"Lomasa said, 'See here, O lord of men, the sacred hermitage of
Swetaketu, son of Uddalaka, whose fame as an expert in the sacred
_mantras_ is so widely spread on earth. This hermitage is graced with
cocoanut trees. Here Swetaketu beheld the goddess Saraswati in her human
shape, and spake unto her, saying, "May I be endowed with the gift of
speech!" In that _yuga_, Swetaketu, the son of Uddalaka, and Ashtavakra,
the son of Kahoda, who stood to each other in the relation of uncle and
nephew, were the best of those conversant with the sacred lore. Those
two Brahmanas, of matchless energy, who bore unto each other the
relationship of uncle and nephew, went into the sacrificial ground of
king Janaka and there defeated Vandin in a controversy. Worship, O son
of Kunti, with thy brothers, the sacred hermitage of him who had for his
grandson Ashtavakra, who, even when a mere child, had caused Vandin to
be drowned in a river, after having defeated him in a (literary)
contest."'
"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me, O Lomasa, all about the power of this man,
who had in that way defeated Vandin. Why was he born as _Ashtavakra_
(crooked in eight parts in his body)?'
"Lomasa said, 'The sage Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda of subdued
passions, and entirely devoted to the service of his preceptor and who
had continued his studies long. The Brahmana had served his tutor long,
and his preceptor, recognising his service, gave him his own daughter,
Sujata, in marriage, as well as a mastery over the Shastras. And she
became with child, radiant as fire. And the embryo addressed his father
while employed in reading, "O father, thou hast been reading the whole
night, but (of all that) thy reading doth not seem to me correct. Even
in my fetal state I have, by thy favour, become versed in the Shastras
and the Vedas with their several branches. I say, O father, that what
proceeds from thy mouth, is not correct." Thus insulted in the presence
of his disciples, the great sage in anger cursed his child in the womb,
saying, "Because thou speakest thus even while in the womb, therefore
thou shalt be crooked in eight parts of the body." The child was
accordingly born crooked, and the great sage was ever after known by the
name of Ashtavakra. Now, he had an uncle named Swetaketu who was the
same age with himself. Afflicted by the growth of the child in the womb,
Sujata, desirous of riches, conciliating her husband who had no wealth
told him in private: "How shall I manage, O great sage, the tenth month
of my pregnancy having come? Thou hast no substance whereby I may
extricate myself from the exigencies, after I have been delivered." Thus
addressed by his wife, Kahoda went unto king Janaka for riches. He was
there defeated in a controversy by Vandin, well versed in the science of
arguments, and (in consequence) was immersed into water. And hearing
that his son-in-law had been defeated in a controversy by Vandin and
caused to be drowned by him, Uddalaka spake unto his daughter Sujata,
saying, "Thou shall keep it a secret from Ashtavakra." She accordingly
kept her counsel--so that Ashtavakra, when born, had heard nothing about
the matter. And he regarded Uddalaka as his father and Swetaketu as his
brother. And when Ashtavakra was in his twelfth year, Swetaketu one day
saw the former seated on his father's lap. And thereat he pulled him by
the hand, and on Ashtavakra's beginning to cry, he told him, "It is not
the lap of thy father." This cruel communication went direct into
Ashtavakra's heart and it pained him sorely. And he went home and asked
his mother saying, "Where is my father?" Thereupon Sujata who was
greatly afflicted (by his question), and apprehending a curse told him
all that had happened. And having heard all, the Brahmana at night said
unto his uncle Swetaketu, "Let us go unto the sacrifice of king Janaka,
wherein many wonderful things are to be seen. There we shall listen to
the controversy between the Brahmanas and shall partake of excellent
food. Our knowledge also will increase. The recitation of the sacred
Vedas is sweet to hear and is fraught with blessings." Then they
both--uncle and nephew--went unto the splendid sacrifice of king Janaka.
And on being driven from the entrance, Ashtavakra met the king and
addressed him in the following words.'"