Shloka 23

अष्टावक्र-प्रवेशः तथा ब्रह्मोद्य-प्रारम्भः

Aṣṭāvakra’s Entry and the Opening of the Brahmodya

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

かくして決意を固めると、母方の叔父と姉妹の子である甥の二人は、供物豊かなジャナカ王の祭祀へと旅立った。道すがら、アシュターヴァクラは祭祀の मंडप（マンダパ）の境域近くで王に出会った。王の従者たちが彼を道から押し退けようとしたとき、彼は次の言葉を放った—聖なる場においては、外見や世俗の思い上がりで真の価値を量ってはならぬことを示すためであった。

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.