Mahabharata 1.2.175 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 175
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
नैयायिकानां मुख्येन वरुणस्यात्मजेन च । पराजितो यत्र बन्दी विवादेन महात्मना
naiyāyikānāṁ mukhyena varuṇasyātmajena ca | parājito yatra bandī vivādena mahātmanā ||
இங்கே, நையாயிகர்களில் முதன்மையும் வருணபுத்திரனுமான பந்தி, மகாத்மரால் வாதத்தில் தோற்கடிக்கப்பட்டான் என்று கூறப்படுகிறது; இது ஜனகனின் யாகத்தில் அஷ்டாவக்ரர் சாஸ்திரார்த்தம் செய்து பந்தியை வென்று, தர்மத்திற்காகத் தம் தந்தையை மீட்ட நிகழ்வையே சுட்டுகிறது।
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Learning and logic are meant to uphold dharma: true scholarship is measured by its commitment to justice and compassion, not by pride in victory. Aṣṭāvakra’s triumph in debate becomes an act of restoration—freeing the wronged and correcting abuse of intellectual power.
The text alludes to the episode where Bandī, a renowned logician and Varuṇa’s son, is defeated in disputation by the great sage Aṣṭāvakra at Janaka’s sacrifice. After defeating Bandī, Aṣṭāvakra is able to recover his father, who had been cast into the sea.
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