Shloka 21
Aṣṭāvakra–Bandi Vāda at Janaka’s Assembly
Numerical Cosmology and Restitution
आशंससे त्वं बन्दिनं वै विजेतु- मविज्ञाय तु बल॑ बन्दिनो5स्य । समागता ब्राह्मणास्तेन पूर्व न शोभन्ते भास्करेणेव तारा:
āśaṃsase tvaṃ bandinaṃ vai vijetuṃ avijñāya tu balaṃ bandino 'sya | samāgatā brāhmaṇās tena pūrva na śobhante bhāskareṇeva tārāḥ ||
Aṣṭāvakra said: “You hope to defeat Bandin, yet you do not understand the strength of this Bandin. The Brahmins who had assembled there earlier, having been overcome by him, no longer shine—like stars that lose their luster before the sun.”
अष्टावक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not rush into contest or confrontation out of mere confidence; first understand the opponent’s true capability. Ethical speech and right action require humility, discernment, and accurate assessment rather than prideful hope.
Aṣṭāvakra warns that Bandin has already subdued many learned Brahmins in debate, leaving them eclipsed. Using the image of stars fading before the sun, he emphasizes Bandin’s overwhelming debating power and cautions against underestimating him.