Shloka 175

समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः

Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī

Devanagari script

नैयायिकानां मुख्येन वरुणस्यात्मजेन च । पराजितो यत्र बन्दी विवादेन महात्मना,इसी पर्वमें अष्टावक्रका चरित्र भी है। जिसमें बन्दीके साथ जनकके यज्ञमें ब्रह्मर्षि अष्टावक्रके शास्त्रार्थका वर्णन है। वह बन्दी वरुणका पुत्र था और नैयायिकोंमें प्रधान था। उसे महात्मा अष्टावक्रने वाद-विवादमें पराजित कर दिया। महर्षि अष्टावक्रने बन्दीको हराकर समुद्रमें डाले हुए अपने पिताको प्राप्त कर लिया। इसके बाद यवक्रीत और महात्मा रैभ्यका उपाख्यान है। तदनन्तर पाण्डवोंकी गन्धमादनयात्रा और नारायणाश्रममें निवासका वर्णन है

Transliteration

naiyāyikānāṁ mukhyena varuṇasyātmajena ca | parājito yatra bandī vivādena mahātmanā ||

Translation

此处记述：班丁——诸那耶耶论师之首，且为伐楼那之子——在正式论辩中为一位大德所败。此语所指，乃阿湿陀伐迦于阇那迦王祭会之辩：学问之较量非为虚荣，乃为伸张公义。阿湿陀伐迦既胜班丁，遂救出被投海中的父亲，昭示真智当奉达摩，并护佑无辜。

Word by Word

नैयायिकानाम्of the logicians (Nyaya-followers)

मुख्येनby/with the chief (one)

वरुणस्यof Varuṇa

आत्मजेनby/with the son

चand

पराजितःdefeated

यत्रwhere

बन्दीBandin (proper name)

विवादेनby debate/disputation

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bandī

Varuṇa

Naiyāyikas

Aṣṭāvakra

Janaka

the sea/ocean

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.