Saakhi: Astaavakar and Raja Janak

Raja Janak - had a dream in which he was incredibly poor. He was being chased by a scary dog. He was exhausted running from this beast but was too poor to even have water and couldn't get water from anywhere. He woke suddenly and saw in front of him all the riches of kingship - stark contrast. He got a yearning to understand what that was all about and whether his poverty in dream was true or if his kingship and riches were true. He set a challenge to all of his kingdom that anyone who could satisfy his desire for this knowledge about the truth would be his Guru. All the rishis and pandits wanted to be his Guru because whoever was his Guru would effectively be able to control the King and therefore the kingdom. All of the rishis, pandits and mahapurakhs of the time turned up for the challenge.

However Raja Janak set a condition that he would put one foot in his horse's stirrup and that the person who wanted to be his Guru had to give him gyaan (satisfy his desire for true knowledge) in the time that it takes for him to put his leg over the horse and put his foot in the other stirrup. Anyone who failed to give him true knowledge in that time would be imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

On hearing this, all but 8 of the rishis, pandits and mahapurakhs withdrew from the challenge.

One by one the 8 remaining rishis took on the challenge but in the time it took Raja Janak to put his leg over the horse and get his foot in the stirrup they had hardly even begun to explain true knowledge and were all imprisoned.

Astaavakar was a boy of 12 yrs old. He had 8 different bends in his body so he walked really strangely and everybody used to laugh at him wherever he went. All his life he had been asking his mother who his father was. His mother had always said when you're older I'll tell you. Eventually at the age of 12 he insisted until his mother finally told him that his father was one of 8 rishis who had taken on the challenge of giving true knowledge to the king Raja Janak. She said his father was now imprisoned for the rest of his life and he would never see him again. Astaavakar said I cannot live while my father rots in jail. I will take on Raja Janaks challenge and have my father released.

His mother said your father was highly educated and knowledgeable and he had written various books of divine knowledge and he could not succceed in the challenge. You've never even been educated, you're only 12 and you've written nothing. Astaavakar said mother my mind is made up. Knowledge does not depend on age. I will get my father released. So he sent a message to the King to say that he would be coming and that the King should make preparations to have his desire for true knowledge met.

The king was very surprised. Nobody had taken on the challenge for a decade since the rishis had been imprisoned. So he made preparations. Word got out that somebody has accepted the challenge again and huge crowds gathered to see for themselves who this person was who would answer the kings question. When Astaavakar came into the darbaar and started walking all funny towards Raja Janak, the crowds started laughing out loud at this 12 year old boy. The boy reached Raja Janak and said that you agreed to bring together the saintly and religious people for this day and instead you have brought only chamiaars (people who love only the body/skin and not the mind). These people don't know my mind. They look only at my twisted body. On hearing the boy speak so confidently and truthfully to the King, the crowds were instantly silenced.

Raja Janak then asked Astaavakar if he was prepared for the challenge and did he understand that he would be imprisoned for life if he failed. Astaavakar accepted the challenge. The Raja was about to put his foot into the stirrup but Astaavakar stopped him and said that for him to give him true knowledge he would have to be his Guru and Raja Janak would be his disciple. Raja Janak accepted that this was correct. Astaavakar said is it not normal for the disciple to mathha tek something to his Guru before asking for his teaching. Raja Janak immediately accepted and said what would you like.

Astaavakar said give me something that is yours. Raja Janak called his servants and said bring lots of gold. Astaavakar stopped them and said Raja, gold is not yours. Before you it belonged to your father and when you die it won't go with you. It will go to the next King. Wealth is not yours. The Raja was surprised and thought a little more carefully. He then said I give you my body. Astaavakar said your body is not yours. It has been dying since the day you were born. Skin is getting wrinkled, hair is turning white. Teeth as falling out. You have no control over when it becomes ill, or when it dies. It's not under your own control. It's not yours to give. So Raja Janak thought even harded and eventually said well what about my mind? Is that mine to give. Astaavakar accepted and said okay I'll accept your mind. Your mind is now mine. Now ask whatever you want to ask.

Raja Janak put his foot into one stirrup ready to take his leg over into the other stirrup as the way of setting the time for Astaavakar to give him true knowledge. Astaavakar stopped him and said who said you can put a foot into the stirrup? Raja Janak said I'm doing what I've always done in thi challenge. Astaavakar asked who is this 'I' that you talk of? Raja Janak thought for a while and said I is my mind. Astaavakar said but you no longer have a mind. You gave that to me when you made me your Guru before the challenge even started. Raja Janak fell at Astaavakars feet and asked for forgiveness. He asked him to give him true knowledge and answer his question. Was that poverty true or is this kingship true. Astaavakar answered saying that the dream was just a dream. That dream only lasted 15 minutes. It was not true. However this kingship and riches that you see are also not true. This is also just a dream. It just happens to be one that lasts longer. But when the time comes and you leave this human body, you will wake up from this dream just as surely as you woke up from the one in which you were poor. (supaney jio sansaar). Raja Janak fell at Astaavakars feet and said finally I have received true knowledge. After that Raja Janak spent his life in Bhagti and became one of the greatest saints of all time.