Ashtavakra Debates and Defeats Bandi

The assembly at King Janaka's sacrifice was vast and learned. Brahmanas from every direction had gathered. And among them stood Bandi, the suta's son — a man who had already defeated every scholar who had dared to face him in debate, and who had each one of them thrown into the water afterward. Bandi looked at the crowd and spoke. "Do not awaken a sleeping tiger. The virulent snake is licking its mouth. If you kick it on the head with your feet, you will not escape. Be sure that you will be bitten. The extremely weak man is insolent and strikes a mountain, only to lacerate his hands and nails himself. No wounds can be seen on the mountain. Like all mountains before Mainaka, like calves before a bull, all the other kings are inferior to the king of Mithila." Ashtavakra heard this. His body was twisted in eight places — the result of a curse uttered while he was still in his mother's womb. He was young, barely past childhood. But his wrath was aroused. He roared in that assembly. "Tell me the answer to my question. I will tell you the answer to your question." Bandi accepted. And the contest began — not with arguments, but with numbers. Bandi began: "There is only one fire, but it is kindled in many forms. There is only one sun that illuminates everything. There is only one warrior and slayer, the king of the gods. There is only one Yama, the lord of the ancestors." Ashtavakra answered: "Indra and Agni roam together, as friends. There are two devarshis, Narada and Parvata. There are two Ashvins. There are two wheels to a chariot. As decreed by the creator, wife and husband live together." Bandi: "Beings are born thrice as a result of their deeds. The vajapeya is united with three. Thrice do the adhvaryus perform the act of pressing. It is said that there are three worlds and three sources of light." Ashtavakra: "There are four stages of life for a brahmana. Four are required to complete the sacrifice. There are four directions and four varnas. It has always been said that cows have four feet." Bandi: "There are five fires. The pankti has five feet. There are five sacrifices. There are five organs of sense. It has been seen in the Vedas that apsaras have five tufts of hair. There are five sacred rivers in the world." Ashtavakra: "When the sacrificial fire is prepared, six cows are the dakshina. There are six seasons in the wheel of time. There are six organs of sense. There are six in Krittika. It has been seen in all the Vedas that there are six sadasyas." Bandi: "There are seven kinds of domestic animals and seven that are wild. There are seven meters that carry the sacrifice. There are seven rishis. There are seven forms of offering homage. The veena is known to have seven strings." Ashtavakra: "Eight shanas bear a hundred. Sharabha, the destroyer of the lion, has eight feet. We have heard that among the gods, there is a class of eight Vasus. In all sacrifices, the sacrificial post has eight corners." Bandi: "When kindling sacrifices for the ancestors, nine verses are used. It is said that there are nine stages in creation. The brihati meter has nine syllables. Nine digits are always used in calculations." Ashtavakra: "In the world of men, it has been said that there are ten stages. It has been said that a thousand is made up of ten complete hundreds. A woman who has conceived bears for ten months. There are ten Dasherakas, Dashas and Dasharnas." Bandi: "Eleven animals are used in the ekadashi rite. There are eleven sacrificial stakes. There are eleven changes in the breath of life. It has been said that there are eleven Rudras among the gods." Ashtavakra: "It has been said that there are twelve months in a year. The jagati meter is formed out of twelve syllables. It has been said that an ordinary sacrifice lasts for twelve days. The brahmanas say that there are twelve Adityas." Bandi: "It has been said that the thirteenth lunar day is terrible. The earth is formed out of thirteen islands..." He stopped. Ashtavakra completed the half-shloka: "Keshi travelled for thirteen days. It has been said that the atichhanda meter has thirteen syllables." Bandi fell silent. A loud applause arose. His head was lowered and he was immersed in thought. But Ashtavakra went on reciting. In King Janaka's grand sacrifice, there was a tremendous uproar. Hands joined in salutation, all the brahmanas went to Ashtavakra and worshipped him.