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

ഇങ്ങനെ നിശ്ചയിച്ച് മാമനും സഹോദരിയുടെ മകനും രാജാവ് ജനകന്റെ സമൃദ്ധമായ യാഗത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു. വഴിയിൽ യാഗമണ്ഡപപരിസരത്ത് അഷ്ടാവക്രൻ രാജാവിനെ കണ്ടുമുട്ടി. രാജസേവകർ അവനെ വഴിയിൽ നിന്ന് തള്ളിനീക്കാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചപ്പോൾ, അഷ്ടാവക്രൻ ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

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.