ORIENTAL SERIES.

ASAMANJAS-ASHTAVAKRA. 25
ASAMANJAS. Son ot Sagara and Kesim, He was a wild
and wicked young man, and was abandoned by his father, but
he succeeded him as king, and, according to the Hari-vama, he
was afterwards famous for valour under the name of Panchajana*
ASANGA. Author of some verses in the J&g-veda. He was
son of Playoga, but was changed into a woman by the curse of
the gods. He recovered his male form by repentance and the
favour of the Rishi Medhatithi, to whom he gave abundant
wealth, and addressed the verses preserved in the Veda
ASARA A Bakshasa or other demon.
ASHTAVAKEA. A Brahman, the son of Kahoda, whose
story is told in the Maha-bharata. Kahoda married a daughter
of his preceptor, Uddalaka, but he was so devoted to study that
he neglected his wife. When she was far advanced in her
pregnancy, the unborn son was provoked at his father's neglect
of her, and rebuked him for it. Kaho^a was angry at the
child's impertinence, and condemned him to be born crooked ; so
he came forth with his eight (ashia) limbs crooked (vakra) ; hence
his name. Kahoda went to a great sacrifice at the court of
Janaka, king of Mithila. There was present there a great
Buddhist sage, who challenged disputations, upon the under-
standing that whoever was overcome in argument should be
thrown into the river. This was the fate of many, and among
them of Kahoda, who was drowned. In his twelfth year Ash-
tavakra learned the manner of his father's death, and set out to
avenge him. The lad was possessed of great ability and wisdom.
He got the better of the sage who had worsted his father, and
insisted that the sage should be thrown into the water, The
sage then declared himself to be a son of Varurca, god
of the
waters, who had sent him to obtain Brahmans for officiating at
a sacrifice by overpowering them in argument and throwing
them into the water. When all was explained and set right,
Kaho^a directed his son to bathe in the Samanga river, on doing
which the lad became perfectly straight. A story is told in the
Vishnu Purawa that Ashtavakra was standing in water performing
penances when he was seen by some celestial nymphs and
worshipped by them. He was pleased, and told them to ask a
boon. They asked for the best of men as a husband. He camo
out of the water and offered himself. When they saw him,
ugly and crooked in eight places, they laughed in derision. He