Hello everyone, I have a great story to share with you today. It took place 5 thousand years ago in India and it’s about staying respectful to your parents. The story of a sage named Ashtavakra.

When Kahoda, a learnt disciple of the great sage Uddalaka mastered the sacred texts, he was married to Uddalaka’s daughter Sujata. A few months after Kahoda and Sujata were married, Sujata became pregnant and asked Kahoda to share his knowledge with her son even when he was unborn. One day as Kahoda was teaching his disciples how to chant a hymn, his unborn child corrected him. This made Kahoda mad. So he cursed his child saying he would be born twisted in eight places. Thus, he was named Ashtavakra (ashta = eight, vakra = crooked) when he was born.

Ashtavakra’s family needed money to raise him and so, Kahoda took up the challenge where he competed against a sage named Bandhi. The challenge was that if the contestant won, Bandhi would drown himself in a lake and if the contestant lost, he had to drown yourself in a lake. Unfortunately, Kahoda lost and was drowned. Ashtavakra had lost his father even before he was born. When Ashtavakra was twelve years old he defeated Bandhi. Before Bandhi drowned himself he said that all those sages he had defeated were called for a Yajna by his father, Varuna*. Even though they were drowned the sages did not die because Varuna had saved them and sent them back . And so now all those sages that were drowned came back because the Yajna** was over and Ashtavakra saw his long-lost father for the first time. Ashtavakra was told to take a dip into the lake near their hut and once he did,his body was no longer deformed! Ashtavakra, later became one of the great sages was then known all over India.

*The god of Hydrosphere

** A ritualistic offering to gods to please them by chanting mantras and pouring oils, ghee, etc. into the fire.

It is one of my favorite stories and I’ve read it countless times. I learn a lot from reading stories like this one and if you want to read this story, I’ve posted the link down below on where you can buy this book. Thank you and see you next time. Bye!

https://hellobookmine.com/product/dhruva-and-ashtavakra/

XOXO,

Monkey Me