Ashtavakra (epic)

Aṣṭāvakra (2010) is a Hindi epic poem (Mahakavya) composed by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya (1950–) in the year 2009. It consists of 864 verses in 8 cantos (sargas) of 108 verses each. The poem presents the narrative of the Ṛṣi Aṣṭāvakra which is found in the Hindu scriptures of the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata. A copy of the epic was published by the Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, Chitrakuta, Uttar Pradesh. The book was released on 14 January 2010, on the sixtieth birthday ("Ṣaṣṭipūrti") of the poet.
The protagonist of the epic, Aṣṭāvakra, is physically disabled with eight deformities in his body. The epic presents his journey from adversity to success to final redemption. According to the poet, who is also disabled having lost his eyesight at the age of two months, the notions of aphoristic solutions for universal difficulties of the disabled are presented the epic, and the eight cantos are the analyses of the eight dispositions in the mind of the disabled.
Narrative.
The epic narrates the life of Aṣṭāvakra as found in the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki, the "Vana parva" of the Mahābhārata, the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā and the play "Uttararamacarita" by Bhavabhuti. The sage Uddālaka, the Ṛṣi mentioned in the Chandogya Upaniṣad, has a disciple by the name Kahola. Uddālaka offers his daughter Sujātā in marriage to Kahola, and the newly-wed couple starts living in an Āśrama in a forest. Sujātā becomes pregnant after some years. The child, while still in the womb, one day tells its father Kahola that he is making eight errors in each Vedic Mantra while reciting them at night. Enraged, Kahola curses the child to be born with all eight limbs (feet, knees, hands, chest and head) deformed.
Meanwhile, there is a drought in the forest and Sujātā sends Kahola to Mithilā to earn some money from King Janaka. A courtier of Janaka, Bandī (Vandī) defeats Kahola in "Śāstrārtha" (verbal duel on the meaning of scriptures) and immerses the Ṛṣi under water using the "Varuṇapāśa". Uddālaka apprises Sujātā of her husband's fate and asks her to keep the events secret from her child.
The child born to Sujātā is named Aṣṭāvakra by Uddālaka. At the same time a son is born to Uddālaka and is named Śvetaketu. Aṣṭāvakra and Śvetaketu grow up like brothers, and learn the scriptures from Uddālaka. Aṣṭāvakra thinks Uddālaka is his father and Śvetaketu his brother. At the age of ten years, on learning that his real father is imprisoned by Bandī, Aṣṭāvakra decides to go to Mithilā to free his father. Aṣṭāvakra travels to Mithilā with his uncle Śvetaketu and defeats respectively the gatekeeper, king Janaka and Bandī in "Śāstrārtha", and then secures the release of his father Kahola.
On their way back home, Kahola makes Aṣṭāvakra bathe in the river Samaṅgā and Aṣṭāvakra becomes free of the eight deformities in his body. At the end, Aṣṭāvakra, inspired by the sage Vasiṣṭha, arrives in the court of Sītā and Rāma, and is elated to be honoured in the assembly of Ayodhyā.
Themes.
Revolutionism.
The poet states that the genre of his poetry is Revolutionism ("Krāntivāda"). In the second canto, the poet defines the true revolution as one caused by change in thoughts. Aṣṭāvakra, while speaking to Kahola, says that Oṃ Śāntiḥ ("Hail Peace!") is the old proclamation, the new one should be Oṃ Krāntiḥ ("Hail Revolution!"). On lines of the Oṃ Śāntiḥ Mantra, the new Mantra is to call for revolution everywhere –
Devanagari
द्यौः क्रान्तिः नभः क्रान्तिः भाग्यभूमाभूमि क्रान्तिः । 
परमपावन आपः क्रान्तिः ओषधिः सङ्क्रान्तिमय हो ॥ 
नववनस्पतिवृन्द क्रान्तिः विश्वदेवस्पन्द क्रान्तिः । 
महाकाव्यच्छन्द क्रान्तिः ब्रह्मभव सङ्क्रान्तिमय हो ॥ 
IAST
dyauḥ krāntiḥ nabhaḥ krāntiḥ bhāgyabhūmābhūmi krāntiḥ । 
paramapāvana āpaḥ krāntiḥ oṣadhiḥ saṅkrāntimaya ho ॥ 
navavanaspativṛnda krāntiḥ viśvadevaspanda krāntiḥ । 
mahākāvyacchanda krāntiḥ brahmabhava saṅkrāntimaya ho ॥ 
Meaning of Aṣṭāvakra.
In the epic, the poet derives the name Aṣṭāvakra as the Sandhi of "Aṣṭa" meaning eight and "Avakra" meaning not deformed or straight. In the verses 1.98 to 1.100, five interpretations are given for the word Aṣṭāvakra using this Sandhi decomposition.
Philosophy.
Verses dealing with philosophy are found at several places in the epic. The soliloquy by Aṣṭāvakra in the third canto includes verses on the nature of the Self (3.61–3.82), according to the Viśiṣṭādvaita school of Vedānta. A part of the instruction by Uddālaka to Aṣṭāvakra in the sixth canto (6.56–6.60) has the same subject. The phraseology used in some of these verses is the same as that used in the Vedas, the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad Gītā. A metaphor used in the explanation of Sādhanā (6.4–6.5) combines all the six Āstika schools of Hindu philosophy – Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vaiśeṣika, Nyāya, Mimāṃsā and Vedānta. In the seventh canto, when Aṣṭāvakra enters Mithilā, he finds scholars of all the six schools (7.27–7.28). The various sub-schools of the Vedānta are also referred to, along with the seventh school of Bhakti. The verse 8.4 mentions the differing opinions about the worldly creation in the Hindu philosophy – some say it is made of "Śabda", while some say it is either "Pariṇāma" or "Vivarta". The poet agrees with the former ("Pariṇāma") view.
Social messages.
In various contexts of the epic, several contemporary social issues relevant to India and the world are raised. The issues are brought up in soliloquies by or dialogues between the characters in the epic. These include bias against the girl child, reservation and merit, and the state of the disabled, among others.
Bias against the girl child.
The girl child has been historically discriminated against in the Indian society, due to several cultural and economic factors. The preference for sons and discrimination against the female child continues to date, reflected in statistics like child sex ratio (skewed by female infanticide and sex-selective abortions), and lower literacy rates for women. The poet raises the issue of gender inequality in the first (1.12, 1.57–1.59) and the fifth (5.17) cantos of the epic. The following verse is from the first canto in the context of the dialogue between Uddālaka and Kahola, where Uddālaka tells Kahola about the birth of Sujātā. Says Uddālaka –
Devanagari
कन्या नहीं भार है शिरका यही सृष्टि का है श्रृंगार 
मानवता का यही मन्त्र है यही प्रकृति का है उपहार । 
कोख पवित्र सुता से होती पुत्री से गृह होता शुद्ध 
नहीं भ्रूणहत्या विधेय है श्रुतिविरुद्ध यह कृत्य अशुद्ध ॥ 
IAST
kanyā nahīṃ bhāra hai śirakā yahī sṛṣṭi kā hai śrṛṃgāra 
mānavatā kā yahī mantra hai yahī prakṛti kā hai upahāra । 
kokha pavitra sutā se hotī putrī se gṛha hotā śuddha 
nahīṃ bhrūṇahatyā vidheya hai śrutiviruddha yaha kṛtya aśuddha ॥ 
Reservations.
Reservation in the educational institutes, public sector and its proposal for private sector is a controversial and much debated issue in India. Different caste and religious groups have demanded reservations in educational institutes and/or public sector in recent times, which has often led to unrest, protests, and conflicts between judiciary and legislature. In the fifth canto of the epic, while speaking to himself when comparing the learning abilities of Aṣṭāvakra (who is disabled) with those of Śvetaketu and other disciples, Uddālaka says –
Devanagari
प्रातिभ क्षेत्र में आरक्षण 
न कदापि राष्ट्रहित में समुचित । 
यह घोर निरादर प्रतिभा का 
अवनति का पथ अतिशय अनुचित ॥ 
IAST
prātibha kṣetra meṃ ārakṣaṇa 
na kadāpi rāṣṭrahita meṃ samucita । 
yaha ghora nirādara pratibhā kā 
avanati kā patha atiśaya anucita ॥ 
Bias against the disabled.
The issue of prejudice and discrimination against the disabled is raised in multiple contexts. In the dialogue between Uddālaka and Kahola in the first canto, Uddālaka says that with the success of Aṣṭāvakra, the disabled will no longer be deprived of their rights by the society. They will not be pushovers any more, no more be regarded as bad omens in auspicious rituals, and would be treated with equality. In the fourth canto, while speaking to Sujāta, Uddālaka says – the notion that the disabled are a burden on family and not worthy of attention will decay the world. He cautions against insulting and humiliating the disabled, and advises treating them with respect, else even the tears of the disabled will trample one in turn. In the seventh canto, in Aṣṭāvakra's soliloquy, the poet says that making fun of the disabled is never appropriate, for they are created by the same craftsman as the entire creation. An example verse is –
Devanagari
भार है विकलांग क्या परिवार का 
क्या उपेक्ष्या पात्र वह सकलांग का । 
जगत को जर्जरित कर देगी झटिति 
यह विषम अवधारणा कुसमाज की ॥ 
IAST
bhāra hai vikalāṃga kyā parivāra kā 
kyā upekṣyā pātra vaha sakalāṃga kā । 
jagata ko jarjarita kara degī jhaṭiti 
yaha viṣama avadhāraṇā kusamāja kī ॥ 
Poetic features.
Rasas.
The principle Rasas in the epic are the "Vīra" (heroism or bravery) and the "Karuṇa" (compassion) Rasas. Aṣṭāvakra's soliloquy after his father's curse (third canto), Kahola's repentance of the curse (fourth canto) and the conversation between Uddālaka's and Sujātā after Kahola's drowning in water are contexts with compassion and pathos. Aṣṭāvakra's determination and resolve to liberate is father (fifth canto) and his journey to Mithilā (sixth canto) are the notable contexts with the emotion of heroism.
Figures of Speech.
Anuprāsa (Alliteration) and Yamaka.
"Yamaka" is a kind of pun in Saṃskṛta (and also in Hindi and other Prākṛta languages) where a word occurs multiple times and each occurrence has a different meaning. An example of alliteration ("Anuprāsa") mixed with "Yamaka" from the epic is the second half of the verse 7.32 –
Devanagari
अङ्ग अङ्ग पर विलस रहे थे ललितललाम विभूषण 
भवभूषण दूषणरिपुदूषणदूषण निमिकुलभूषण । 
IAST
aṅga aṅga para vilasa rahe the lalitalalāma vibhūṣaṇa 
bhavabhūṣaṇa dūṣaṇaripudūṣaṇa dūṣaṇa nimikulabhūṣaṇa । 
In the second half of verse the 1.21, the poet uses the words "raurava" and "gaurava" in the same line four and three times respectively, with a different meaning in each occurrence.
Devanagari
रौरवसहित रहित रौरव से रौरवकृत जितरौरव थे 
गौरवमय अभिमान विवर्जित श्रितगौरव हितगौरव थे ॥ 
IAST
rauravasahita rahita raurava se rauravakṛta jitaraurava the 
gauravamaya abhimāna vivarjita śritagaurava hitagaurava the ॥ 
Bhaṣāsamaka.
At several places in the epic (1.85, 4.100, 8.106 and 8.108), the poet uses the Bhāṣāsamaka (also known as Maṇipravāla) figure of speech, where Saṃskṛta and Hindi are blended together. An example is this verse in which the etymology of the name Sujātā is explained using Nirukta.
Devanagari
सुभगो जातो यस्याः सैव सुजाता नाम निरुक्ति यही 
अष्टावक्र सुभग जातक की बनी सुजाता मातु सही ॥ 
IAST
subhago jāto yasyāḥ saiva sujātā nāma nirukti yahī 
aṣṭāvakra subhaga jātaka kī banī sujātā mātu sahī ॥ 
Mudrā.
In the "Mudrā" figure of speech, the metre used to compose the verse is indicated by the use of its name in the verse. The last verse of the third canto in Aṣṭāvakra is composed in the "Śārdūlavikrīḍita" metre (a metre commonly used in Saṃskṛta epics), and also contains the word "śārdūlavikrīḍitam".
Devanagari
अष्टावक्र महर्षि वाक्य कह रहे ज्यों हो रहे मौन थे 
त्यों ही बिप्र कहोल के नयन भी नीरन्ध्रवर्षी बने । 
सीमन्तोन्नयनीय वेदविधि भी सम्पन्न प्रायः हुई 
गाएँ देव सभी कहोलसुत का शार्दूलविक्रीडितम् ॥ 
IAST
aṣṭāvakra maharṣi vākya kaha rahe jyoṃ ho rahe mauna the 
tyoṃ hī bipra kahola ke nayana bhī nīrandhravarṣī bane । 
sīmantonnayanīya vedavidhi bhī sampanna prāyaḥ huī 
gāeँ deva sabhī kaholasuta kā śārdūlavikrīḍitam ॥ 
In his Saṃskṛta epic Śrībhārgavarāghavīyam, the poet Rāmabhadrācārya has used this figure of speech at eight places.
The debates in Mithilā.
Four conversations are described in the seventh and eighth cantos of the epic. These include the first conversation between Aṣṭāvakra and Janaka, followed by the three debates of Aṣṭāvakra – the first one to convince the gatekeeper to let him into the assembly; then his answers to the cryptic questions of Janaka; and finally the "Śāstrārtha" between Bandī and Aṣṭāvakra, in which the seemingly simple enumerations of the numbers one to thirteen belie enigmas and latent meanings which lie beneath. These conversations in the epic are the same as in the Mahābhārata, and the comparison between the poetry in the Saṃskṛta of Mahābhārata and the Hindi of Aṣṭāvakra is noteworthy.
Critical response.
The Readers' Forum of the Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Akademi organised a conference of reviewers in September 2010 to critique the epic in Ashoknagar. The chief reviewer, Professor S N Saxena, said that the epic is the story from struggle to success, and is a source of inspiration for the disabled, coming out of the poet's own experience. Other reviewers at the conference included writers Ram Sevak Soni, Sudhir Gupta, Subhash Jain Saral and Pradeep Manoria. The reviewers said that the epic describes the feelings and the rise of the disabled and it is very relevant in the contemporary world. The Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Akademi organised another conference of reviewers at Damoh in November 2010, where various littérateurs discussed the epic.