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IV
ASHTAVAKRA SAMHITA
to the court of Janaka to beg money from the King.
The King had at that time in his court a great scholar
called Vandi, son of King Varuna.
He was pro-
foundly versed in the Vedas. Kahor was called to a
debate by him, was defeated and thrown into the sea,
to be engaged as a priest in a sacrifice performed by
Varuna. When Ashtavakra grew to be a lad of
twelve and heard of the sad plight of his father, he
repaired to the court of Janaka in company with his
maternal uncle Shvetaketu. Being a mere boy he
was not at first allowed entrance into the court, but
when he gave proof of his extraordinary learning in
the Shastras, he was cordially welcomed. He at once
sought out his father's opponent, Vandi, and entered
into a debate with him. A wonderful controversy
ensued, and the boy of twelve defeated the foremost
scholar of the court of Janaka. He rescued his father
from the grip of Varuna. Kahor was highly satisfied
with his son and asked him to bathe in the river
Samanga, and lo, he came out of the waters with all
his limbs made straight. But his name continued the
same for ever.
The present work is not a philosophical treatise in
the technical sense of the term. It does not care to
call in aid the intellectual resources, which are the
only stock-in-trade of all philosophical dissertations.
We find in it on the contrary an unfoldment of the
ultimate Truth, which is the final objective of philo-
sophy, but which for ever eludes its grasp. Philo-
sophy and even Vedanta qua philosophy can only
ASHTAVAKRA SAMHITA
to the court of Janaka to beg money from the King.
The King had at that time in his court a great scholar
called Vandi, son of King Varuna.
He was pro-
foundly versed in the Vedas. Kahor was called to a
debate by him, was defeated and thrown into the sea,
to be engaged as a priest in a sacrifice performed by
Varuna. When Ashtavakra grew to be a lad of
twelve and heard of the sad plight of his father, he
repaired to the court of Janaka in company with his
maternal uncle Shvetaketu. Being a mere boy he
was not at first allowed entrance into the court, but
when he gave proof of his extraordinary learning in
the Shastras, he was cordially welcomed. He at once
sought out his father's opponent, Vandi, and entered
into a debate with him. A wonderful controversy
ensued, and the boy of twelve defeated the foremost
scholar of the court of Janaka. He rescued his father
from the grip of Varuna. Kahor was highly satisfied
with his son and asked him to bathe in the river
Samanga, and lo, he came out of the waters with all
his limbs made straight. But his name continued the
same for ever.
The present work is not a philosophical treatise in
the technical sense of the term. It does not care to
call in aid the intellectual resources, which are the
only stock-in-trade of all philosophical dissertations.
We find in it on the contrary an unfoldment of the
ultimate Truth, which is the final objective of philo-
sophy, but which for ever eludes its grasp. Philo-
sophy and even Vedanta qua philosophy can only