Mb048. Ashtavakra The Eight Crooks Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

MAHABHARATA

The Pandavas heard the story,
When they visited a place holy,
Of the handicapped Ashtavakra,
The son of Kagola and Sujata.

Sage Uddalaka had a disciple.
Who was virtuous and simple.
Other students used to heckle
At his day to day debacle.

Guru had a daughter, Sujata,
He gave her to marry Kagola.
In her womb the child,
Vedas recital he heard.

Born with a twisted body,
His appearance was untidy,
But became a master
In all the Vedas faster.

To attend to a sacrifice,
He went to Janaka's place,
But to go inside the palace,
He was denied admittance.

In the royal march on the way,
People were asked to move away.
But to the attendants he told,
"Who should move? " in words bold.

"A king is for the blind,
Or any person deformed,
Or a fair sex or man with load,
Or Brahmins, to give the road."

The King heard what he said.
Immediate attention he paid.
To his court, Janaka took him.
His feats there to perform.

He challenged the Court Poet,
Who at the end met his defeat.
He proved what a scholar he was,
Handicapped though he was.