The Radiant Wisdom of Ashtavakra

Long ago, while still in his mother's womb, Ashtavakra learned the Vedic chants from his father Kahoda. However, when he corrected his father's pronunciation, Kahoda cursed him in a fit of anger to be born with eight deformities. Despite his twisted body, Ashtavakra possessed an intellect brighter than the sun.

Years later, Ashtavakra went to King Janaka's court, where the greatest scholars had gathered. As he walked in, the entire assembly burst into laughter at his awkward, crooked gait.

Ashtavakra did not flinch. He looked around the royal hall and laughed even louder than them. Surprised, King Janaka asked, 'Why do you laugh, young sage?'

Ashtavakra replied, 'O King, I came here expecting an assembly of wise sages, but I find only a convention of cobblers! A cobbler judges the value of leather by its surface, just as these men judge the Atman (soul) by the shape of the skin and bones that cover it.'

The court fell into a stunned, absolute silence. King Janaka immediately recognized the boy's supreme realization, stepped down from his throne, and washed Ashtavakra's feet. Ashtavakra then delivered the Ashtavakra Gita—one of the most profound texts on non-duality, liberating King Janaka from all anxiety and doubt.