Shloka 12
अष्टावक्र-प्रवेशः तथा ब्रह्मोद्य-प्रारम्भः
Aṣṭāvakra’s Entry and the Opening of the Brahmodya
स वै तथा वक्र एवाभ्यजाय- दष्टावक्र: प्रथितो वै महर्षि: | अस्यासीद् वै मातुल: श्वेतकेतु: स तेन तुल्यो वयसा बभूव,उस शापके अनुसार वे महर्षि आठों अंगोंसे टेढ़े होकर पैदा हुए। इसलिये अष्टावक्र नामसे उनकी प्रसिद्धि हुई। श्वेतकेतु उनके मामा थे, परंतु अवस्थामें उन्हींके बराबर थे
sa vai tathā vakra evābhyajāya daṣṭāvakraḥ prathito vai maharṣiḥ | asyāsīd vai mātulaḥ śvetaketuḥ sa tena tulyo vayasā babhūva |
その呪いのとおり、大聖者は八つの部位が曲がった身として生まれた。ゆえに「アシュターヴァクラ（八曲の者）」の名で世に知られたのである。母方の叔父はシュヴェータケートゥであったが、年齢は彼と同じであった。
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the potency of words (a curse) in shaping lived reality, while simultaneously implying that physical deformity does not diminish spiritual greatness; true worth is measured by wisdom and tapas rather than appearance or social expectations.
The speaker explains why the sage is called Aṣṭāvakra: he was born with a crooked body due to a curse and thus became famous by that name. It also notes an unusual family detail—his maternal uncle Śvetaketu was the same age as him.