Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तौ जम्मतुर्मातुलभागिनेयौ यज्ञ समृद्धं जनकस्य राज्ञ: । अष्टावक्र: पथि राज्ञा समेत्य प्रोत्सार्यमाणो वाक्यमिदं जगाद,ऐसा निश्चय करके वे दोनों मामा-भानजे राजा जनकके समृद्धिशाली यज्ञमें गये। अष्टावक्रकी यज्ञ-मण्डपके मार्ममें ही राजासे भेंट हो गयी। उस समय राजसेवक उन्हें रास्तेसे दूर हटाने लगे, तब वे इस प्रकार बोले

Transliteration

tau jagmatur mātula-bhāgineyau yajña-samṛddhaṁ janakasya rājñaḥ | aṣṭāvakraḥ pathi rājñā sametya protsāryamāṇo vākyam idaṁ jagāda ||

Translation

Having resolved thus, the maternal uncle and his sister’s son set out for King Janaka’s richly endowed sacrificial rite. On the way, Aṣṭāvakra encountered the king near the precincts of the sacrificial pavilion. When the king’s attendants tried to push him aside from the path, he spoke these words—signaling that true worth is not to be judged by outward appearance or social presumption, especially in a sacred setting devoted to truth and discernment.

Word by Word

• {'tau': 'those two', 'jagmatuḥ': 'went, proceeded (dual perfect)', 'mātula-bhāgineyau': 'maternal uncle and sister’s son (dual)', 'yajña-samṛddham': 'abounding in sacrificial prosperity

• richly furnished sacrifice', 'janakasya': 'of Janaka', 'rājñaḥ': 'of the king', 'aṣṭāvakraḥ': 'Aṣṭāvakra (the sage with ‘eight bends’)', 'pathi': 'on the road, on the way', 'rājñā': 'with/by the king (instrumental)', 'sametya': 'having met, encountering', 'protsāryamāṇaḥ': 'being pushed away/warded off', 'vākyam': 'speech, statement', 'idam': 'this', 'jagāda': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭāvakra
• Janaka
• mātula (maternal uncle)
• bhāgineya (sister’s son)
• yajña (sacrifice)
• yajña-maṇḍapa (sacrificial pavilion/precincts)
• rāja-sevaka (king’s attendants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical contrast: in a sacred arena dedicated to truth, judging or obstructing a seeker based on appearance or status is improper. It prepares for Aṣṭāvakra’s assertion that inner knowledge and dharma, not external form, determine true honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṣṭāvakra and his maternal uncle travel to King Janaka’s grand sacrifice. Near the sacrificial pavilion, Aṣṭāvakra meets the king, but attendants attempt to push him away; Aṣṭāvakra then begins to speak in response.