The King’s entourage was clearing the King’s path, but Ashtavakra refused to move. He said the King must make way for women, the blind, the deformed, those learned in the Vedas and those carrying loads. Impressed, the King let him pass. At the palace gate, Ashtavakra was stopped again. The guard said the debate was for Vedic scholars, not boys. Ashtavakra asked him not to judge people by age or appearance. The guard wondered how such a small fellow could be a Vedic scholar. Ashtavakra said that the size couldn’t indicate a person’s knowledge or worth. The King, reaching the palace gates, recognized Ashtavakra. He asked the boy, “Aren’t you afraid of losing a debate with scholar Vandi, and being thrown into the sea?” Ashtavakra told him that he would defeat the arrogant Vandi and would repay his father’s debt. He proved to be right. Vandi lost to him and was drowned.
Paying Father’s Debt
