Ashtavakra’s saying that in life there are two visions: one is to see being and the other is to see skin.
“Ashtavakra” I am sure many people never heard this name. Ashtavakra was a Hindu sage who wrote a enlighten scripture Ashtavakra Geeta. He was born with eight body deformities due to which his name become Ashtavakra. There is a beautiful story about Ashtavakra wisdom.
When Ashtavakra was twelve years old, King Janak hosted a huge debating conference. Janak was an emperor, and he invited the pundits, scholars of the whole country to debate on the scriptures. He had one thousand cows placed at the palace gate and had the horns of the cows plated with gold and decorated with jewels. He proclaimed, ”Whoever is victorious, shall take possession of these cows.”
It was a great debate. Ashtavakra’s father also participated. As dusk was falling, the message came to Ashtavakra that his father was losing. He had already defeated all the others, but he was about to be defeated by a pundit scholar named Vandin. Receiving this message Ashtavakra went to the palace. The hall was decorated. The debate was in its final stage and the decisive moment was fast approaching. His father’s defeat was a complete forgone conclusion – he was on the very edge of defeat.
The pundits saw Ashtavakra as he entered the royal court. They have all learned scholars. His body was bent and deformed in eight places: he had just to move and anyone would start laughing. His every movement was a laughing matter.
The whole meeting broke into laughter. Ashtavakra also roared with laughter. Janak asked, ”Everyone else is laughing. I can understand why they laugh, but why did you laugh, my son?”
Ashtavakra said, ”I am laughing because the truth is being decided in this conference of butchers” – the man must have been extraordinary. ”What are all these skinners doing here?”
A deep silence fell over the meeting. Butchers? Skinners?
The king asked, ”What do you mean?”
Ashtavakra said, ”It is simple and straightforward: They only see skin, they don’t see me. It is difficult to find a man more pure and simple than me, but they don’t see this; they see a bent and deformed body. They are skinners, they judge by the skin. Your Majesty, in the curve of a temple, is the sky curved? When a pot is smashed, is the sky smashed? The sky is beyond change. My body is twisted, but I am not. Look at the one within. You can’t find anything more straight and pure.”
It was a very startling declaration. There must have been pin-drop silence. Janak was impressed, astounded: ”Absolutely right, why had he gathered a crowd of skinners there?” He became repentant, he felt guilty that he too had laughed.
That day the king couldn’t manage to say anything, but the following day when he was out on his morning ride he saw Ashtavakra on the way. Janak dismounted from his horse and fell at his feet.
