ion of uncle and
nephew, were the best of those conversant with the sacred lore. Those
two Brahmanas, of matchless energy, who bore unto each other the
relationship of uncle and nephew, went into the sacrificial ground of
king Janaka and there defeated Vandin in a controversy. Worship, O son
of Kunti, with thy brothers, the sacred hermitage of him who had for his
grandson Ashtavakra, who, even when a mere child, had caused Vandin to
be drowned in a river, after having defeated him in a (literary)
contest."'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me, O Lomasa, all about the power of this man,
who had in that way defeated Vandin. Why was he born as _Ashtavakra_
(crooked in eight parts in his body)?'

"Lomasa said, 'The sage Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda of subdued
passions, and entirely devoted to the service of his preceptor and who
had continued his studies long. The Brahmana had served his tutor long,
and his preceptor, recognising his service, gave him his own daughter,
Sujata, in marriage, as well as a mastery over the Shastras. And she
became with child, radiant as fire. And the embryo addressed his father
while employed in reading, "O father, thou hast been reading the whole
night, but (of all that) thy reading doth not seem to me correct. Even
in my fetal state I have, by thy favour, become versed in the Shastras
and the Vedas with their several branches. I say, O father, that what
proceeds from thy mouth, is not correct." Thus insulted in the presence
of his disciples, the great sage in anger cursed his child in the womb,
saying, "Because thou speakest thus even while in the womb, therefore
thou shalt be crooked in eight parts of the body." The child was
accordingly born crooked, and the great sage was ever after known by the
name of Ashtavakra. Now, he had an uncle named Swetaketu who was the
same age with himself. Afflicted by the growth of the child in the womb,
Sujata, desirous of riches, conciliating her husband who had no wealth
told him in private: "How shall I manage, O great sage, the tenth month
of my pregnancy having come? Thou hast no substance whereby I may
extricate myself from the exigencies, after I have been delivered." Thus
addressed by his wife, Kahoda went unto king Janaka for riches. He was
there defeated in a controversy by Vandin, well versed in the science of
arguments, and (in consequence) was immersed into water. And hearing
that his son-in-law had been defeated in a controversy by Vandin an