāvakraṃ pathi rājñā sametya protsāryamāṇo vākyamidaṃ jagāda||

Thereupon the uncle and the nephew went to the splendid sacrifice of the king Janaka. Having been driven away from the path, Ashtavakra on meeting the king thus spoke to him.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)